I have been asked by several readers about how I do small groups, and I felt it would be easier to go ahead and create a webpage about it to explain how I manage small group time. By the way, I am not an expert, this is just how I do small group in my classroom. These are answers to frequently asked questions.
What size are your small groups? How many groups do you have?
It depends on how many children are in my class in a given year. I have had enrollment numbers any where from 9-22! I think the size of a small group should be about 4-6 children. Depending on class size, that may mean you have 2 groups, or 4 groups, or more. I have had as many as 8 children in a small group, but 4-6 is more ideal.
If I’m able to split the class in half, I take one group and my assistant takes another group. If there are more than two groups, the other group(s) are independent groups. In my lesson plan, I have an activity for my group, another activity for my assistant’s group, and “independent activities” for the independent group(s).
The following day (and subsequent days), the groups would rotate, so that each child would work with me, my assistant, and independent activities.
What do you do during small group? What happens in small group?
I plan literacy, art, fine motor, science, math, and cooking activities. I do more literacy and math than any other skill, but I like to keep a balance and include all areas. Often, an activity integrates more than one skill (this is why, on my theme unit pages, I have not divided the pages into sections by skills, but rather labeled the skills in brackets under each activity, because many of them integrate more than one). I use small group time to practice skills that we have to cover like sorting, matching, counting, etc. We work with hands-on materials only; no worksheets.
Most of my small group activities are online. Look at pages like Themes, Math, Literacy, Art, Kid Recipes, etc. Use the navigation bar at the top of each page to find them. All of those pages include activities we do at small group. I do not designate on the webpage which activities are small group and which are centers because I often use an activity for both.
What that means– I sometimes do a small group/center activity like this: At small group, I set up an activity with the materials we are going to use. I present the activity to the children, show them how to use the the materials, and then let them use it. After each group has been introduced to the materials, I put them on the shelf for use at center time. For example, if we are working on sorting, I introduce the materials, show them how to use them, and then the kids work in pairs or individually. I assist children as needed. These same trays will be available in the Math Center for free choice time.
I have found that children are much more interested in Math and Literacy center activities if they have been first introduced to them in small group or large group.
Do you do small group during center time?
No. When I first started teaching Pre-K, I was trained in High Scope, so I still do a lot of things the High Scope way. In HS, they believe that small groups should not take place during center time so that children are not interrupted in their work. They believe strongly in uninterrupted free-choice centers. Also, anecdotal notes are very important, and this way the teacher is able to observe and take anecdotal notes while children are engaged in their centers. Observational assessment is much more authentic than pulling kids aside to “test” them.
Where do you get your small group lessons? Do you use a curriculum?
I don’t use a curriculum, so I come up with the lessons for small groups on my own. Some of them are ideas I’ve found online or in resource books or from fellow teachers, and some of them are ideas I made up on my own.
What do the other children do if they are not in centers?
The independent group(s) work with activities that have already been introduced to them. I might have them work with trays in our Math, Literacy, Fine Motor, or Science Centers. I might have them work with Legos, pattern blocks, play dough, drawing, bookmaking, or any activity they can do on their own without help from a teacher.
Is that when you do activities based on your theme?
If we are doing a theme, then our activity might be related, but it isn’t always. Just to give an example: we might do a science exploration with baking soda and vinegar– it doesn’t match a theme, but I don’t like to neglect a good activity just because it doesn’t match a theme.
Do you assess the children during small groups?
Yes, I often do, but it isn’t always necessary. When I do, I either take anecdotal notes, or I use the “Lesson Matrix” sheet from the Georgia Pre-K Program website.
Do you have assigned seats?
No, they can sit where they choose at the table. If necessary, I just ask someone to move to a different chair, but that is rarely necessary. In the past, when I assigned seats I found that children were too territorial of their “spot”, which caused a lot of arguing.
Just to clarify…
This is how a week might look with a class than can be split into three groups. (This is not set in stone for every week of the school year, just an example.)
Group 1 with teacher – math
Group 2 with assistant – art
Group 3 independent – literacy
Tuesday and Wednesday: switch groups
Group 1 with teacher – science
Group 2 with assistant – literacy
Group 3 independent – fine motor
Friday and Monday: switch groups