Making the Most of Small Group Instruction {with The Husky Loving Teacher}

 Hey friends! It's Melissa from The Husky Loving Teacher and I am here talking all things small group instruction for word study. Well, maybe not all things... but I've got a couple of tips for you that I think will help you out when planning small group instruction in this area!

I use these tubs for each word study group that I have. Currently I have three groups going. At my school we have decided to switch students for word study. During that time I have two groups [the yellow and green bins] and the third bin is for the intensive kids that I have to see outside of the word study block, even if it's for five minutes in the morning.

I have put little numbers on the bins which help me coordinate in my planning. This is similar to reading groups where I give the groups names like, "yellow group" or "green group." The important thing is to make sure that you find a system that works for you!

 Another tip that I couldn't live without is giving each student their own word study folder. I learned this from a teammate this year and it's changed my life. Each student has their own folder to hold their word study book, words, and worksheets or papers that go along with word study practice! #genius.

Speaking of plastic baggies, I make sure that the students hold on to them! As I like to say, "Plastic baggies don't grow on trees..." And, expecting students to hold on to their baggies even when they are ready for the next sort is a great lesson in recycling. Yes, I do need to occasionally give students other baggies, but nevertheless, we are working hard on keeping those little bags throughout the year!

Giving the kids a notebook to do word work really helps them keep a record of their learning. They can refer back to it and you can reference it as needed.

Do you want to know the best part of organizing your word study with small groups? The better prepared you are, the smoother word study goes. What I mean by that is that after you are done working with your small group, you are then able to release the students to work independently. They take charge of their learning and are productive!

I really hope that if you teach word study, you are able to try some of these tips. Thanks for stopping by friends!

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