Setting up small groups allows you to give more individualized attention to students than you would have with whole-group instruction. Students can work in their small groups independently while you focus on helping one group at a time. Small groups are good for introducing new skills or reviewing skills recently taught. They also provide opportunities to assess student progress throughout the year. Interacting with your students in small groups is helpful in determining which ones have mastered skills and are ready to take on new challenges and which ones need a little more help. Small groups also help with social and emotional development by giving kids time to learn how to work cooperatively with peers. In setting up small groups, students who may not choose to interact on their own can be put together and encouraged to get to know each other.
Different types of groups serve different functions. In ability groups, students are placed according to skill level or academic need. These groups can be homogeneous, or you can choose to have mixed-ability groups where more advanced students provide support for the children who are still developing their skills. In task groups, students are assigned to a group based on their ability to complete certain types of activities. You can also group students by common interest or based on their background knowledge of a topic.
Gather information on your students that will help determine the best group for everyone. In the first few days of school, assess their knowledge of letters and sounds, basic math concepts and fine-motor skills like writing and cutting. Use this information to set up your initial groups when using ability and task-based grouping. If you are using interest or subject-knowledge grouping, give the students take-home surveys to gather information about hobbies, favorite books and movies, extracurricular activities and personal background or experiences. Throughout the year, repeat these surveys or conduct similar assessments to track student progress and change groups as needed.
Consider the personalities of your students along with group criteria to place each child in the best group for her. Use what you have seen of the students’ interactions with each other to set up groups that will work cooperatively. It may be easier to move a child to a group that may not be the perfect fit to prevent conflict within a group. Limit the number of students in each group to four or five. Keeping groups small helps you to assess students on an individual basis.