Small Group Teaching: How To Make It Work For Every Student

Every student is different, so every small group approach must be tailored to fit the needs of not just one but any student. Here are some steps to get you going! 

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Get to Know Your Students.

Sometimes a personally tailored approach is the best way to go. Get ready to dive into the details!  

Assess Who is Struggling

Enter your best friend: progress monitoring assessments! This is the best way to get a full insight into what your students excel at and what they may need some extra help with! Keeping up with all of those details is even easier with TARA - use our Progress Monitoring Tracker to quickly add updates and reference for small group instruction!

Pull Students With Similar Skill Levels

Small groups work best when all the students need the same type of instruction. Use your progress monitoring details to group your students according to their IEP goal types and individual learning levels. 

Work From the Foundation Up

When you begin working with your small groups, start one step behind where your students currently sit. Not only is it a good refresher of the skill, but it also allows you to engage prior knowledge, provide some context, and relate the topic to your students’ personal experiences  before you begin to help them build toward their goal. Try using simple questions that cover the base of the standard, then build forward!

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Use a Student-Led Approach

Give your students the lead and watch them shine! Foster a sense of leadership and independence by having students take the teacher role.

Give a little praise to the master of a topic by giving them the chance to lead the class review! Sometimes, another student's words could click a little better and it could step up your whole lesson! This gives you the opportunity to encourage participation from everyone with a little fun competition added in!

Give Options for Students to Choose From

Kids like to make decisions! It helps them feel involved in the process - which can mean more attention toward the skill! The TARA Resource Bank has a nifty Choice Board activity that can be edited to your heart's content, complete with a student handout template! Bring them into the planning and watch how they connect. 

Tailor to the Needs of Your Group

tsOne group’s goal may be the same, but their approach may need to be completely different! Don’t be afraid to switch things up when they aren’t working. Also, consider incorporating the students’ different preferred learning styles. It may help them in the long run. 

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‍Small group teaching can be a wonderful tool, especially when you know how to make it work! Combined with TARAs capabilities, creating small groups that work is checked off on your to-do list.