Category 1
A teacher pulls 4 students based on exit ticket data showing difficulty with multiplying fractions. She models one strategy, has each student solve problems on whiteboards, and gives immediate feedback.
Does this reflect a small group instruction or not? why?
Small Group
Data-driven, targeted skill, high engagement
A teacher calls all “low-performing” students to the back table and re-teaches the same lesson from whole group while doing most of the talking.
Not Small Group
Static labeling, whole-class reteach
How long should a typical, effective, focused small group session last?
Generally 5-10 minutes, depending on grade level and purpose, focusing on one specific, achievable learning objective while rotating the groups based on needs.
A teacher meets with one group while other students work independently. Students know how to get help using “Ask 3 Before Me” and do not interrupt the group.
5 Small Group
Strong routines protect instruction
While the rest of the class practices basic multiplication, a small group of high-achieving students works with the teacher to apply those skills to a real-world budgeting project. Does this meet small group instruction or not?
It is small group instruction for advanced learners. It allows for product differentiation, where students can explore complex materials at a faster pace.
Students rotate through centers. At the teacher table,
students complete a worksheet quietly while the teacher monitor the whole class.
Not Small Group
No instruction occurring
Mrs. A wants to group her students for reading. She assigns students to groups based on who sits closest to each other, so they do not have to move far.
Not small instruction
Grouping must be based on data (e.g., formative assessments, skill gaps) and be flexible, meaning groups change as student needs change, not based on seating proximity.
Name two effective strategies to use during small group instruction.
(1) Think Alouds: Modeling thinking processes, and (2) Targeted Guided Practice: Providing scaffolded support on a specific concept.
A teacher meets with 5 students for three days to
practice using text evidence in constructed responses,
then plans to regroup based on new writing samples. Does this scenario represent a small group instruction or not? why?
Small Group
Short-term, skill-focused, flexible
Mr. B creates three groups. He spends 15 minutes teaching a new math concept to one group while the other two groups are doing independent seatwork. He monitors the progress of all students throughout.
Not Small group( Gray Area)
Effective teacher-led small-group instruction.
A teacher pulls a group of students who missed several days of school and walks them through the same lesson taught earlier in the week, adjusting examples along the way.
Gray Area
It becomes only small group instruction when if focused skill not teaching missed lessons.
A teacher labels groups as “red, yellow, green” based on ability and posts them publicly. Groups never change
Not small group Instruction
Fixed ability grouping
What is a key management strategy to ensure a productive small group time?
Establishing clear routines and procedures for the independent work stations (centers) is essential so the teacher can instruct the small group without interruption.
A teacher meets with 3 students to extend learning by
applying a math concept to a real-world problem
because formative data shows mastery.
Small group Instruction
Extension based on data
In a science class, the teacher modeled the lesson and subdivided the class into small groups. One group is researching, one is conducting an experiment, and one is reviewing concepts with the teacher. The teacher moves between them.
Is the science teacher providing small group instruction correctly or not? why?
Yes
Small-group instruction designed for differentiated support, where the teacher provides targeted instruction to different groups based on their needs.
A teacher plans a small group based on last week’s quiz data but does not collect new data during the session.
Gray Area
Missing formative checks limits effectiveness
Students are divided into groups of 5 to create a poster about the solar system. The teacher moves around the room, answering occasional questions
Not small group
This is Group Work or Cooperative Learning. While students are in small groups, the teacher is not providing intensive, direct instruction to a specific group and skill.
While working with a small group on a difficult poem, the teacher narrates their own mental process: "When I see this word, I notice the prefix 'un-', which tells me..."
Small Group Strategy. Modeling.
By doing this in a small group, the teacher can stop and ask a student to "take over" the think-aloud, providing a bridge to independent mastery.
A teacher delivers a 15-minute lecture to the entire class of 25 students, then have them talk in pairs (Think-Pair-Share) for 2 minutes.
This is Whole-Class Instruction with a collaborative engagement strategy. Small group instruction requires a formative assessment with reduced teacher-to-student ratio for more individualized feedback
After a whole-group demo, the teacher have students work in pairs. The teacher then sits with a specific pair that is struggling to provide 5 minutes of intensive "think-aloud" modeling.
YES, this is a small group instruction.
Small group instruction doesn't always have to happen at a "teacher table"; it can be an impromptu pull-aside based on immediate observation.
Class is divided into several teams, with each team preparing separate but related assignments. When all team members are prepared, the class is re-divided into mixed groups, with one member from each team in each group. Each person in the group discuss with the rest of the group what he/she knows, and the group then tackles an assignment that pulls all of the pieces together to form the full picture. The teacher observes the groups as they worked on the assignment.
Not small group instruction though differentiated with mixed groupings-
It was student-led activity and the teacher did not provide small group instruction.
This was more of instructional conversation,
Every student in the class is in a group of five. Every group is doing the exact same worksheet at the exact same time. The teacher walks around the room answering questions as they arise.
Not small group instruction. This is Group Work.
It is not fluid and not targeting students needs. If every group is doing the same task regardless of their skill level, the "small group" aspect is purely structural, not instructional.
Students are placed into groups of four to engage in a "Socratic Seminar." The teacher stands at the front of the class taking notes on the discussion and not guide the conversation.
Not small group instruction
This is Student-Led Collaborative Learning. While a high-level strategy, Small Group Instruction requires the teacher to be an active participant who scaffolds, prompts, and corrects in real-time.
The teacher gathers four students who struggled with a specific science concept. The teacher asks a question, and each student writes their answer on a mini-whiteboard. Then teacher immediately identifies who still doesn't "get it," and pivots the explanation on the spot.
YES, this is Small Group Instruction.
This uses High Response Rates.
Every student is accountable for responding to every prompt, allowing the teacher to diagnose and fix errors instantly.
In a group of 5 students, the teacher read a paragraph aloud and narrated their thoughts: "I'm confused by this sentence, so I'm going to look at the picture for a clue..." The teacher then asks the students to "Think-Aloud" for the next paragraph.
YES, this is Small Group Instruction.
This is Modeling and Scaffolding. The small setting allows the teacher to hear the students' internal thought processes and correct their mental strategies in real-time