326: Making Small Group Instruction More Effective with Dr. Julia Lindsey

Small group instruction is a regular part of many literacy blocks—but what actually makes a small group effective? And do you really need to meet with every student every day?

In this episode, Emily is joined by Dr. Julia Lindsey to rethink some of the traditional ways teachers approach small group reading instruction. Instead of starting with rotations, reading levels, or the pressure to get every student to the teacher table, Julia encourages teachers to start with something much more important: the specific needs of their students.

Julia shares why small group instruction is most powerful when it gives teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction, provide immediate feedback, and target the skills students need additional support with. She also explains why small groups don't have to look the way they've always looked—and why it's okay if every student doesn't meet with you every day.

You'll also hear practical advice for using assessment data and informal observations to make instructional decisions, managing the rest of your class while you're meeting with a group, and designing a small group schedule around your students rather than trying to fit your students into a predetermined schedule.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why effective small group instruction starts with student needs, not a predetermined schedule or rotation
• How small groups give teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction and provide immediate, precise feedback
• Why you don't have to meet with every student every day for small group instruction to be effective
• How to use assessment data and informal observations to identify targeted skills for small group practice
• Why reading comprehension is complex—and what that means when you're deciding what to teach in a small group
• How a triage approach can help you prioritize which students need additional teacher support
• Why knowing your readers is one of the most important parts of making small group instruction more effective
• How to rethink traditional small group structures and create an approach that works for the students in front of you

If small groups have ever left you feeling like you need to do more, meet with more students, or somehow fit more rotations into an already packed literacy block, this conversation is your reminder that small group instruction is a tool you can use—not a structure you have to serve. Focus on knowing your students, identifying what they need, and designing your instruction from there.

Resources Mentioned:

Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup

Check out the Stellar Literacy Collective: stellarteacher.com/join