Many classrooms have students not performing on grade level. It is difficult for struggling students to meet their academic goals with whole-group instruction being the only instruction method. There are many benefits of small group instruction. It is vital in helping our students meet academic standards.

Small group instruction allows the teacher to differentiate and cater to the education to the student needs. The teacher should group 4-6 students with the same instructional need. Small group instruction can be beneficial for all subjects.

Most teachers pull small groups after teaching their whole group instruction to break down the lesson. Others pull small groups to review the objectives previously taught. In small group instruction, the teacher supports and guides students on their instructional level throughout the lesson. 

The key to small groups is to ensure the students have been assessed, and the data is carefully analyzed. From the data, the students are grouped according to their skill level. The teacher should challenge student learning through the explicit use of instructional materials designated for the objective.

Catered Instruction:

The teacher prepares a lesson on a topic that the group has not mastered. Teachers can work more closely with each student, sometimes one-on-one. The instruction allows the teacher to evaluate students’ learning strengths and learning gaps. For example, if the teacher has a group of students in third grade and they read on a second-grade level, the teacher needs to scaffold the lesson to their current level during small group instruction bridge the gap. The teacher must carefully select materials for the lesson with a structured plan to deliver instruction with detailed strategies.   

Direct Checking for Understanding:

Teacher can use questions catered to the lesson to ask the group members and evaluate their responses. The teacher can redirect their thoughts through more in-depth questions. The teacher should allow students to answer multiple questions and analyze their level of comprehension. Students will also benefit from peer responses and help in the group. It also helps the teacher to gain a better understanding of what the students know.

Opportunity to Reteach:

Small group instruction is an excellent time to reteach objectives in a more detailed manner. Concepts that were not easier understood during whole group instruction are broken down into small sections to be retaught individually. Teachers should break down concepts not easily understood and reteach it with new materials and strategies.

Small group instruction is an opportunity for teachers to provide additional teaching and practice often needed for struggling students to master essential skills. The lessons should include hands-on activities, visuals, vocabulary, and manipulatives to enhance the lesson. 

Build Student Confidence:

Most students like to participate in a small group versus the whole group. Small group instruction makes them feel more comfortable.

They can answer a question without a large group of their peers looking at them. It also makes them feel safe to ask questions. The teacher also gets to know his/her students better in a small group setting.

  Bridge the Learning Gap:

Small group instruction is a great time to help students learn skills they didn’t master. To maintain a student grow academically, the teacher must know what the student knows and understands.

The teacher should also evaluate where the student should be and make goals to help them obtain their academic goals. 

In conclusion, small group instruction aims to help students learn the
necessary skills to be successful. We can’t teach students with a one size fits all mentality. Our students all learn differently, and differentiated instruction and small group instruction are vital to making academic gains.