Reading Skill Groups
Research shows that beginning readers benefit most from being taught explicit skills during intensive small group instruction.
Why Small Groups?
The small group differentiated reading model enables teachers to focus on specific skills needed by varied groups of children. By integrating strategy instruction and engaging students, educators support students’ early literacy learning.
The small group differentiated reading model enables teachers to focus on specific skills needed by varied groups of children. By integrating strategy instruction and engaging students, educators support students’ early literacy learning.
- Differentiated Reading – Matching instruction to meet the needs of learners.
- Reading Centers – Provide practice opportunities and individualized work.
- Small-Group Literacy Lessons – Teach explicit skills and objectives in intensive small groups.
- Hands-on Word Work – Promote inquiry and critical thinking.
- Active Responses – Increase student engagement and motivation to participate.
Small groups are important because learning is social. Children make sense of school activities through observation, participation, and social interaction.
- Easier to differentiate instruction.
- It enables teachers to recognize struggling readers.
- Easier to attend to student needs.
- Guided Reading – Provides a context in which the teacher can monitor and guide the student’s application of specific skills in decoding and comprehension to construct meaning while reading.
- Rotations/Literacy Centers – Centers can be set up with various activities to engage children who are not in the teacher-directed group.
- Skill Groups – Small groups based on specific reading skill levels.
