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The 90 Min Literacy Block: Small Group Instruction

small group lesson plans for first grade

This is the second post in a blog series on the SoR 90-Minute Literacy Block and it focuses on small group instruction. In it, I discuss why small group instruction is important and explain how t o group your students for small group instruction. I identify literacy skills to teach in small group and offer a list of science of reading-aligned resources designed for small group instruction.  Finally, I leave you with a FREE, downloadable small group lesson planning template for kindergarten, first or second grade.

In my last post, I outlined a suggested schedule for your 90-minute science of reading-aligned literacy block.   Today I am excited to focus on just one part of the block, your small group instruction . 

Small group instruction is one of the key ways we can support our students and help increase achievement, but it isn’t always easy to pull off. It requires careful lesson planning, regular shuffling of student grouping, and strong management.  

small group lesson plans for first grade

Today I’m excited to provide you with information and resources that will help you successfully implement small groups in your classroom.  I’ll first share why small group instruction is important and explain how to group your students.  I’ll then identify specific skills that you should teach in small group and offer a list of science of reading-aligned resources designed for small group instruction.  Finally, I’ll leave you with a FREE, downloadable small group lesson plan template to help you get your groups up and running! 

Why is Small Group Instruction Important? 

Research has found that small group instruction has a significant impact on student learning.  Small groups allow you to provide explicit, targeted instruction to students based on their identified needs. It is an opportunity for students to receive the additional teaching and practice that is often needed for them to master the skills we teach.  

small group lesson plans for first grade

Additionally, small group instruction allows a teacher to monitor student actions more closely and to provide frequent and individualized feedback.  Correct responses receive immediate and specific reinforcement, while incorrect responses should be met with immediate corrective feedback.

Teaching in small groups allows you to perform informal assessments and collect data that helps drive your instruction. Watch closely as your students attempt a task to get a clear sense of their understandings and misconceptions.  

Finally, students love their time in small groups.  Of course, they love having your full attention. The immediate feedback you provide helps to build a connection and can boost students’ confidence.  

How to Group Students for Small Group Instruction

Many teachers are unsure of how to group their students since we have begun to move away from leveled readers.  The science of reading tells us that small groups should be grouped and regrouped by a shared skill deficit . 

small group lesson plans for first grade

To properly group your students, you need a strong assessment system.  You need data from a universal screener to identify students who might be at risk of difficulties in learning. This will give you a general sense of how to group students.  Diagnostic assessments are then used to confirm the initial screening results.  They help you to refine your groupings by determining a student’s specific difficulties.  Finally, weekly progress monitoring and observation will help you adjust your groups.  They are flexible.  As needs change, groups change.    

If you are looking for a free universal screener, I recommend David Kilpartirck’s, Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) .  You can read more about it in chapter 11 of his book, Equipped for Reading Success . 

To assess students’ phonics skills, I recommend using the CORE Phonics Survey. It assesses a variety of phonics skills that have a high rate of application in beginning reading. You can download a free CORE Phonics Survey here .

Lastly, Acadience Reading (formerly DIBELS Next®) is a great free tool that assesses essential early literacy and reading skills for students from kindergarten through sixth grade. You can use this assessment to identify students who may be at risk, identify areas to target in your small group instruction, and monitor students over time. You can download the assessment for free here .

Skills to Teach in Small Groups

In a small group, you provide students with targeted remediation and review that they need to master the skill you have identified as their need. Skills you will work on in small groups include: 

  • Phonemic awareness
  • Comprehension

Science of Reading-Aligned Activities for Small Group Instruction

The following resources are designed to be used in small groups.  They are engaging, LOW-PREP activities that target the skills you will teach in small groups AND they are aligned to the science of reading. 

Phonemic Awareness Lesson Plans for Kindergarten and 1st Grade

My Science of Reading-aligned Phonemic Lesson Plans for Kindergarten and First Grade students have EVERYTHING you need to bring effective phonemic awareness instruction to your small groups!  

The resource includes:

💕 Phonemic Awareness Lesson Plans Aligned to a Scope and Sequence

With this resource, you’ll get lesson plans laid out in a weekly format.

Each daily lesson plan includes a warm-up for the target skill and three activities. 

  • Phoneme Segmenting : students practice breaking apart each word and identifying each phoneme
  • Phoneme Blending : students hear a sequence of phonemes and put them together to identify the word
  • Connecting Graphemes to Phonemes : students practice connecting the phonemes in a spoken word to the letters (graphemes) that represent those sounds.

small group lesson plans for first grade

💕 Picture Word Mats

The picture word mats provide a visual representation of the words in the Connecting Phonemes to Graphemes section.  This support helps students to build meaning of the words .

💕 Screener Assessments

You’ll get a two-part screener for each unit that will identify whether each student can segment and blend phonemes, as well as a spelling inventory assessment that would be given whole-group.

small group lesson plans for first grade

💕 Class Data Tracker and MORE!!

You can read more about the importance of phonemic awareness and download a free sample of this resource here .

Word Mapping – Connecting Phonemes to Graphemes

Word mapping is a physical way to represent the relationship between the phonemes and graphemes.  It allows students to physically connect or match the letters with the sounds they represent. Ultimately, it helps build word recognition and decoding skills that improve fluency in both reading and writing . Students find word mapping activities ​​highly engaging because they have both visual and kinesthetic aspects.

small group lesson plans for first grade

Phonics Word Building Activities

These science of reading-aligned word-building activities give students explicit and systematic phonics skills practice.  There are two types of word building activities, each with their own instructional purpose.  

small group lesson plans for first grade

  • Word Building: Blending Focus   In this type of word building students are asked to make a word, such as cat .  Then they would be asked to change the letter c to s and read the new word formed.  The goal here is for them to blend, or sound out the new word. You can include many words with the new target phonics skill and also include previously taught skills. 
  • Word Building:  Word Awareness Focus  Here, students are asked to make a word such as cat, and then told to change it to hat.   This requires a lot more thinking than blending-focused work.   Students have to think about how the two words are different and which sound must be changed in order to form the new one.  

Phonics Word Sorts

Word sorts require students to think about how words work by drawing their attention to common spelling patterns.  Students receive a set of words that all have something in common. They must identify the feature and sort them accordingly.

Research on information-processing tells us that students need to spend time elaborating and summarizing their new learning in order to store it in their long-term memory. For this reason, the “what did you notice” section of this activity is key, as is the discussion that may take place after the word sort. Both help students to verbalize the new learning that applies to spelling.

small group lesson plans for first grade

Heart Words: Teaching High-Frequency Words

The science of reading tells us that the Heart Word method is an effective way to teach students high-frequency words. Using orthographic mapping strategies, the heart word method teaches students to sound out the parts of irregular words that do follow phonics rules. Students then only need to learn a small portion of the word that is the “tricky part” by heart. This resource is science-based and includes everything you need to successfully teach your students how to use the heart word method to become successful readers.

small group lesson plans for first grade

Decodable Passages or Decodable Books with Comprehension Questions

The science of reading shows us that the connection between what our students learn in phonics and what they read is imperative for building a strong foundation in early reading.  The text in these decodable books and decodable passages resources are a phonics-based controlled text that contain target phonics skill words, previously taught phonics skill words and irregular high-frequency words.  The comprehension questions help to bring discussion about text and writing into your small group instruction.  The resources also include activities for before, after and during reading.

small group lesson plans for first grade

While these two separate resources do follow the same research-based scope and sequence, they do not include the same texts. The passages and stories are different, giving you more options for your instruction.

small group lesson plans for first grade

“What are the other kids doing while I work with my small group?” 

This is is a question that gets asked frequently!  The answer is they are engaging in intentional literacy center activities that reinforce skills you have already taught .  These activities are not new learning, they are not skills the students are still acquiring.  They are skills that you have seen them perform successfully and accurately when they are with you.  This ensures they can work independently and you can focus your attention on your small group. 

Now you may be wondering…if they can already perform the skills successfully, then why do they need more practice?  The truth is, we often underestimate the amount of practice and repetition it takes for students to master the skills we teach .  According to Wiley Blevins, in order for a skill to stick, it must be purposefully and systematically reviewed for 4-6 weeks.  Literacy centers offer students the practice and review they need for mastery.   

small group lesson plans for first grade

Keep in mind, that literacy centers and rotations are not something you just hop right into.  They involve routines and expectations that must be explicitly taught and practiced.  Take a look at this blog post for tips on how to introduce your literacy centers and build independence. 

I know I have shared a lot of information today!  To help you make sense of it all, I am happy to share a FREE downloadable planning template for small group instruction. 

small group lesson plans for first grade

Drop your email below to instantly download these editable small-group planning templates

I hope the information and resources I’ve shared here today will help you plan and implement effective small group instruction in your classroom. Be on the lookout for the next posts in this series on the SoR 90 Minute Literacy Block where I’ll focus on whole group word recognition instruction and whole group language comprehension instruction.

-shop this post-

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Phonemic Awareness Yearlong Curriculum – BUNDLE

– PIN for LATER –

small group lesson plans for first grade

Such GREAT information!

Thank you for the great ideas and resources!

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Small group template

Just learning small group science of reading structures.

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Looking for Small group planning sheet

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Hi Kristin,

I’m sorry, the form became unlinked in the post. Enter your email here and I’ll send it right over! šŸ™‚ -Christina

https://mrs-winters-bliss.ck.page/b8687f181f

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This will be so helpful to plan small groups!

I am also looking for the small group planning template! How could we download this?

Hi Karlie, I’m sorry, the form became unlinked in the post. Enter your email here and I’ll send it right over! šŸ™‚ -Christina https://mrs-winters-bliss.ck.page/b8687f181f

Thank you so much!

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I am wondering if you sell the long vowel spellings card that is on the easel in the pictures of you in small group above? It is the long a card with a sailboat. I didnā€™t see them in your shop, but ay have missed them. I am looking for a set like that. Thank you.

Hi Christine,

These are part of my sound wall bundle. I just printed an extra set of cards for small group! Find it here! Thank you, -Christina šŸ’•

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I teach second grade and wonder if you have all of this for second or can recommend someone who does!

Hi Jamie, This would all work for 2nd grade. I have lots of resources specifically for 2nd. Let me know if you have any questions and I am happy to help! šŸ™‚ -Christina

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Do you meet with all 6 groups each day? in the 50 minute block?

I meet with 3 groups a day during small groups! This blog post series may be helpful to you! https://mrswintersbliss.com/how-to-launch-literacy-centers-in-the-primary-classroom/ šŸ™‚ -Christina

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Wow!! You nailed it! Such great information presented very clearly and succinctly. Thank you. This will definitely keep me focused and intentional during my small group time.

Iā€™m so glad to hear this post has been helpful.I hope youā€™ll stay connected with this community. Iā€™ve got a (fun) free training planned for next week, sign up here if youā€™d like to join us! https://mrswintersbliss.com/summer-sor/

šŸ™‚ -Christina

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would like a planning template, please

Enter your email and I’ll send it right over! šŸ™‚ -Christina

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need help with intervention group planning. Thanks for this resource

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I was unable to find the planning template. Everything else was super helpful.

Hi Taylor, there is a place to drop your email at the bottom of the post so it can be instantly emailed to you! Here is a direct link! šŸ™‚ -Christina

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The Brown Bag Teacher

Teach the Children. Love the Children. Change the World.

November 9, 2014

Guided Reading: 1st Grade Style

Guided reading: 1st grade style.

Guided Reading offers students intentional reading instruction with texts that are just a little too hard! From lesson planning to benchmarking students to word work activities, planning and preparing for Guided Reading can be overwhelming. Over the past 4 years, I have tested different group sizes, organizational systems, and group structures to see what works. So, here we go!

Th roughout this post, youā€™ll find Amazon Affiliate links, which means Amazon tosses a few nickels my way if you purchase something through that link, at no extra cost to you, that help keep my corner of cyber-space running and helps fund giveaways! Ā 

Grouping Students in Guided Reading Groups

Over the course of the first few weeks of school, I sneak in the time to meet with and benchmark all of my students. This is definitely a labor of love and times lots of time, but by having reading levels for all of my students I’m able to intentionally plan instruction! Without this information, I would be randomly pulling books and wasting our learning time. Our school uses Reading A-Z to benchmark students and print guided reading books.

Once I have Reading Benchmarks, I list all of my students by Guided Reading Level. When I do this I put them under their independent level. Then, at the very bottom I choose my groups, listing their Instructional Level (the level at which I’ll work with students) and the amount of time I spend with groups. When I make groups, I always try to shoot for 6 students. This is the number recommended by Jan Richardson and Fountas Ā & Pinnell. Sometimes 6 words and sometimes it doesn’t. You can snag an editable version of this table here .

Focusing My Guided Reading Instruction

The planning of guided reading can be overwhelming at first. Once you have your routines and structures, it makes like so much simpler. Plus, once you have routines, you can streamline your work! My go-to- texts are The Reading Strategies Book (for picking and developing teaching points), The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading Ā by Jan Richards (lesson plan templates, sight word lists by guided reading level, skills list by guided reading level), and The ContinuumĀ of Literacy Learning Ā by Fountas & Pinnell (great descriptorsĀ of reading behaviorĀ by guided reading level, really explores what each level looks like).

Our Guided Reading Set-Up

Of course, the reason we use a Daily 5 or Workshop schedule is so we can have that critically important guided-reading time with all of our readers, every day. Small group is when growth happens, and our beginning readers thrive during this time. I have four reading groups that are designated three different colors – green, yellow, and blue. (You can read more about my differentiation system in this post .) I store materials for my groups in a 3-drawer plastic container.

Our Guided Reading Structure

The structure I use is based off of Jan Richardson’s The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading . Her Guided Reading blocks last ~30 minutes, so I have to pick and choose what we do. Typically, below, are the things I prioritize in our 15-20 minute blocks.

A Familiar Re-Read (1-2 minutes)

Sight words (1-2 minutes).

Picking 1-2 words from the book that align with sight words students need to know at that level, we practice writing, saying, and applying the words. Application, not memorization, plays a HUGE role during this time. We do lots of sentence writing, oral writing, and sharing our ideas while using our focus sight words in context.

Book Intro (1-2 minutes)

A book introductionĀ is short, sweet and too the point. It is teacher-driven and gives students only an overview of what’s in the book. It does not summarize the book or give away all the juicy tidbits. If a book is fully of content-specific vocabulary or I have several friends in a group that might need extra language support, I love to pull out this Word Predictors strategy from Hello Literacy.Ā Ā It’s THE most amazing way to scaffold students during Guided Reading. I briefly introduce our book & students generate a list of words they might encounter while reading. Then, we circle or tap the words when we reach them. Super simple but such a powerful strategy and helps support vocabulary-building skills!

Reading with Prompting (6-7 minutes)

Once our book has been introduced, we are ready to read. Students are reading by themselves at the whisper. As students are reading (using all of their strategiesĀ and checking for any words we might have predicted), I am checking in with students individually. During this time I listen to students read, prompt them for strategies, ask questions, and provide support. Since these are INSTRUCTIONAL texts, they are meant to be slightly difficult and students will need support.

Discussion & Teaching Point (2-3 minutes)

Pulling from our weekly comprehension skill, Jan Richardson’s list of skills by Guided Reading level , or based on my observations, I pick a focus for each of our books. From self-monitoring for expression (using punctuation as the indicator) to looking at how the author convey’s a character’s feelings, this is the ‘meat’ of our guided reading time. These are discussions and applications of reading comprehension and fluency that I want students applying to their reading inside AND outside of our Guided Reading time.

Word Work/Guided Writing (2-3 minutes)

The last few minutesĀ for our time togetherĀ is spent in Word Work. Often pulling patterns found in our texts, we build words, word ladders, and use lots of words in context. Below are some of my go-to Word Work tools – foam phonics dice , hard-sided phonics dice (these are great because different word parts are found on different color dice), and phonics tiles .

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Related Posts

small group lesson plans for first grade

Reader Interactions

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November 10, 2014 at 12:49 am

Do you have that Blends chart in your TpT store? That would be great for one of my J readers. Thanks!

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November 10, 2014 at 3:54 am

HI Jennifer! You can grab the chart here -http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phonics-Charts-for-Guided-Reading-and-Writing-638022. Good luck!

November 10, 2014 at 3:41 am

Hi, Love your post –can you tell me where you got the short vowel freebie? Thanks, Chris

November 10, 2014 at 3:53 am

Hi Chris! You can snag it here – http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sort-It-Out-A-FREE-Write-the-Room-Activity-for-Short-Vowel-Words-1457376 . Enjoy! šŸ™‚

November 10, 2014 at 4:00 am

I also start my guided reading time the second the kids walk in the door (at least that's how it feels). It is actually about 10 minutes after kids arrive, but I really like the idea of having everything out for my first group so they can start right away even without me. Love being able to take a glimpse into your room. Thank you for sharing!

November 10, 2014 at 11:03 am

Great idea to time the reading groups especially when you give them a specific activity to complete. It's those little details that are so helpful!

November 11, 2014 at 1:43 am

Hi friend! Where did you get the blend dice from? we would love that! Loved seeing your firsties in action:)

November 11, 2014 at 2:35 am

Hi Paige! I got them on Amazon. They were pricey, but we used them every week. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F8R5EG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000F8R5EG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebrobagtea-20&linkId=RLI5XHKHYOPAOQIA

November 11, 2014 at 5:54 pm

I'm jealous of the freedom you have in the classroom! We use Reading Streets also, but are required to implement it almost exactly as it is written in the program. For Guided Reading, I teach all the advanced second graders and the small instruction program from Reading Street is just not enough to bring my kiddos to the next level nor is engaging for them. I'd love to be able to do chapter book studies with them. Keep sharing! Maybe one day I'll be able to figure out how to do it all.

December 26, 2014 at 2:44 pm

Thank you for the wonderful idea of placing 1st group materials at each seat. It really is the small ideas in a classroom that makes it flow easier on the teacher and students!!! Happy New Year!!

March 12, 2015 at 12:17 am

I'm glad I found your blog! Just a quick question. Are your kids all reading the same thing, even if they read on a different level? I hand kids on all different reading levels in each of my groups and I'm just trying to get this all figured out. Thank you!

March 12, 2015 at 12:32 am

April 26, 2015 at 9:29 pm

Do you meet with every group every day? How many groups do you have? I meet with three out of four groups a day and just can't find the time to meet with them all!

June 4, 2016 at 4:40 pm

Hello Samantha! I have 4 groups and I do meet with them everyday for 15-25 minutes. My higher groups meet for less time. Right now, I have 90-120 minutes for our reading block!

September 30, 2015 at 2:33 am

What do your assessments look like?

June 4, 2016 at 4:39 pm

We have District Common Assessments for the Common Core Reading Standards that we use, and we use guided reading assessments!

March 11, 2016 at 2:15 am

Great explanation of how reading is set up in your room. Question, if all your groups are reading different texts, how do you test/assess/grade? I am using a basal, Treasures, and am thinking about restructuring some things like you described in your post. I have a variety of readers, mostly low. The basal is not a good fit for them. But if I don't have the whole class read that story, what do I do about the weekly reading test on Fri for that story? Any suggestions are welcome!

Hi Sarah! We actually pull outside comprehension stories from Reading Street for the assessment on Friday. They are not directly from the story read (if it was read) from the week.

May 28, 2016 at 12:52 am

Do you have a printable layout of what you do daily and the amount of time you spend on each? Do you teach anything whole group? Thanks

June 9, 2016 at 5:03 am

Hi Catherine! Where can I find the mentioned Vowel Pattern Books? Simply Second does not make them.

June 12, 2016 at 12:06 am

Hey Catherine– Thank you for this awesome resource! A question for you– Where do you get your skill for the week from? Is it something you could share?

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September 21, 2019 at 2:23 am

Hello, Do you have a writing block as well or is it embeded with the daily 5 and mini lessons?

January 1, 2020 at 12:36 am

Great question! I do have a 35 minute block for Writer’s Workshop on top of our literacy block.

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August 25, 2022 at 4:44 am

Great explanations of how you do itā€”love the times! What decodables and readers are you using? Printouts from Reading A-Z? Thanks!

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September 3, 2022 at 11:48 am

Where did you find your decodables? Iā€™m

September 3, 2022 at 7:17 pm

Great explanations! Also loved your daily schedule blog, https://brownbagteacher.com/1st-grade-schedule-day-in-life/ Question: when do you do phonics instruction and introduce new sight words and phonics skills? I donā€™t see it in the schedules. Thanks for all you do and share!

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small group lesson plans for first grade

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small group lesson plans for first grade

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small group lesson plans for first grade

April 16, 2022

Free reading small groups guide with the science of reading in mind.

When it comes to reading small groups, one common question I get from teachers is “Now what?” You have assessed your students, now what? You have grouped your students based on skill need or reading level, now what? Knowing what to do with your students once you know where they are in their reading journey can be overwhelming. To help you be able to easily plan your small group reading lessons, I created the Reading Small Groups Guide.

small group lesson plans for first grade

This FREE guide for kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers answers the question, “Now what?”. It walks you through behaviors to support, phonics skills to practice, and comprehension skills to develop for the whole year for each grade level. You’ll want to keep this handy resource at your fingertips so you can move readers forward all year long. Let’s jump into how to use this tool and what’s inside!

How to Use The Reading Small Groups Guide

The main purpose of the Reading Small Groups Guide is to help you navigate planning your reading small group lessons no matter where your students are in their reading journey. First, after assessing your students , you will use the guide to help you find where to begin. You’ll turn to the section with your students’ grade and the time of the year to start. Then you’ll move forward or backward to meet each student’s needs.

Next, you’ll use this bank of ideas when it comes to phonics skills to focus on, behaviors to support, and comprehension skills to help develop. You’ll be able to see what skills students have just recently mastered, what they need to work on now, and what they are working towards next. This will help you successfully deliver a differentiated reading small group lesson that meets the needs of each student.

What’s Included?

The Reading Small Groups Guide is organized by grade and then by skills for the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and end of the year. With the color-coordinated labels and easy-to-read section titles, you’ll easily be able to see where you are in the guide and stay organized.

small group lesson plans for first grade

Behaviors to Support

The first section in each grade level is Behaviors to Support. For our youngest kindergarten readers, knowing where and how to best support them on their reading journey is crucial. From learning concepts about print to problem solving using syllables rules, you’ll easily be able to support each reader.

Teaching concepts about print is an important early literacy skill to be mastered. The skills are necessary as students learn how our language works and looks in print. See how this teacher weaves it into her day and assesses her little learners.

Then as we look to help support reading behaviors in second grade, we want to watch for things like maintaining fluency over longer texts and processing complex sentences with little difficulty. This guide serves as a checklist for each student, no matter where they are or what level they are on.

Phonics Skills

Next, the Reading Small Groups Guide has phonics skills readers need from kindergarten through third grade. Building a strong foundation in reading begins with phonological awareness. These skills are used as the base for reading growth. Then as readers grow, they become stronger decoders with better accuracy.

After assessing students, you’ll be able to pinpoint which phonics skills students need to work on. Then, follow this guide to be sure they are no gaps in their phonics skill sets as they grow.

small group lesson plans for first grade

You may find some students are behind on phonics skills. If so, you can easily flip to the previous section for a bank of skills to practice. Some students may be more advanced in reading. If that’s the case, you can flip forward in the guide to help them continue to grow stronger decoding skills with better accuracy and comprehension.

Comprehension Skills

Finally, each grade level has a guide to comprehension skills. The guide has skills students should be working on at the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and end of the year. Even with the youngest readers, we need to keep in mind that the ultimate goal of reading is to understand. We want to make sure we are teaching readers how to think deeply about the text.

small group lesson plans for first grade

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small group lesson plans for first grade

You can print it out and put it in your guided reading binder , print it out and have it bound, or keep it on your computer in a digital version. I hope you’ll find it super helpful so that you can boost your readers, help students develop strong decoding skills, and ultimately help them understand what they are reading.

small group lesson plans for first grade

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EASILY PLAN YOUR K-2 READING SMALL GROUPSā€‹

small group lesson plans for first grade

Want to use the latest research to boost your readers during small groups? ThisĀ  FREE Ā guide is packed with engaging ideas to help them grow!

small group lesson plans for first grade

Hi, I'm Amanda

I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your studentsĀ  love Ā and that areĀ  easy to implementĀ  for teachers.Ā Ā Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, youā€™ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!

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Small Group Reading Instruction in the Elementary Grades

Reading is a social experience, and these frameworks for small group instruction prioritize relationship-building while supporting reading proficiency.

Teacher reading with a small group of elementary students

There are many types of student readers, from bookworms to those more reluctant to delve into the written word. To better understand studentsā€™ relationships to reading, as well as my own, I launched an inquiry project with the help of my principal and assistant principal exploring the question, How can I promote positive reading behaviors to strengthen student readers? 

Throughout my investigation, Iā€™ve come to understand that reading can be a pleasurable social process for students. Just like adults in a book group, children crave opportunities to talk about books with their peers, especially in small groups that allow them to express their feelings about the stories they read.Ā 

Iā€™ve used four types of small groups with third- and fourth-grade students, presented below, all of which helped develop positive reading habits in my classroom. 

Strategy Groups  

I started with reading strategy groups. During these small group meetings, I spent eight to 12 minutes modeling specific strategies for students to practice. Before creating groups, I studied studentsā€™ behaviors through their book choices, their notebook work, and the amount each student was reading to understand what comprehension or fluency strategies students needed to build. 

Groups were fluid, meaning that as a group became proficient with a reading strategy, I would introduce another. And they were not based on reading levelā€”one group, for example, was dedicated to reading with expression; when studentsā€™ reading voices began to develop, we moved on to another strategy.  

Strategy groups revealed the social element of reading instruction, as students expressed excitement to share their thoughts and held each other accountable for their work by turning and sharing what they achieved at the end of a workshop, demonstrating authentic engagement.

Partner Work and Book Buddies  

Another instructional move that proved to be quite valuable was the implementation of book buddies. Working as partners, students picked out a book that they wanted to read together and set a date to talk about it, usually allotting a week for reading time.  

I monitored book discussions and coached students on next steps; for example, if I noticed that students were retelling what happened in the book, I would teach them how to reflect on the main character instead. 

Each pair read four books a month, and some partners were eager to read more, meeting with each other outside of the times when they met with me. As I watched them eagerly sift through the big red tubs that store books in my classroom, it was beautiful to see their intrinsic motivationā€”fostered through a social reading experience.

Book Groups  

When my class returned from winter break, I also launched book groups. Socially, book groups promote a sense of belonging as students relate to each other over a book. However, I was also aware of an instructional challenge that arises when book groups read an assigned text: What happens if readers arenā€™t interested in the book and disengage? Considering this possibility, I decided that we needed to incorporate an element of student choice.

My class selected texts such as Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers? , Who Is Colin Kaepernick? , What Was the March on Washington?, and Who Was Cesar Chavez? As in the partner work that my students did during our first trimester, readers were incredibly enthusiastic about the books they chose, and their discussion created opportunities for me to assess their learning through new modalities. For example, a student who is less comfortable writing down their thoughts about a text may be more comfortable discussing that text, meaning that I have to incorporate multiple modes of engagement to truly grasp studentsā€™ reading proficiency.

Seminars  

As book group discussions began to wind down, I reflected on my instruction as a reading teacher. I felt confident about the routines and strategies that my students were using and decided it was time to take a risk and stretch my teaching muscles. At the same time, I wanted to build more agency into the workshop process. Implementing seminars into our reading time seemed like an opportunity to give students a voice in their learning. 

I was drawn to the concept of reading seminars after reading Teaching Reading in Small Groups: Differentiated Instruction for Building Strategic, Independent Readers , by Jennifer Serravallo. Serravallo describes seminars as opportunities for students to sign up for a strategy group of interest.Ā Ā 

Examining my notes, I noticed three strategies that my students needed to learn. I put them on an anchor chart and explained the sign-up process. ā€œWhat if I want to sign up for two seminars?ā€ a student inquired eagerly. ā€œThen you will participate in both seminars,ā€ I responded, smiling. 

Building Lifelong Readers  

Teachers are given the opportunity to inspire students. Just like making a footprint in the sand, we are leaving our mark on the hearts and minds of our readers. It is therefore important to remember the ā€œwhyā€ behind literacy instruction and to study and understand studentsā€™ reading behaviors in the classroom. 

Small group instruction invites students to associate reading with positive relationships and to engage authentically with texts that speak to them, igniting interest in reading that can last a lifetime.

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Three Creative Small Group Ideas: Activities for First Graders

Three Creative Small Group Ideas: Activities for First Graders

Research-Based Grouping

According to the book, ā€œBrain-Based Instruction for the 21st Century, For The Learnerā€™s Sake,ā€ by Judy Stevens and Dee Goldberg, stressful learning environments cause the brain to produce chemicals that interfere with learning. Through the use of small group activities such as the ones presented here, the learning environment is less likely to produce stress for students.

Barbara Gross Davis, author of ā€œTools for Teachers,ā€ includes information in her book that supports the use of small group learning for increasing studentsā€™ learning success, regardless of the subject being taught. Small group activities also encourage healthy social-emotional development of children, supporting appropriate peer interaction as modeled and monitored by teachers. The activities and lesson circumstances presented here support a stress-free learning environment which encourages positive social and emotional development of your first grade students.

Peer Tutoring Trios

By grouping students into peer tutoring trios, high-level students apply newly learned skills by teaching them to others and on level and low-level students observe and collaborate within the group to master that same skill. Using this small group idea for your first graders will move them toward independent application of the newly learned skill while deepening the high achieversā€™ understanding. To employ this method in your classroom, do the following:

  • Identify a mathematics skill recently taught, but not mastered by the majority of students.
  • Identify the top third of the students who mastered the skill (each of these students will lead a tutoring trio).
  • Place two students with each of the high-end learners to form the trio.

Homework reviews are ideal for this type of grouping. Another option: re-teach a skill through a mini-lesson for the whole group before splitting students into their trios. Following the mini-lesson, hand out worksheets for students to complete within their groups. Helpful hint: to ensure success with this activity, outline specific group expectations on the board such as the following:

  • Use indoor voices
  • Use kind words and actions
  • Take turns speaking
  • Ask peer tutor for help
  • Check your work together

Reminding students of group expectations consistently and posting the expectations in the classroom will assist in establishing the routine for this specific small group activity, making future tutoring trios effortless research-based practice used in your classroom.

Circle Story Groups

In first grade, students identify the beginning, middle and ending of stories. Studentsā€™ understanding of narrative structure increases with the use of circle story groups. To conduct this activity, do the following:

  • Group students into four and provide each student with a piece of paper folded into four separate boxes.
  • Inform students they will create stories within their groups.
  • Direct each student to draw a picture of their favorite characters in the first box on their papers.
  • Inform students that everyoneā€™s story will be about a lost pet.
  • Instruct students to draw a picture showing their characters interacting with their pets (feeding, washing, etc.) in the next box.
  • Direct students to draw a picture in the third box showing what happens when the pet goes missing.
  • Instruct students to raise their left hands (show which is left) and pass their papers to the student seated to that side of them.
  • Direct students to read the picture stories on the papers and create a picture ending in the last box.
  • Allow students to take turns telling each otherā€™s stories in the small groups.

By following these simple steps and monitoring studentsā€™ behaviors throughout the activity, circle story groups will certainly become a student favorite.

Peer Reading Time

To increase studentsā€™ reading fluency, group students on the same reading level together for peer reading time. This small group idea for first graders provides for classroom reading time while allowing for peer interaction. The reading materials selected for each group should be on-level reading text for each group, so grouping students by same reading levels is necessary. Students take turns reading sections of the text. Provide students with a choice of activities to do after the reading. Allow student groups to choose from a list of three activities. Some activities that can be listed:

  • Identify action words from the story by writing words in a list.
  • Draw a picture of your favorite part of the story.
  • Create a different ending to the story in a drawing.

Use the first grade reading series as a resource for finding activities that can follow this group reading activity. Helpful hint: be sure to read the list to the students and include simple drawings next to each item for easy student identification.

Classroom Community

Frequent use of small group activities for first graders assists in building community in the classroom. Using these small group activities supports studentsā€™ efforts and encourages positive social interaction within the classroom. Students are more willing to ask for assistance in a classroom where peer interaction is a regular practice and the social climate is positive and supportive. Many names have been assigned to group learning: cooperative learning, literacy circles, shared reading and many others. Though the names may change the purpose and relevance of small group activities does not - these activities increase studentsā€™ learning; that alone makes it a useful and relevant practice in your first grade classroom.

  • Gross Davis, Barbara. Tools for Teaching . Jossey-Bass Publishers.2nd edition, 2009. University of California, Berkeley.
  • Sanoff, Henry. ā€œ Research Based Design of an Elementary School ,ā€ featured in Academia.edu. Must sign-in in order to download this document.
  • Stevens, Judy, et. al. Brain-Based Instruction for the 21st Century: For The Learners Sake. Zephyr Press. 2001.

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Planning the Small Group Reading Lesson

Teach and Guide

Dr. Deborah Glaser

This post also appears on The Reading Teacherā€™s Top Ten Tools Blog . It has been posted here with permission from the author.

Small Group Instruction

I just completed a review of 147 reading texts used in our colleges of education to teach teachers how to teach reading (National Center for Teacher Quality (NCTQ)). One troubling observation I made is the lack of guidance to help teachers and soon-to-be teachers understand how to structure small group reading instruction. To be clear, guided reading, a popular small group practice, is a prevalent practice throughout these texts, and it is perplexing that this universal custom lacks consistency. Authors of these texts present guided reading in ways that reflect their personal views of how reading should be taught, and unfortunately many of these views are not reflective of what we have learned about best practices in reading instruction, especially for our very young and struggling readers.

A New ā€œGuided Readingā€

Guided reading was originally designed to provide a comprehension focus. However, now, guided reading has become a small group catch-all wherein any reading skill, including ā€˜word workā€™ or decoding lessons are also taught.

Since the term guided reading is so universal in our schools, I propose that we redefine this small reading group practice to empower teachers to TEACH first then GUIDE our students to become proficient readers. The structures I propose incorporate the most effective overall teaching practices and those specific to reading instruction. Please download these two informative syntheses of the research on overall effective teaching practices and follow along with me on this journey as we design a small group structure that is easy to use and adapt to our studentsā€™ needs. Principles of Effective Instruction and Seven Strategies

The Small Group Structure

We will create a framework, which may be new to many of you, or remind you of lesson structures you have used in the past. A framework helps us be more efficient in our planning ā€“ we all need that! If you use a reading program, it probably provides a lesson framework for you, steps that you follow. If you do not have a program, this framework will be especially helpful for you. Either way, having a structure into which you plug your lessons parts will ensure that you teach systematically and explicitly. As you read through this framework, know that it is just that. It will be up to you to insert the content that is responsive to your studentsā€™ needs and plan your instruction for each part of the lesson in the framework.

The Small Group Lesson Framework

Our teacher lives are complex and demanding enough. Having a consistent framework helps simplify our planning, and meets a requirement of systematic instruction ā€“ a routine that fills teacher and student need for consistency. Try using this framework for planning whole group reading lessons too! You may not be teaching all of your students in small group, so use this framework to provide excellent TEACHING and GUIDING during your whole group lessons as well.

With a program, this framework will work. Insert the elements from your program, add additional practice activities.

Without a program ā€“ It will take a little extra work on your part, but you can do it! You need a skills sequence , words and reading materials that are matched to the target decoding elements. You will also need practice activities.

The STEPS Framework ā€“ Teach then Guide

Adapted from Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction, Smartt and Glaser. Brookes Publishing.

The framework works well for decoding lessons, but is adaptable to teaching other reading components as well.

S ā€“ Set up for Learning (The Warm-Up) 3-5 min

Begin your lesson with a review of a skill students have learned. This serves to prime the pump for learning something new. This step wakes up the brain for learning, motivating students through active involvement at a high rate of success.

Choose the skill you want to review and plan an active way to review it.

Warm-Up Ideas: (remember ā€“ use words and material students have learned in earlier lessons)

  • Phoneme segmentation with head-waist-toes,
  • Encoding from teacher dictation with moveable letters,
  • Quick flash & say grapheme sounds, read, spell, and use vocabulary terms
  • Students pick a word from pile, read it and turn to partner, uses it in a sentence. Repeat.
  • Reread story or sentences.

T ā€“ Teach (I Do ā€“ Teacher Voice is Dominant) 3-5 min

In this step the teacher explicitly teaches the new skill through explanation, modeling, showing and telling. Students will hear you say, ā€œToday we will learnā€¦ā€ ā€œWatch me. Listen.ā€ ā€œMy turn.ā€

  • Use a white board to model decoding new grapheme,
  • Point to and teach word parts,
  • Demonstrate decoding of words
  • Present and teach the orthography and meanings of vocabulary words
  • Demonstrate a comprehension process

E ā€“ Engage (We Do ā€“ Teacher and Student voices together) 3-5 min

With your support, students engage with, and briefly practice the skill just taught to them. This gives the teacher an indication of whether the students need more instruction before the next lesson step.

  • Students practice decoding words as the teacher points to words on a white board, a pocket chart, or with moveable letters as teacher creates them.
  • The teacher provides corrective feedback and scaffolds the process, stepping back to allow students to work independently, or stepping in to reteach, as needed.

P ā€“ Practice (You Do & We Do ā€“ Student voice with Teacher voice when needed for correction, praise, reteaching) 15-20 min

In this step, students practice the concept just taught multiple times. Teacher guides students to apply what they have learned, providing more instruction, corrective feedback, and specific praise.

Ideas: Students practice their skill with –

  • Sound spelling boxes, (here is a video of a 2 nd grade teacher using this practice process)
  • Moveable letters to encode, (teacher dictates words and students tap phonemes and spell the words)
  • Games to practice reading words automatically, (only games that ensure students are reading words MULTIPLE times) Here is a resource for these activities.
  • Read decodable or other controlled text to practice the words just learned

S ā€“ Show you Know (Assess learning) Quick 3-5 min

During this closing step, students are asked to demonstrate their learning. Teachers want to know, ā€œDid the students master this skill?ā€ Teachers keep data on student performance to help them plan future lessons.

  • Students may read a list of the words just learned,
  • Spell dictated words or sentences,
  • Produce word meanings
  • Complete a timed progress monitoring measure.

Tips to make your small group instruction powerful!

  • Reading and spelling ā€“ decode and encode ā€“ in the same lesson
  • Engage – multiple student responses.
  • Include isolated word reading and sentence, story, reading.

Taught and guidedā€¦ your small group lessons will become easier to plan and teach when you use a framework in which you TEACH and students PRACTICE ( a lot!) the skills you teach.

  • ELA / Literacy
  • Elementary School
  • Middle School

7 thoughts on “ Planning the Small Group Reading Lesson ”

This was truly helpful, especially including a video of a teacher demonstrating the spell boxes. Thank you

Extremely helpful article. I did not have access to several of the live links though.

Ah, thank you for alerting us, Annette. I’ll work with the author to get these links functioning again.

I also was not able to open any of the direct links. Nevertheless, thanks for sharing! I have been searching for something to help in planning small, guided reading groups and this is it!

great article, but would love to be able to access material in links

Thank you, I enjoyed the article. I wasnā€™t able to open the live links.

I need access to all the links.

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About the Author: Deborah Glaser has had a passion for teaching reading for a very long time. Ever since her little sister needed some help reading, she has followed her dream to teach others to read. Deborah has taught reading as an elementary teacher, special education teacher, and dyslexia specialist. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Glaser has traveled around the nation providing professional development for teachers, consulting with schools, districts, and policy groups. Her desire for every teacher to have access to the knowledge they deserve to help them teach all students how to read distinguishes her as a leader in the field. Dr. Glaser is author and co-author of the LETRSĀ© Modules, Foundations: An Introduction to Language and Literacy (L. Moats) and ParaReading: A Training Guide for Tutors. Other publications include Reading Fluency: Understanding and Teaching this Complex Skill (with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck) and Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessment to Effective Interventions (with Susan Smartt, PhD).

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Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading

Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading

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In this lesson, the teacher explains the difference between thin (factual) and thick (inferential) questions and then models how to compose question webs by thinking aloud while reading. Students observe how to gather information about the topic and add it to question webs in the form of answers or additional questions. Students practice composing thin and thick questions and monitor their comprehension by using question webs in small-group reading. This practice extends knowledge of the topic and engages readers in active comprehension.

From Theory to Practice

NCREL: Reciprocal Teaching

  • Students who answer their own questions show improvement in reading comprehension.
  • When students know prior to reading that they each need to think of a question about the text, they read with an awareness of the text's important ideas.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
  • 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
  • 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
  • 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Materials and Technology

  • Chart paper and markers
  • Highlighters
  • Sticky notes
  • Text selections

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

  • Monitor comprehension by composing thin and thick questions as they read
  • Determine the difference between thin (factual) and thick (inferential) questions
  • Use graphic organizers effectively to collect information that answers questions
  • Participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of whole- and small-group activities

Session 1: Introducing Thin and Thick Questions

Note: If small-group guided reading is a regular routine for your students, the introduction to thin and thick questions could be done in that setting. However, carrying out the following steps is also viable in a whole-group setting.

Session 2: Thin Questions in Small-Group Reading

It is recommended that you do the following activities with one group at a time. Once students are familiar with the routine of investigating what they read with questions, you might try having the entire class work in small groups simultaneously. Varying degrees of scaffolding may be necessary in order to ensure that all learners interact with text actively with questioning. If your schedule dictates that you must move to Session 2 activities with small groups working simultaneously, then a cooperative-grouping situation is recommended where students can take a shared role in interacting with the text. For example, in groups of four, students could all work from the same selection of text. Four roles to facilitate the group could be: one student chooses the chunk of text to read (the longer the text, the bigger the chunk), another reads the chunk aloud, a third records questions and answers, a fourth is responsible for sharing questions and answers with the rest of the class. Before working in small groups

Working in small groups

Session 3: Thick Questions in Small-Group Reading

Before working in small groups

Working in small groups Once again, the routines you established in the thin question activity apply to this thick question activity. Operate in the same way, either in small groups that you manage, or as multiple cooperative small groups.

Have students write in their notebooks reflecting on how question webs can help them understand what they are reading.

After students have investigated their reading material and have asked questions as they progressed, some lingering curiosities may still exist. Direct students to online texts and activities where they might answer any remaining (or new) questions. Possible websites to explore, should they align with your content area topic, include:

  • America's Story from America's Library At this Library of Congress website, students can learn about famous Americans, explore American history, find out facts about the 50 states, and more.
  • Animal Planet The Main Index Page under "Animals A to Zoo" leads to a categorical listing of many of the world's animals. For each animal, students can read about its geographic range, physical characteristics, food habits, reproduction, behavior, habitat, economic importance for humans, and conservation.
  • HowStuffWorks: Science Stuff The Science Stuff page is home to numerous articles dealing with the earth, life, and physical sciences, as well as information on engineering, space, and more.
  • Social Studies for Kids Students can find information on a wide variety of social studies topics at this site, including current or historic events, cultures, languages, geography, and archaeology.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Are the questions appropriate to the content area? Do Session 2 question webs reflect an understanding of what thin questions are? Do Session 3 question webs reflect an understanding of what thick questions are? Did the student use the webs successfully in determining or demonstrating answers? (Note, though, that finding answers at this point is secondary to asking questions.) Does the writing exercise from the conclusion of Session 3 show critical thinking about the use of questioning as a comprehension strategy?
  • As for students' participation in group activities, your assessment may vary depending on whether you managed the groups individually or if students worked cooperatively in simultaneous groupings. For either scenario, consider what each student's responsibilities were and the significance of his or her contribution to the group.
Read aloud a new text selection. Have 10 questions prepared on a sheet of paper. After students listen to the read-aloud, have them answer and label the questions as either 'thin' or 'thick' and explain why. Make the test worth 30 points (one point for the correct answer, one for the label, and one for answering why it is thin or thick). Include four bonus points for those who write two thin and thick questions on their own about the read-aloud.
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Heggerty has created small group literacy lesson plan templates to help you plan targeted small group instruction around oral language and foundational skills. Pair these simple templates with your diagnostic data and other instructional resources to plan meaningful, explicit literacy instruction.

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small group lesson plans for first grade

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Simply B Teaching

Effective Small Group Instruction

guided math small group lesson plans

Create guided math small group lesson plans by using predictable routines, providing time for exploration, and keeping students engaged through various challenges.

Successful K-2 Math Small Group Lesson PlansĀ 

A fact family to 10 activity lays on colored paper to show a guided math small group activity.

Creating guided math small group lesson plans can be so overwhelming. Math is filled with discreet skills, how do you know which skill to start with? While your curriculum provides a general guideline, students tend to live in an area of grey. To add more confusion while math is filled with discreet skills the application and deeper understanding of specific concepts is what leads to mathematical success. Teaching math in small groups makes the daunting task of guiding your students to deeper understanding manageable. Small group instruction is only one component of guided math in the classroom but it is the most informative on student growth and learning. Be sure to grab this guide for effective small group instruction. Read on to find out how to create a successful math small group lesson plan!

A blue, orange, and green data collection grid lie on a teacher desk to help her organize small group instruction.

Math Small Group Instruction

Why should you use math small group instruction? The research is clear. Students learn best through social, personalized instruction that can be achieved through small group instruction . Math small group instruction should be conversational based and guide students to new discoveries through their zone of proximal development. Unsure of what your students’ zone of proximal development is? Read more about it here.

Math small group instruction should be fluid. It adapts based on student growth and the needs of the class. There are two theories on math small group instruction: it can be teacher-directed, or student-guided. Now before you jump to conclusions, I will say both types of instruction have their place and times when teaching math .

Numbers 1 to 5 sit on a table for students to count and stamp building one to one correspondence

Teacher-directed math small groups most likely align with how you already envision math groups. The teacher sits around a table with 2-4 students and has a set of activities or tasks to lead the children through. It may follow a predictable ā€œI do, we do, you doā€ model to gradually release the skill from the teachers’ knowledge to the students. This model is best for explicit instruction and supports students whose understanding of language may hinder their knowledge of math skills. Use this model as a guide for your guided math small group lesson plans.

Feeling overwhelmed with keeping your students engaged in meaningful learning while leading math small groups? here you can learn about classroom management strategies in the K-2 classroom to get the most out of your small group instruction. 

Teaching Math in Small Groups

Like all learning, math is collaborative. Teaching math in small groups allows students to work together and learn mathematical concepts through discovery. Utilizing small groups in math doesnā€™t have to take over the teacher.

First, begin with the end in mind. What are you hoping your students gain during the lesson? Extra practice or solidifying a previously taught concept is a perfectly acceptable goal.  Sometimes, I think teachers get caught up on having this grand learning target (which, donā€™t get me wrong, is also important) but small steps lead to big change . Students need repetition to practice and achieve target skills.

Text over a number line reads: make a plan for your math small groups and a strategy for your classroom management

Second, decide what you want your small groups to look like. Are you beginning with a whole group task, then all children work on the same task within small groups? Are you running centers or a math menu model, where children float between math activities and teachers meet with students as needed? Or, maybe you have the entire class working on a single activity and you pull small groups to a teacher’s table to work on isolated skills. Each method has its own pros and cons. Try a few different methods for teaching math in small groups to figure out which one is the right fit for you. Your guided math small group lesson plans will evolve to meet the needs of your students, and as you grow as a teacher.

The beauty of math small group instruction is it allows the teacher to personalize each studentā€™s learning while keeping the learning social and collaborative. Utilizing small group instruction during your elementary math time creates opportunities for hands-on learning and self-discovery. Staying consistent with your small group instruction can be so challenging! Here are my best tips for keeping on track with your math small groups.

A teacher works with two preschool students putting numbers in order during math small group instruction.

Math Small Group Rotation

Iā€™ll be honest – Iā€™m not a fan of math small group rotations. I prefer to incorporate student voice and choice by students choosing what they want to work on during that block. However, I have had several years that, from a management standpoint, I had to utilize a math small group rotation in order to keep sanity within the room. There is nothing wrong with having a rotation, itā€™s a strategy you can utilize to keep your students on task during their math small groups. If youā€™re looking to have a math small group rotation, keep your activities open-ended . Think about roll and play games, matching activities, growing towers, and comparing attributesā€¦the worst thing for a math center is to be ā€œone and doneā€ because if itā€™s not time to rotate, you will lose your students. Pro tip: keep worksheets out of your math small group rotation.Ā 

One tens rod and 5 cubes sit next to the number 15 to show a worksheet free math small group activity.

Math Games for Small Groups

Games are a must-have in your math small group lesson plans. A deck of cards is your best friend. You can target more/less concepts, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and divisionā€¦seriously almost any math concept can be targeted through a card game. If you have access, traditional games are perfect math games for small groups. Some of our favorites include: Trouble, Chutes and Ladders, and Yahtzee Jr. These games are a collaborative way to teach math in small groups! Low on time? Grab some proven math games for small groups in the first-grade classroom here!

Math Small Group Template

Okay, youā€™ve stuck with me this long explaining why you need a math small group lesson plan, along with some great components of math groups. Hereā€™s a general math small group template!

A template for teaching math in small group reads: 1) whole group 2) student work time 3) teacher led small groups and 4) self reflection time.

Whole Group Introduction 

When teaching math in small groups, begin with the whole group instruction. This is generally the instruction in your teacher’s manual if you are following a scripted program. These lessons range from practice problems to introducing new strategies or concepts, to discovering mathematical concepts through various activities.

Student Work Time

After youā€™ve finished your whole group instruction, itā€™s time for student work. This looks different in each elementary classroom as you meet the needs of your student and your teaching style. This is a teacher free work time . Struggling with how to build a teacher free work time in your classroom? Grab your free guide to effective small group instruction here.

Leading Math Small Groups

Start by reviewing the target skill (typically the whole group lesson), then dial back to the previous skill or preview the next skill based on the needs of your group. Allow time for conversation among students. During your math small groups, ask questions and observe. See if students can correct misunderstandings based on their own conversations. When leading math small groups, I often start by reviewing the skill and then engage in math conversation while working on practice problems. This often allows me to clear up any misconceptions. Then, I present the group with a challenging problem for the students to solve together. This naturally leads to exploration time and they continue working on the problem as I begin working with the next group of students.Ā 

An example of a k-2 math small group routine flow chart reads: review skills, student conversation, challenge problem, and exploration.

Teaching Math in Small Groups Online

Teaching math in small groups online can make your head spin – but it doesnā€™t have to! As with any change in the classroom do your best to keep the routines the same . If you begin with a practice problem in the classroom, begin with the practice problems online. If you typically end with a challenging problem, be sure to do the same. In my experience, the main difference between teaching math in small groups in the classroom and online is pacing . Online instruction has to move quickly because students are more likely to zone out. 

If youā€™re looking for creative ways to teach math small groups, be sure to check out these Boom Cards and other printable activities! 

Text above a butterfly fact family to 10 activity reads: math small groups are a great way to practice the same skill in multiple ways!

Looking for more math small group ideas? Check these out!

How to Run Math Small Groups Effectively in K-2
Small Group Math Instruction
Kindergarten Math Groups Made Easy PLUS a FREE file!!!

Kindergarten kids work on sorting numbers at a table in a successful small group math lesson plan.

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How to plan and teach small group phonics lessons

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small group lesson plans for first grade

TRT Podcast#71: How to plan and teach small group phonics lessons

How should you form your phonics groups? How often should you meet with each group? What specific activities should you include in your lessons? We’ve got the answers in this week’s episode!

Listen to the episode here

Full episode transcript.

Hello, hello! Anna Geiger here from The Measured Mom, and today we're going to talk about how to form your small phonics groups, how to schedule your meetings with those groups, and what to do when you're meeting with the group. We're basically looking at the nuts and bolts. We're really dialing in to see how we're going to apply all the things you've learned about the science of reading and structured literacy to your day-to-day teaching.

I know we sometimes get really excited by all the things we get to learn, but when it comes down to actually applying it, it gets very tricky, so I want this to be a really practical episode for you. Please remember that anything I'm sharing can be found in the show notes, themeasuredmom.com/episode71. You're definitely going to want to head there because there's a lot of useful links and materials you're going to find.

Now, first thing, why small groups? Why can't we just teach the on-level phonics skill to the whole class? While plenty of teachers do this, it is not my preference because your students, as you know, are at so many different levels. What some teachers do is they teach the on-level skill to the whole class, and then they differentiate in small groups, maybe they meet with kids who are struggling and give them extra support.

But to me, it doesn't make sense if you have someone who is still struggling to read CVC words, but then you're trying to teach them long vowel teams with the whole class. To me, it makes more sense to meet with them in a small group with other kids who are struggling with the same skill so they can get lots of practice on that skill.

I also don't like the idea of having kids who are advanced in their phonics skill being part of a lesson every day that's something far beneath what they're capable of. I would much rather see those students challenged in more advanced phonics skills, multisyllable words, and so on.

In their book "How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction," Sharon Walpole and Michael McKenna promote this model where you assess students and then you group them by their needs and that's their main instruction. Their main instruction is not whole class, it's in these small groups. They said that the benefit of this approach is that "no students who have already mastered foundational skills for their grade level will receive redundant time-wasting instruction."

This was brought up in a Facebook group I was a part of, and someone said, "Is it really so bad to be bored for twenty minutes a day?" But I don't think that's the point. I think the point is that we're not giving them what they need. They don't need the same thing over and over that they've mastered at least a year ago. They need to be challenged and move into the next stage of phonics knowledge.

That's my philosophy, I do think it's important to group students by level. First, you're going to give them a phonics assessment. I have one free on my website and I will link to that in the show notes, themeasuredmom.com/episode71. After you've given that assessment, you're going to look at the results and group your students into four groups.

Now, you're going to look at the results and you're going to want to group your students into ten groups because they're going to be all over the place, it's not going to be evenly divided. It's okay though to have some students move back a little bit to review. It's still, when you think about it, way better for them than having them be doing the same skill with the whole class. The groups will not be perfect, that's not possible, but you're going to be doing a much better job than if you're teaching everyone the same thing every day.

The reason I recommend having just four groups is that you'll be able to meet with them enough times per week to make a difference. If you have too many groups, you're not going to be able to see your advanced readers very often. We want everyone to be meeting with you as much as possible, so I recommend meeting with three groups per day, each group for twenty minutes. Fifteen minutes is a little short, and I think you'll find yourself stressed out if you try to do it in fifteen. Thirty minutes would be awesome, but that's really unrealistic because then you're trying to keep the rest of the kids busy and engaged while you're meeting with a small group.

Now, if you're in a really ideal situation where you have other teachers of your grade level doing the same approach that you are, one teacher could do the lowest level group, one could do the next highest, and so on all at the same time. If you did that, you could meet with all the students every day, but I totally understand that that's not realistic. So assuming you're not in that really exciting situation and you're doing all the teaching, I would meet with three groups per day, twenty minutes per group.

Now, you might be thinking, "Okay, but we have four groups. How does that work?"

Here's what I recommend. I recommend meeting with your lowest group every day. In fact, I would just start always with them so they know when phonics time starts, they go to the table. It's a routine they can get used to.

After that, I would recommend meeting with your next lowest group four days a week. One of those days you're not going to see them, maybe on Wednesday, but they meet with you four days a week.

Then you're going to meet with your second highest group three times a week and your highest group also three times a week.

I actually have a visual chart that would show you how this could look. I'll put it in the show notes for the episode, themeasuredmom.com/episode71.

Now the question is, "Okay, I've got these groups, and I know the skills I'm going to teach them, but what do I do with them in those twenty minutes?"

That is a really good question, and I want you to know that in the show notes, you're going to find a link to a PDF where I'm going to give you a layout of what those lessons could look like and what things you could do within those twenty minutes. I'm going to go through it right now also, but you don't need to write this down, just make sure you check the show notes at the end of the episode, themeasuredmom.com/episode71.

So let's say that you teach each skill for three days. That means that your lowest group is going to get through one skill a week plus two parts of another, whereas your highest groups are only going to get through one new skill each week. That's totally fine. They're advanced, and they're probably going to learn much faster. You could maybe move ahead and get to another skill sooner than you might think or it's okay because they are far above grade level and they're going to be doing just fine. But you can see that in giving more instruction to your lowest readers, they have a better chance of getting up to grade level.

In those lessons, the first day of the new skill, you're going to do some kind of warm-up. A warm-up could include a visual drill like flashcards. It could include a kinesthetic drill where you say the sounds and they write the letter that makes the sound in a tray. You could have a little poster, an individual poster for each child, where they point to the letters when you say the sound. There's a lot of things you could do to review previously learned skills. That could also include practicing high frequency words that you've taught. It could include a phonemic awareness activity that gets them ready to learn the phonics skill. Those are all really good things you could do during the warmup.

Then on that first day, you're going to teach the new skill. You're going to explicitly tell them what you're teaching them - what the new sound-spelling is. Maybe it's that the letter A represents /ă/. Maybe it's that "sh" represents /sh/. Maybe you're teaching them that there's two very common ways to spell /ē/, "ee" and "ea." Whatever it is, you're going to teach it very clearly and explicitly. That would probably take about five minutes.

After that, you're going to do some blending or word work. As they're getting ready to read connected texts later in the lesson, you're going to help them practice for that by reading blending lines.

So let's say that the skill that you've taught your students is that "ee" says /ē/, you're going to have lines of words for them to practice that include words that have the "ee" spelling in addition to lines that are review - previously taught sound-spellings. Then at the bottom, you could have some advanced words that could challenge them, words with "ee" that have inflectional endings, for example, like "ed" or "ing."

Also during that blending or word work time, you could do something like word building with letter tiles. You could have them cut out a certain number of tiles that go with that day's lesson, and then you're going to tell them words to spell, and you'll watch them build the words. You're going to say, "Change one letter to make the word..." So it's word building and switching of those letter tiles.

You could do word sort. Let's say you've taught that "ee" and "ea" spell the sound /ē/. You might have two headers, one with "ee," one with "ea," and a bunch of words. They practice reading and then moving those little slips of paper into the different columns.

You could do a word ladder, which is where you've got something prepared in advance. They've got a ladder on a piece of paper. On the bottom there's a word that they start with and you maybe give them a clue or tell them to switch one letter to spell a new word and it goes all the way up to the top.

There's a lot you could do in blending word work. Of course you wouldn't do it all in one lesson.

Next you could do some high frequency word instruction where you introduce a new high frequency word, perhaps one that's going to appear in their decodable text coming up. Always remember that when we're teaching new irregular high frequency words, we focus on the phonemes and the graphemes and give attention to the tricky part of the word.

The one that's usually talked about when we're giving examples for this is the word "said." When you're introducing the word "said," you could have them count the sounds, separate the word into its sounds (/s/-/ē/-/d/), talk about the spelling for each sound, and give special attention to that "ai" in the middle since that's an unexpected spelling in the word "said." They could practice writing the new high frequency word. That would probably take at least three minutes of your lesson.

Then you want to spend some time reading connected text, that could be word lists, it could be a paragraph, a passage, or a decodable book. That is what you're going to do for at least the next five minutes, and that is going to be where you're going to really get started with the new decodable book if that's what you're using.

The second day of your new skill, again, you'll start with a warmup. You'll revisit the new skill and review it a little bit. Again, you're going to do some blending and word work and review those high frequency words, and you're going to spend a little bit more time with that connected text today.

So maybe the first day you did a choral reading, or maybe they read it through one time. This time you might have them read it in pairs, or you might take a closer look at that text and highlight words that have the featured phonics pattern, or maybe you're going to spend more time discussing the story, but always you want them to practice reading it first. You want to give them opportunity to gain fluency with the text.

The third day you're going to, again, review the new skill and high frequency words, but probably not spend as long, maybe about two minutes. Again, you're going to do blending and word work, but not as long. You'll do the connected text, maybe about six minutes, and then I recommend saving the bulk of your lesson - about ten minutes - for dictation. This is when you are going to dictate words with the sound-spelling that you've taught. With this new skill, they going to practice writing words and possibly sentences featuring that new sound-spelling.

When you first start doing this, dictation is going to take a lot longer than you think it should, especially if you're with kindergarten. It may be that needs to be the whole lesson, but eventually you'll probably want to work to making that just be about ten minutes long.

So that was a look at how to form your phonics groups, a schedule for meeting with them, and what to do with them when you do meet with them. I know this is hard to get in your head when it's just audio, so please do check out the show notes. I'm going to have charts there to help you see how this all works, as well as a download where you can have specific items for things to work out in each part of the lesson.

Thanks so much for listening. I'll talk to you again next week!

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small group lesson plans for first grade

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Related blog posts .

  • Blog post: How to teach small group phonics lessons
  • Blog post: What order should you teach phonics skills? (with a free phonics scope and sequence)
  • Blog post: Free phonics assessment

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small group lesson plans for first grade

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Reader Interactions

March 25, 2022 at 2:07 pm

Hi! I have been a K teacher for 16 years. I love your podcast and so many of your suggestions ring true for me. Differentiating has always been a struggle. I often do small group work, but haven’t been able to do it for 60 minutes every day. I have plenty to do with the group I work with, but really have a hard time with planning and prepping what students can do independently. They either need a ton of help and keep interrupting me or are done well before time is up. How do you handle students working independently for that long? Thanks!

Anna Geiger

March 26, 2022 at 4:55 pm

That’s a great question, Meghan! You do have to work up to it. And another trick is to make sure that the activities you give your students are very similar in format from week to week; you just change up the skill. I recently published a post on what to have them do at literacy centers: let me know how this sounds.

https://www.themeasuredmom.com/phonics-centers-that-will-keep-students-busy-and-learning/

Another tip: Break it up. So you can do two groups at one point in the day (40 minutes of centers) and then do the third group later in the day (20 minutes of centers).

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small group lesson plans for first grade

Want to add FUN to your Math block?

small group lesson plans for first grade

Using Decodable Texts for Small Group Phonics: K, 1st & 2nd Grade

By now you know I am a HUGE fan of teaching phonics in the classroom! I am a firm believer that phonics is the best pathway for students to tap into reading success.

But, we as teachers need to teach our students in a systematic, sequential way for our students to have the ultimate reading success.

small group lesson plans for first grade

In my last post , I shared how to set up Decodables in a Dash for your classroom. A small amount of prep work up upfront will get you set up for all of the lessons!

Once you’ve set up your materials, it’s time to dig into each part of the lesson. A few things to note: phonics instruction should happen daily! {You can read more about that in this post } These lessons are just part of the phonics puzzle!

Let’s dig into what a Decodables in a Dash lesson looks like from start to finish!

The Lesson Plan

All you’ll need to teach each of the 85 lessons is on a single page. Yep…one single page will guide you through an entire small group lesson with your readers.

book 17 decodable text example for the 'um' phonic | Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch

The lesson is broken down into three parts: pre-reading activities, reading the decodable text, and post-reading activities.

This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item on Amazon using these links, I will receive a small commission on your purchase. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit  this link .

Pre-Reading Activities

Making words lesson.

Youā€™ll begin each lesson with a Making Words activity. Before the lesson, gather the letters for each student for the lesson and place them into a plastic cup or bucket.

tiles set up for a phonics activity with decodable texts | Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch

Tip for organizing tiles: If you have more than one group {and they are on different books}, use different color buckets to differentiate the groups.

This activity will take no more than 5 minutes, but itā€™s important to review the sounds and words your readers will see in the upcoming book.

This part of the lesson is completely scripted so you just need to read each prompt for your students.

Keep the pace of this activity fast! As your students begin to finish the word, you can select a student to write the word on a tabletop whiteboard at your reading table or you can create the words alongside your students using these larger magnetic letter tiles .

Sight Words + Vocabulary Words

It is estimated that up to75% of the words early readers are exposed to are Sight Words. Since the majority of Sight Words cannot beā€œstretched outā€ itā€™s important to explicitly teach, review, and revisit these foundational words frequently!

In some books, vocabulary, specific to this book, may be introduced. Before your students begin to read the book, review the sight words and new vocab words.

Again, you can write these words on your tabletop whiteboard .

It is estimated that up to 75% of the words early readers are exposed to are Sight Words. Since the majority of Sight Words cannot be ā€œstretched outā€ itā€™s important to explicitly teach, review, and revisit these foundational words frequently!

Reading the Decodable Text

A Book Blurb is included for each decodable text. Before your students begin toread, read the Book Blurb aloud. This will give your students a focus for the text.

Reading the Book

Okay, now the fun part! You’ve worked hard to lay the groundwork and now your students are ready to read the decodable text!

1st grade aged child pointing at a decodable text | Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch

With these early readers, I always ask my students to “touch” each word as they read. This ensures 1:1 correspondence {and that they don’t add in unnecessary words!}

It also gives the reader a chance to “touch” each sound if they are struggling to stretch out the word.

As your students grow as readers, the need to touch the words will slowly go away.

After Reading Activities

Turn & talk prompts.

I’ve included a page with suggested questions you can ask your students as they finish the text. In the beginning, books, keep the questions quick and simple. As the books become more challenging {and have a bit more substance} you should use the higher-level comprehension questions.

Dicated Sentences

With the pre-reading activities and reading the book, your students worked on decoding skills. Now, it’s time to change gears and focus on encoding skills . Keep in mind, that this is much more challenging to master so this will take time! It’s also important to work on this daily so students get ample practice on this trickier literacy skill.

Dictated Sentences are a great tool for practicing encoding skills. This simple sentence allows your students to apply what you are teaching by focusing on spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and handwriting.

Once your students have finished the book, review the phonics pattern from the book once again.

Next, you’ll read the dictated sentence from the lesson plan and ask students to repeat it back to you.

Then, students will write the dictated sentence in their Writing Journal. Encourage your students to stretch out the words and use their best printing.

child writing in their journal after completing a decodable text activity | Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch

After completing the sentence, each student should re-read the sentence to you. You can rewrite the sentence on your whiteboard to show your students.

A Few Notes About Dictated Sentences

In the journal, I’ve included an alphabet at the top of the page. This is a good reference for students if they need a little help with letter formation.

I’ve also included a checklist at the bottom of the page. This gives reminders for what to check once the dictated sentence is written.

Lastly, the open space is a spot for you to show concepts such as show letter formation, punctuation, etc. as your students work through writing the sentence.

That’s the whole small group phonics lesson! It’s easy and NO-PREP! Ready to get started? Go check out Decodables in a Dash here !

small group lesson plans for first grade

Decodables in a Dash

Decodables in a Dash includes ALL you need for a complete phonics lesson with  very little prep !   These Print & Go decodable books will help students master foundational Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd grade phonics patterns! Your students will love these decodable readers!

Want to get a sneak peek of the lessons? Enter your info below and I’ll send you four free lessons + books!

I hope these lessons make your small group phonics easy to manage!

Want to take a peek at how to set up the lessons? Check out this post !

small phonics groups in the classroom activity laid out on a table | Lucky Learning with Molly Lynch

  • Published: August 1, 2022
  • Updated on: October 18, 2023
  • Filed Under: Freebie , Literacy

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small group lesson plans for first grade

Math Professional Development Information

Tunstall's Teaching

Small Group Math Instruction

small group lesson plans for first grade

When I launch Guided Math, I set a personal goal to begin small group instruction by October.Ā  This allows weeks of setting expectations, setting up positive peer relationships, and getting to know student needs.Ā  Right as the first quarter comes to a close, I feel ready to fully release the workstation time so I can meet with students for small group instruction.Ā  As we do Guided Math year after year this happens perhaps more quickly, but a great goal is beginning small group instruction in October.

small group lesson plans for first grade

THE PURPOSE OF SMALL GROUP MATH

Plain and simple, teacher-led small group math instruction is when students take a new skill and directly apply it in close proximity to the teacher.Ā  In a guided math classroom, this happens daily or as close to daily as possible.Ā  We conduct math mini-lessons in a whole group format and follow that up with meeting with students in small groups where they directly apply the math learning in a way that is developmentally appropriate to their specific needs.Ā  Students are at the center of the learning rather than being passive observers of someone else doing math.Ā  The way we carry out the math differs from group to group based on the skill and the range of abilities.

small group lesson plans for first grade

This year more than ever we see a gap in skills and abilities that is expansive.Ā  The more we teach, the further we feel the ones who are not ready fall behind, but the standards don’t stop.Ā  One way we can work through this pandemic recovery is to give students this time in small group instruction.Ā  Filling in the prerequisite skills may not be fully attainable for every student, but we have a much greater ability to support students and teach to those areas of concern when we see them in small group daily.

small group lesson plans for first grade

This Math Milestones download is a free guide of the stages of math development and prerequisite skills that can come in helpful when we see a student struggling and perhaps don’t know which skills to fill in first.

small group lesson plans for first grade

PATTERNS AND PRACTICE

Being able to sit down and become invested in small group instruction means a lot of small variables have been handled.Ā  To keep it simplified, for each expectation I want to have in place for my students not with me in small group, we make a pattern of procedures and then practice it.Ā  Over those first few weeks of practice, these patterns become our normal way of behaving.Ā  When you feel the autonomous pulse of the room taking shape, it makes it easier to let go of the control of whole group and allows students to be independent.Ā  Students will always have great days of peer interactions and learning and days where it feels like we all just forgot what to do.Ā  Don’t let this derail your morale.Ā  Provide that feedback during class meetings and try again!

small group lesson plans for first grade

PLANS AND PREP

While management of student expectations is one aspect of running small group instruction, the other is having the materials and lessons for the guided math classroom.Ā  This involves both teacher-led lessons as well as student workstation materials.Ā  Having the planning and materials at your fingertips allows you to focus on teaching the individuals in the room and addressing those math needs as they arise.Ā  When I prep materials for guided math instruction, it gives me the assurance that my students will have great things to do for years to come.Ā  The time and effort spent now allow you to grab and go next year.

small group lesson plans for first grade

SMALL GROUP MATH INSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Over the last six years, I have worked to create standards-aligned whole group and teacher-led small group math instructional materials.Ā  These materials are used in school districts as both the main instruction and as supplemental resources.Ā  Guided Math provides all of the teacher-directed lessons with materials for both whole group and small group instruction.Ā  Having the lesson plans and materials to teach both in the whole group and small group setting allow the teacher the freedom to focus on student need rather than designing lessons that adhere to the standards.

sample guided math

Kindergarten Guided Math Materials

First grade guided math materials, second grade guided math materials, third grade guided math materials, fourth grade guided math materials, fifth grade guided math materials.

In each Guided Math grade-level bundle, there are nine units covering nine math strands.Ā  Every lesson is standards-aligned.Ā  Each unit contains the following:

  • Math Warm-Up
  • Whole Group Mini-lesson
  • Teacher-Led Small Group Lesson
  • All Materials
  • Pre- and Post-Assessments

small group lesson plans for first grade

MATH WORKSTATIONS

If you have attended a Guided Math workshop with us, you may be familiar with my method for workstation time called Math STACKĀ®.Ā  The acronym simply consists of the five types of workstations I choose to have going during the independent workstation time for students.Ā  I stay at the S for teacher-led small group table while students visit all five choices during their workstation time.Ā  This doesn’t have to be done in one day.Ā  Some teachers choose to have less than five stations.Ā  Perhaps your classroom runs on three stations.Ā  Whatever the case, maybe you can get some ideas and resources for the following workstation choices.Ā  For grades K-5, we have materials for each one of these workstation choices for the entire year.

small group lesson plans for first grade

These math stack links contain the guided math bundle above plus all of the STACK bundles for workstations as well.Ā  It’s a large number of materials, but each workstation bundle can also be purchased separately.Ā  This is the best way to help you find the materials.

Kindergarten Math STACK

First grade math stack, second grade math stack, third grade math stack, fourth grade math stack, fifth grade math stack, math intervention.

When it is time for math intervention , I can admit that I struggled.Ā  I never felt the materials matched the student needs.Ā  Using the precious moments effectively hinges on having the right resources at my fingertips.Ā  This not only includes the remediation and enrichment lessons, but the progress monitoring tools too.

small group lesson plans for first grade

No matter where you are in launching Guided Math, I hope I can encourage you to keep on going.Ā  Teacher-led small group instruction is vital for meeting student needs.Ā  Students may struggle with being independent, but given the right amount of engaging materials, structure and expectations, and your invaluable time and teaching, it is such an effective way to run the math block.Ā  I am passionate about how this structure can really change how students feel mathematically and create a happy and effective learning environment for both teachers and students at the same time.

GUIDED MATH PD

small group lesson plans for first grade

WHERE DO I START?

If the idea of small group instruction is new or you have not yet tried to set up the structure of Guided Math, I have a free Guided Math LAUNCH GUIDE .Ā  This guide can shed important information and provides your first 20 days of setting expectations and introducing workstations.

small group lesson plans for first grade

RELATED TOPICS

Below are some other related posts that may help on your journey of Guided Math.Ā  Feel free to always reach out through comments here or the contact me on the side panel of the website!

How to set up Guided Math K-5

Guided Math Grades 3-5

Scheduling your Math Block

Math Rotations

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small group lesson plans for first grade

Whole Group Math Mini Lesson in 1st Grade

  • September 8, 2023
  • Lesson Planning , Math

Today I am sharing all about the whole group math mini lesson in 1st grade! In our first grade classroom, we use a guided math structure for teaching math. We start with a short whole group math mini lesson and then spend the rest of our math block in small groups and math rotations . Teaching math in this way allows me to easily differentiate my instruction for all of my students. It also makes math time a lot more fun and engaging!

In this post I’m going to share 5 tips for making your whole group mini lessons effective and engaging for your learners! I’ll share how I plan my whole group lessons and some of my favorite mini lesson activities in 1st grade. I’ve also got a free Math Toolkit for you!

Addition Strategy Posters Guided Math First Grade Mini Lesson

Math Mini Lesson Tip 1: Keep it mini!

Mini lessons are when I am teaching our first grade standards to all of my students in a whole group setting. Mini lessons are important because they help to create a community of mathematicians in our classroom! I love gathering all of my students on the rug together to teach a new concept.

It is important to remember that Mini Lessons should be short and sweet ! I keep my lessons between 10-15 minutes. This keeps students engaged and gives plenty of time for the most important part of Guided Math: Small group instruction (where the real magic happens!) 

I like to think of the math mini lesson as an introduction to the skill. Not all students are going to master the skill during the mini lesson, and thatā€™s okay! That is what small groups are for.  The mini lesson is simply to introduce, model, and quickly practice a math skill or strategy.  It gives students exposure so we can really dive in deep during small group time. 

Math Mini Lesson Tip 2: Use interactive slides to teach

My absolute favorite way to plan and keep my mini lessons on track is by using interactive slides to teach my whole group lessons. When I have everything ready to go on the slide, it makes teaching the lesson simple and it’s a perfect visual for my students. I also love saving my slides and having them ready to go for the next year!

Use a number bond to add addition strategies

Our math mini lesson slides always include the following:

ā­ļø Student Objective – This is our learning goal we are working on during that lesson. Sometimes the goal stays the same throughout the week and sometimes it changes daily. I also like to put any materials students will need for the lesson on this slide. I have the slide pulled up as we are transitioning to math time so that students know what materials they should have out. This saves a lot of time!

Number Sense Slides Mini Lesson First Grade guided math curriculum Happy Math

ā­ļø Vocabulary – The next slide is our vocabulary slide. Each day we review the important math vocabulary words from our current unit.  I try to add motions and movement to vocabulary instruction whenever I can! 

Math Mini Lesson slides vocabulary 1st grade number sense

ā­ļø Modeling – I use our teaching slides to explicitly model the math skill or strategy I want students to learn.

Count on to add addition strategies first grade

ā­ļø Guided Practice – Students try out the skill by completing a few practice problems. I make sure not to do too many so that our lesson stays mini!

Number bond math lesson 1st grade

Math Mini Lesson Tip 3: Turn and Talk

For our math mini lessons, each of my students has an assigned spot on the rug next to a math partner. During our mini lesson, we do frequent turn and talks to share our thinking with a partner. This helps cut down on time rather than calling on students to share individually for every question. It also helps all students participate and stay engaged.

At the beginning of the year, we go over procedures for how to do a turn and talk. Students learn to turn their body to face their partner. They learn to listen when their partner is speaking. I also teach them talking stems to use with the partner such as “I think..because..” “The strategy I used was…” “I agree with you because…” We also learn how to respectfully disagree with our partner and help our partner without giving an answer right away.

Sometimes we switch up who our partner is using Math Match cards . These are perfect to review a skill that we are working on. For our math warm up, I give each student a card and they walk around the classroom quietly looking for their match. When they find their partner, they find a spot on the rug and sit next to each other!

Smart Cookie activities for Smart Cookie Day in 1st grade Subtraction Memory Math Center

Math Mini Lesson Tip 4: Dry Erase Boards and Math Tool Kits (FREEBIE!)

Our favorite math mini lesson tools that we use almost daily are dry erase boards and makers. I like for my students to be able to do the practice problems on their boards so that everyone is actively engaged and participating.

At the beginning of the school year, I like to give all my students a small Math Tool Kit with some simple math tools and manipulatives. These are items that they can use during our Math Mini Lesson time or when they are working independently. Itā€™s SO nice for them to have easy access to the tools rather than passing them out each time.

NOTE: We donā€™t use a lot of manipulatives during the whole group portion of guided math ā€“ Itā€™s easier to save for small group time. But occasionally weā€™ll use cubes or counters during a mini lesson.

Grab the FREE Math Toolkit Here!

Free math toolkit first grade

Math Mini Lesson Tip 5: Get students up and moving

I love to incorporate movement activities into our mini lessons whenever I can! After working on a skill, I like to practice with cooperative learning games.

Some of our favorite are:

šŸ’— Find my Match (talked about earlier in the post!)

šŸ’— Quiz Quiz Trade – I give each of my students a task card. Students walk around our classroom with one hand up. They find a partner and give a high five. Students then quiz each other on their task cards. Once both partners have solved the task card, they trade cards and move on to find a new partner. I love this game because all students are engaged and participating!

I use my Solve the Room cards to play Quiz Quiz Trade with students! (I love these cards because they can be used in so many ways. We also use them as a weekly math center! )

Solve the Room 1st grade math task cards for math centers all year long bundle

šŸ’— Back to Back – Students sit back to back with their math partners (sometimes we do this right after we play Find My Partner!) Iā€™ll give students a problem and theyā€™ll solve it individually, then weā€™ll count to 3 and theyā€™ll turn around and share their work with their partner! 

šŸ’— Stop and Solve – At each friends seat I place a math worksheet on a skill that we have been learning. I’ll play music and students will work around the room. When I stop the music students also stop and go to the nearest seat and solve one problem on the worksheet! (I challenge them to try to find a problem that they haven’t solved yet!) Here are my favorite math worksheets to use to review math skills!

I also love showing students little video clips and songs during math mini lessons! Some of my favorites are:

  • Number Rock on Youtube  ā€“ Their place value song is probably the most catchy song I have ever heard in my life. My kids would beg to listen to it every day and knew every single word. Warning: It will 100% get stuck in your head.
  • Brain Pop  ā€“ I love how concisely they explain concepts and the math language they use! My students love watching these and at the end of the week weā€™ll do the Quiz that goes with the videos on our dry erase boards. 

After watching, weā€™ll apply what weā€™ve learned!

I hope this post gave you some fresh, new ideas for your whole group math mini lessons.

If you want to grab first grade math mini lesson slides for the whole year, check out my Happy Math First Grade Guided Math Units !

An engaging math curriculum that includes no prep mini lesson slides, small group activities, centers, worksheets, anchor charts, assessment, and more!  FIND IT HERE!

Guided Math First Grade Curriculum Lessons activities

Want more help Launching your math centers at the beginning of the year?  Grab this free Guided Math Launch Guide!

In this guide, Iā€™ll walk you through step by step how to start Guided Math and math centers at the beginning of the year in your classroom!

It includes:

  • ā­ļø A Guided Math Resource Library
  • ā­ļø A Breakdown of the Guided Math components
  • ā­ļø Tips to create the perfect schedule
  • ā­ļø Tips for grouping students and gathering supplies
  • ā­ļø Weekly and Daily plans for the first 3 weeks of Guided Math
  • ā­ ļø Everything needed to establish strong routines that will last all year long!

Guided Math Launch Guide - starting math centers at the beginning of the year in first grade

Hi, I'm Kelsey!

I am a first grade teacher and I am passionate about sharing teaching ideas to engage students and help teachers save time!Ā  I live in Indianapolis with my husband Tyler and daughter Charlotte. Organization, bright colors, and creating fun teaching resources make my heart happy!

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Copyright 2021 Kelsey SchierbergĀ  All Rights Reserved

IMAGES

  1. 1st Grade Small Group Reading Lesson Plan

    small group lesson plans for first grade

  2. Editable Small Group Lesson Plan Template by A Piece of Primary

    small group lesson plans for first grade

  3. Journeys Common Core 1st Grade Small Group Lesson Plans Unit 1

    small group lesson plans for first grade

  4. Journey's Common Core 1st Grade Small Group Lesson Plans Unit 5

    small group lesson plans for first grade

  5. Free Printable: Small Group Lesson Plan Template

    small group lesson plans for first grade

  6. Journey's Common Core 1st Grade Small Group Lesson Plans Unit 5

    small group lesson plans for first grade

COMMENTS

  1. The 90 Min Literacy Block: Small Group Instruction

    1434 shares 1194 Tweet Pin Email This is the second post in a blog series on the SoR 90-Minute Literacy Block and it focuses on small group instruction. In it, I discuss why small group instruction is important and explain how t o group your students for small group instruction.

  2. Guided Reading: 1st Grade Style

    Small group is when growth happens, and our beginning readers thrive during this time. I have four reading groups that are designated three different colors - green, yellow, and blue. (You can read more about my differentiation system in this post .) I store materials for my groups in a 3-drawer plastic container.

  3. FREE Reading Small Groups Guide to Boost Readers

    The Reading Small Groups Guide is organized by grade and then by skills for the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and end of the year. With the color-coordinated labels and easy-to-read section titles, you'll easily be able to see where you are in the guide and stay organized. Behaviors to Support

  4. K-5 Small-Group Literacy Instruction: Sample Schedule and Activities

    Here are four examples of teacher-directed small group instruction in: Alphabet and Concepts of Print Decoding Fluency Reading Comprehension Each plan emphasizes different components of reading and are designed to help students progress along the literacy continuum. Remember, not all components of reading are addressed within your small group time.

  5. Small Group Guided Reading Structure for Less Stress

    A Small Group, Guided Reading Structure to Combat Decision Fatigue To combat decision fatigue, AND to help you accelerate all of your readers', I propose a small group, guided reading structure that has served me well for nearly 20 years. I'll then describe how one teacher might use this structure to plan lessons for 2 different groups.

  6. How to give small group phonics lessons

    5-10 minutes: Oral language building (Morning message, shared reading, question of the day, etc.) 45-60 minutes: Small group differentiated instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics. 20 minutes: Whole class vocabulary/comprehension (through interactive read aloud) 20 minutes: Writing in response to reading. 10-15 minutes: Partner reading.

  7. Small Group Guided Reading Prepped with a Freebie

    30 Typed Lesson Plans that are ready to go. Student Activity Pages- black and white ready to be copied Comprehension Activities that you can add to each lesson when needed. The ONLY thing not included are the books! Lesson Plans So here is where I begin.

  8. Small Group Reading Instruction in the Elementary Grades

    Small Group Reading Instruction in the Elementary Grades Reading is a social experience, and these frameworks for small group instruction prioritize relationship-building while supporting reading proficiency. By Adam Myman May 4, 2023 Hero Images Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

  9. Three Creative Small Group Ideas: Activities for First Graders

    Place two students with each of the high-end learners to form the trio. Homework reviews are ideal for this type of grouping. Another option: re-teach a skill through a mini-lesson for the whole group before splitting students into their trios. Following the mini-lesson, hand out worksheets for students to complete within their groups.

  10. Planning the Small Group Reading Lesson

    The Small Group Lesson Framework Our teacher lives are complex and demanding enough. Having a consistent framework helps simplify our planning, and meets a requirement of systematic instruction - a routine that fills teacher and student need for consistency. Try using this framework for planning whole group reading lessons too!

  11. Questioning: A Comprehension Strategy for Small-Group Guided Reading

    Overview In this lesson, the teacher explains the difference between thin (factual) and thick (inferential) questions and then models how to compose question webs by thinking aloud while reading. Students observe how to gather information about the topic and add it to question webs in the form of answers or additional questions.

  12. How to Set Up a Small Group Literacy Binder

    Group member names and weekly focus targets can be listed on the templates. Tip: Place the small group reading planning sheet in a page protector. Use a dry erase marker to write student names in groups. Then, when needed, erase and move student names to a new group. B onus Tip: Put student names on post it tabs.

  13. Small Group Lesson Plan

    Heggerty has created small group literacy lesson plan templates to help you plan targeted small group instruction around oral language and foundational skills. Pair these simple templates with your diagnostic data and other instructional resources to plan meaningful, explicit literacy instruction.

  14. Guided Math Small Groups in First Grade

    Part 1: Getting Started with Guided Math Part 2: Launching Guided Math at the Beginning of the Year Part 3: The Math Mini Lesson Part 4: Small Group Instruction: Everything You Need to Know Part 5: Guided Math Rotations BONUS: 4 Tips for Managing Math Centers

  15. guided math small group lesson plans

    Leading Math Small Groups. Start by reviewing the target skill (typically the whole group lesson), then dial back to the previous skill or preview the next skill based on the needs of your group. Allow time for conversation among students. During your math small groups, ask questions and observe.

  16. How to Quickly and Efficiently Plan Your Small Group Instruction

    Planning small group or guided reading lessons can take a long time - especially if you're doing it every week! In this video, I share the 1 strategy that ha...

  17. How to plan and teach small group phonics lessons

    I love your podcast and so many of your suggestions ring true for me. Differentiating has always been a struggle. I often do small group work, but haven't been able to do it for 60 minutes every day. I have plenty to do with the group I work with, but really have a hard time with planning and prepping what students can do independently.

  18. Using Decodable Texts for Small Group Phonics: K, 1st & 2nd Grade

    Decodables in a Dash. Decodables in a Dash includes ALL you need for a complete phonics lesson with very little prep! These Print & Go decodable books will help students master foundational Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd grade phonics patterns! Your students will love these decodable readers! I WANT THIS!

  19. Small Group Math Instruction

    Having the lesson plans and materials to teach both in the whole group and small group setting allow the teacher the freedom to focus on student need rather than designing lessons that adhere to the standards. Kindergarten Guided Math Materials First Grade Guided Math Materials Second Grade Guided Math Materials

  20. Results for 1st grade small group curriculum

    Bundle 4.8 (10) Add one to cart 1st Grade Math Curriculum for Small Group Math - Math Centers, Games, & Lessons Created by Teaching Perks Set your year up for success with this full-year 1st grade math curriculum! These ready to use math resources come with 14 units that provide differentiated small group math instruction for 1st graders.

  21. PDF Small Group Alternative Lesson Structures for All Students

    How can teachers provide differentiated reading instruction to meet the diverse needs of students in small groups? This pdf document presents a research-based framework and practical examples of effective practices for K-3 classrooms. It also offers guidance on how to assess students' reading levels, select appropriate texts, and plan and monitor instruction.

  22. Whole Group Math Mini Lesson in 1st Grade

    September 8, 2023 Lesson Planning, Math Today I am sharing all about the whole group math mini lesson in 1st grade! In our first grade classroom, we use a guided math structure for teaching math. We start with a short whole group math mini lesson and then spend the rest of our math block in small groups and math rotations.