3 Things to Stop Doing During Small Groups

Listen to the full episode to hear what you should stop doing during small groups:

Small group instruction is an important and necessary part of your day. It’s a great opportunity to reteach and practice a variety of reading skills with a smaller group of students. I thought I had mastered small group instruction, until I accidentally stopped what I had planned, and it worked out for the better! So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 things to stop doing during small groups. 

During our small groups, we have goals and skills we want our students to accomplish during that instruction time. It was amazing to me, that when I stopped doing these 3 things, it was more beneficial for my students! Not only did I see more growth, but I also saw an excitement amongst my students as readers. 

The 3 things to stop doing during small groups are stop reading a text only one time through, stop making students read silently during that time, and stop finishing every book you bring to the small group table. After each of these suggestions, I explain the many benefits to not doing these during your small groups.

These 3 suggestions aren’t meant to criticize the way you run your small group instruction, but to give you a new perspective on practices that are helpful for your students. When you stop doing those 3 things during small groups, not only will you feel less stressed, but your students will start excelling in the area of literacy skills.

In this episode on what not to do in small groups, I share:

• How stopping these 3 things can affect your students positively
• A more appropriate time for your students to read silently
• Why the quality of a lesson is more important than the quantity of books read together
• How to make more time to explore other reading skills
• A preview of my 100th episode celebration

Resources Mentioned:

• Monthly Writing Prompts
• Small Group Question Slips
• Small Group Data Trackers

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About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new ideas when it comes to literacy instruction in elementary classrooms? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to offer actionable steps and to share information for teachers, like you, who are always looking to improve their craft! ELA is our jam and we are excited to dive into all things reading and writing with you!

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!