What Is Small-Group Instruction?

A big question that always seems to be looming in the mind of a teacher is “How can I ensure that all students get the lessons they need?” During whole-group instruction, all students are exposed to grade level content and discussions with peers. But small-group instruction presents opportunities to have a more targeted approach to and build deeper connections with the individual learner. 

The definition of small-group instruction

Small-group instruction is a type of teacher-led instruction where a classroom teacher pulls a small group of about two to six students for a lesson based on a targeted skill or concept. Depending on the age and needs of the learners, these lessons can be as short as five-minute mini-lessons or as long as a full class period. This type of instruction is meant to supplement whole-group instruction. Small-group instruction occurs at all tiers of RTI and is an important part of the MTSS framework. 

Generally, we might pull the group aside to a back table, but you can pull a small group anywhere that is out of the way of other learners. For instance, I’ve asked small groups of students to stay at the rug after whole-class instruction for a quick review of the lesson, held impromptu coaching sessions at a student table, and at times pulled a couple students into a quiet hallway to pre-teach vocabulary for a lesson while my co-teacher worked with the remaining group of students in the classroom. 

Small-group instruction research 

Research shows that small-group instruction is a highly effective teaching strategy for enhancing student learning and engagement. Studies have proven that on average students learn significantly more in small groups than students not learning in small groups. Students are also more likely to participate during small-groups instructions because they feel more comfortable asking questions and contributing to the discussion. 

John Hattie, author of Visible Learning and renowned educational expert, lists small-group learning as an effective instruction strategy. In Hattie’s 2023 Visible Learning: The Sequel, he ranks educational influences to find what practices most visibly improve learning. Small-group learning has an effect size of 0.46, higher than the average 0.40. 

The benefits of small-group instruction

Any teacher with a large class of students can recognize the benefits of small-group instruction. We can engage more closely with each learner and target their individual needs. 

Academic outcomes

Significant evidence has shown that small-group instruction is more effective than either whole-group instruction or one-on-one tutoring. Since we are able to target specific skills for more individualized instruction, small-group instruction helps us to differentiate and personalize instruction. In a smaller group, there are more opportunities for students to practice a targeted skill while receiving crucial feedback from the teacher. Students have better academic outcomes when they learn to solve problems, developing a deeper understanding of the material, and retaining the material for longer periods. 

Social and emotional learning (SEL)

Beyond pulling small groups to explicitly teach social and emotional skills, students develop relationship skills and social awareness while working in small groups guided by the teacher. 

In small groups, students who may not feel comfortable expressing themselves during whole-group discussions get a chance to experience the emotional safety they need to share their ideas. We can observe students more closely, using this time as an opportunity to forge connections with students, give constructive feedback, and offer praise, promoting confidence and self-esteem. 

Whole-group vs. small-group instruction

Whole-group instruction occurs when one or more teachers deliver a lesson to the entire class regardless of individual levels of performance. This instruction is generally based on academic standards for the grade level or assessment of the general needs of the class. In general, no matter how you strive to maximize instructional time, a class’s learning objective is the same for everyone in the class as a whole, though they likely will not all end up with the same learning outcomes. 

When students do not meet those learning objectives or they exceed them and are ready for a challenge, small-group instruction gives us a chance to accommodate learners’ specific needs by slowing down or speeding up instruction. We can group students in a meaningful way by flexibly basing groups on the specific skills they need to target.

How small-group instruction can support differentiated instruction 

A major advantage of small-group instruction is that it creates opportunities to differentiate learning for all students. Small-group instruction and differentiated instruction go hand in hand.

By nature of pulling small groups to work on targeted skills, this type of instruction is inherently differentiated. However, the learning can be differentiated further by grouping students based on backgrounds, interests, or languages, or by using strategies to determine groups such as think-pair-share or tiered questions.

Types of small-group instruction

There are a variety of different reasons you might want to pull a small group from reteaching concepts to giving new challenges to students. Assessment data can be instrumental to determining which type of small-group instruction can benefit which students the most. Some types of small-group instruction are:

• Pre-teaching: Sometimes we anticipate that a student will need additional time on a concept or would benefit from learning key vocabulary before a given lesson. Pre-teaching vocabulary can benefit all learners but can be especially helpful for multilingual learners and students with language-based learning disabilities. 
• Reteaching: If one or a few students missed the day the original lesson was taught to the whole group, you could pull them into the group to make sure that they receive that instruction while including any students who need to review those skills. 
• Enrichment: It is equally important to consider students who have mastered the content of the lessons and are ready for a greater challenge. During small-group instruction, students can have deeper discussions while exploring more advanced and challenging materials at their own pace. Challenging students prevents boredom, keeping them engaged with the content and enthusiastic about learning. 
• Flexible grouping: Beyond planned groupings, there may be times when an impromptu small-group session is a great way to immediately clear up misconceptions or proactively address a group and teach prerequisite skills or concepts they missed while out of school. 

How to implement small-group instruction

Many schools have designated times for small-group instruction. It might be immediately following a mini-lesson while other students work independently or in centers, or it might be during a designated intervention block. Sometimes we need to squeeze small-group instruction anywhere we can. Either way, the first step to implementing small groups in the classroom remains the same: assess student needs.

Consider recent student data when planning for effective small-group instruction. For example, is there a group of students who are all struggling with the same skill? Use this info to create a skill-based small group where you target that specific skill for a few lessons with the same group of students. To maintain an inclusive environment, it’s important to allow for flexible groupings so students can come in and out of groups based on skills and interests, not perceived ability. It’s also important for students to hear a variety of points of view.

While the groups may be flexible, using a predictable lesson structure can streamline lesson planning and ensure that students use their energy to focus on the lesson tasks rather than adapting to a new situation. Working with small groups also presents an opportunity to collect additional progress monitoring data to ensure that students are staying on track toward meeting learning goals. 

Administrators can work alongside teachers to explore strategies for enhancing small-group instruction, offering support to strengthen literacy and mathematics teaching and learning in a way that aligns with teachers’ unique classroom needs.

Kayla Dyer, an elementary teacher, has a specific process for implementing small-group instruction and offers insights into how to group students and manage the classroom. Her templates can help you stay organized while planning your next small group. 

Classroom management during small-group instruction

One challenge that teachers often face is figuring out how to keep the rest of the class engaged while working with a small group. This can be particularly challenging in the primary grades but is a concern across all grade levels. Nothing can stop a small group in its tracks like a parade of students from outside the group who aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing. 

The solution boils down to routines and expectations. Make sure to have consistent routines for independent practice or centers in place within the first six weeks of school before pulling your first small group. Teach students how to solve problems on their own during this time. 

The students’ grade level matters, of course. I would never expect my second graders to read silently for a full 45-minute block, so I used shorter, more engaging routines such as completing a worksheet, writing sentences, using an educational app, or playing a silent game that kept them learning while I worked with other students. I impressed upon them the importance of me being able to give my full attention to the students in my small group. The students learned to be problem solvers, finding ways to resolve classroom problems on their own or by asking each other quietly. 

Small-group instruction strategies and examples 

We can apply different strategies to conduct small-group instruction. Below, I share some strategies specific to reading or math instruction; however, some small-group instructional strategies can be adapted across all subjects. Common small-group instruction examples include partner work and think-pair-share.

General strategies for small-group instruction:

• Effective questions: Ask open-ended questions that require a thoughtful response. Math talk encourages students to explain and reflect on their thinking, building their understanding of mathematical concepts and problem-solving strategies. 
• Student Reflection: Guide students to self-assess their level of understanding. When students reflect on their grasp of concepts, they become more aware of their strengths and areas for improvement, which helps them take ownership of their learning. 
• Practice: Give students time to practice and apply what they learned, helping to solidify their understanding and improve their accuracy.
• Scaffolding: Provide instructional scaffolding through explicit instruction for learners who need extra support. Scaffolding in math may involve asking questions or using reading strategies that encourage students to try, connect, and wonder so that they think about numbers in a new way, leading to a deeper understanding. 
• Graphic organizers: Use graphic organizers to help students organize their ideas. 
• Universal Design for Learning: Implement Universal Design for Learning techniques, such as presenting information in different ways to ensure that all students can find some entry point into the information. 

Small-group reading instruction strategies

Students need decoding and language-based skills to understand what they read. As learners get older, there can be a huge disparity of reading skills all in one classroom. Let’s look at some of the skills needed to read for understanding, along with effective small-group reading instruction strategies for teaching these skills:

• Foundational reading skills: Provide explicit instruction to small groups around targeted skills in phonemic awareness, phonics, blending drills, or spelling.
• Fluency: Teach students to read with expression and to scoop up phrases, which is grouping words that naturally flow together without unnecessary pauses. Some strategies for practicing reading fluency include choral reading, echo reading, and repeated reading.
• Vocabulary: Target vocabulary by teaching morphology and exposing students to a variety of texts within a given topic. Pre-teach key domain-specific vocabulary before reading aloud with students, and define academic vocabulary words as you come across them in your reading. 
• Comprehension: Model reciprocal teaching roles for students by guiding them to ask questions with assigned roles of questioner, summarizer, clarifier, and predictor. Facilitate a small-group discussion of a text after having students take on these roles. 

Small-group math instruction strategies

Students sometimes need additional instruction on a math concept or skill, and small-group math instruction can be a time to develop deeper understanding of the underlying concepts and structure in math. Here are some ideas for effective math small-group instruction:

• Collaborative problem solving: Choose a math task based on a targeted skill, and facilitate as the small group solves the problem together.
• Number talks: Provide a string of numbers, expressions, or other patterns one at a time, and then ask students to predict the next element based on an observed pattern. Have students discuss their reasoning. For example, when learning about the base 10 number system, you might show a series of multiplication expressions using powers of 10 and have students look for a pattern.
• Small-group discourse: Present a problem to your students and ask guiding question based on what they see or hear. During this time, your students should discuss mathematical strategies while you provide feedback and ensure the conservation stays relevant and meaningful. For more information on math discussions, check out the blog Math Talk: Making the Most of Math Class Discussions. 
• Math learning stations and centers: Rotate your students through several math activities, such as solving a problem, watching a video, or playing a math game. This strategy for differentiated math instruction allows you to run a small group as one of the stations, giving students extra help, while the rest of the class is occupied. 

If you are looking a math small group activity for kindergarten, try the Five-and-More activity. This activity comes with questions to help guide the discussion. 

Plenty of research, such as John Hattie’s study, has been conducted to measure the effectiveness of small-group instruction, and the evidence is clear: small-group instruction significantly boosts achievement. With this in mind, it is imperative that we find time in the school day to address the academic needs of our students through effective small-group instruction. Armed with the strategies in this article, you can build a classroom routine that makes small-group instruction run smoothly and effectively. 

***

Looking for more small-group instruction resources? HMH Into Reading includes decodable texts and ready-made lessons that are perfect for small-group instruction. 

Discover how HMH Into Math curriculum encourages collaboration and mathematical discussions through whole group, small group, and partner work.