March 28, 2023
Small-Group literacy activities in Kindergarten support is here! We know our students thrive with routine. Now that you are several weeks into a new school year it’s important to develop effective small-group instruction that meets all of your student’s academic needs. Keep reading to learn tips for small-group instruction and get your free printable!
Sitting down at your Small-Group table and not sure what to do? Check out some great ideas below!
This activity works well with these resources:
It is important to remember that Small-Groups are just that, SMALL! During this time your other students will be working on different assignments. It is a learning process for all, but to ease into this new routine, we recommend that you have a plan in place for all of your students, not just your Small-Groups. A great way to do this is through the use of Literacy Centers! Check out our post for How to Manage your Centers HERE!
Firstly, Small-Groups work well when your students are at the same level. This will not always be perfect, but the best you can do to keep similar leveled groups of learners together, the better your groups should function together.
Students learn best by example, especially our visual learners. Therefore, modeling your expectations during a lesson helps your students best understand what you want from them. This will also help to reduce wasted time during these quick lessons.
The use of Manipulatives is a great way to keep your students engaged in your lessons. These manipulatives will help bridge the connection between tangible objects to their conceptual thinking.
Erasers and Letter Magnets pictured below, used with our Phoneme Segmenting Cards, are great examples of manipulatives to use with your students!
Grab them here:
Your student’s attention span is short, especially at this time of the school year. Quality over quantity is best when working with your Small-Groups. Shorter instruction will help your students to stay on task throughout your lesson.
Even though these Small-Groups are meant to be short, the overall full block can feel long at times. I recommend kicking off your Literacy time with a BRAIN BREAK! This is beneficial to both your students and YOU! One of my favorite Brain Break sites to use is GoNoodle! This site has a variety of short videos that will engage and recharge your students.
Lastly, reinforcing skills you are working on with your students both in and out of Small-Group will help to build on your student’s literacy foundation. This can be done with a number of activities that focus on your current lessons.
Overall and most importantly, we want your students to be successful in their literacy journey! Using the tips above will help your students grow as learners and in addition, help your Small-Groups run more smoothly!
One option for each organization is the Large Photo and Craft Keeper storage box like this one:
Or Ziploc bags and recipe cards work too!
Great News! We have a freebie for you today! My favorite way to use this freebie is as a sound card. For instance, you can work on CVC words as your students say each letter.
You can grab your free Small Group Planning Template by entering your information and the Simply Kinder freebie fairy will fly that over to your inbox! Already a member? Great! Unlock your freebie here too!
Please share how you use the Small Group Planning Template inside the Simply Kinder Teachers Facebook Group or tag #SimplyKinder on Instagram!
This post was written by Lindsey Ward. Lindsey is a certified teacher with several years of teaching experience and a great love for all things Kindergarten and First Grade.
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