How Small Groups Help Children Read

Reading instruction is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for elementary teachers. Every classroom is comprised of a diverse group of learners, ranging in skills and knowledge from below average to above average. Teachers bear the burden of reaching all students at individual skill levels. Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas cite research that supports small group reading instruction as an effective strategy to meet the needs of all students in their published work, "Research Base for Guided Reading as an Instructional Approach."

  1. Leveled Text

    • Reading with the entire class at the same time can cause some children to become bored with text that is too easy while others are left behind with text that is too difficult. Small groups allow teachers to pick text that is at the reading level of the students. Lori Jamison Rog, educational consultant, book author and expert on literacy instruction, states that all students should receive reading instruction using texts at their instructional reading levels. Pinnell and Fountas agree that appropriate text gives students the chance to gain fluency, vocabulary and confidence in reading. Small groups also give teachers and parents the freedom to choose books based on the students' interests.

    Skill-Focused

    • Teachers offer a wide range of decoding and comprehension strategies and skills throughout the school year. Students learn what to do when they come to a word they don't know. They learn how to make connections with the text, how to ask questions about what they read and how to summarize written text in their own words. Some students grasp strategies right away while others need more practice. Small groups give teachers and parents the opportunity to reteach reading strategies and skills to students who need more support or practice. Groups also allow teachers to challenge students who have already mastered grade-level skills with more advanced work.

    Varied Responses to Reading

    • Responding to written text helps children understand what they read. In a large group, responses are typically one-size-fits-all. Students might be asked to fill in a worksheet or complete workbook pages. Small groups give teachers and parents freedom to come up with more creative ways for children to respond to reading. Students can respond in a book journal by writing or drawing, complete art projects connected to the story or role-play story summaries with puppets.

    Dynamic

    • Teachers constantly analyze small groups to ensure all students' needs are met. Reading groups become dynamic and ever-changing. As students progress, they can move to a different group or the teacher or parent can increase the difficulty of the text. As one skill is mastered, students can move on to the next skill. Small groups give teachers the advantages of spending individual time with each student on a regular basis to determine where his needs will best be met.

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