Using Small Groups to Enhance Instruction for English Learners

In my last post, I discussed differentiated instruction and its importance for teaching English learners. A critical aspect of learning for English learners – and all students – is working productively in small groups. Whole group instruction has a place in classroom teaching but it is essential that teachers learn to manage small groups as well.

Teaching for Independence and Small Group Work. It is unlikely that students will naturally work well together. When we show SIOP video lessons during professional development sessions, teachers often say, “Well, my students can’t work together like that.” Most of our SIOP videos were filmed in classrooms in large urban districts with English learners who typically would be expected to underperform. The difference is that these students have been taught how to work well independently and in groups. Productive group work has been modeled for them and time has been invested in:

• Teaching students to work on their own.
• Teaching students to work with others.
• Teaching students appropriate behavior while working in groups.
• Teaching students the value of working with others.
• Teaching students to appreciate the contributions of others.

These important social skills can be taught through a series of steps. After initial learning, the steps will need to be reviewed, modeled and practiced, more frequently with younger students.

1. Organize the classroom for effective partner, small group, and independent work.  Effective classroom organization involves considering how to create a space where the teacher will teach a small group, where partners will work together, where small groups will work together, and where students will work independently.  What will not be effective is if students are all over the place completing assignments because most likely the teacher will have multiple interruptions and chaos will ensue. If the small groups are working across the room from the teacher’s table, and they know what to do and have the necessary materials close-by, the groups can learn to work together productively. Students working in pairs or independently can sit nearby, closer to the teacher, so there is a noise buffer between the working groups and the small group the teacher is teaching. This doesn’t require re-doing the classroom, just moving students around temporarily to accomplish your goals.
2. Determine who will work together in Instructional and Interactive groups.  Instructional groups are small groups (approximately 3-7 students), where the teacher is providing instruction.  They include reading groups, pre-teaching groups, reteach/review groups, and mini-lessons. Interactive groups involve students working on their own while the teacher is working with another small group. They include partners, triad, small groups, discussion circles, cooperative/jigsaw groups, research groups, and centers.

To form groups, the teacher uses assessment data, observation, and intuition about which students will work well with others, and which may need some help in learning to work well with others.  As students learn the skills necessary for working in groups, they may be grouped flexibly, moving from group to group as appropriate.

3. Teach students how to work with partners and in groups.  This step is critical to the process. Have students brainstorm the answer to this question: “When you’re working with a partner or in a small group, how do you know that you’re working well together?”  Even very young children can answer this question. The students’ list will look something like:

• 1. • We listen to each other.
     • We get along.
     • We take turns.
     • Everyone participates
     • We finish what we start

Take any relevant items on the list and complete a t-chart (“Looks Like, Sounds Like”) with the students’ ideas about each social skill that they need work on, e.g., listening, sharing, or taking turns. For secondary students, the t-chart would deal with more sophisticated group dynamic skills such as, one person not dominating, everyone pulling their weight, and disagreeing respectfully. These t-charts can be posted throughout the room and referred to as needed.

4. Establish routines. Transitions from whole group to small group, or from working with the teacher to moving to independent or group work can eat up valuable instructional time. Teach routines for gathering materials and moving to the next area quickly and quietly. Some teachers use a signal or other method for notifying students that it is time to transition. Roles may be assigned to students for distributing materials or leading a group. Practice is critical for making routines automatic.

5. Model how to work independently.  Provide students with tasks that can be completed in 15-20 minutes—the time needed for you to work with a small group.  These independent activities should not require a great deal of preparation or clean-up, and should be routines, as often as possible. Literacy centers can be used across grade levels, even in secondary classrooms. Specific examples of an independent activities are Word Study and Word Sorts. It only takes a bit of imagination to come up with other independent activities that students can complete individually, with partners and in small groups while the teacher is teaching a small group.  Of course, this time can also be used for completing assignments, reading, doing research, and working on computers or tablets.  The most important point is that students are taught how to work independently. Depending on the students, this may take considerable modeling and practice.

6. Assess the effectiveness of the groups. Along with your students, debrief how well small groups are working, referring back to the posted t-charts, discussing how students’ social skills are developing, and candidly talking about what’s working and what’s not.  Some teachers regularly ask students to complete a group evaluation sheet on which they determine how well the group members worked together to complete tasks.

Did you notice a recurring word in this process? Routine. It is critical that students know what they are supposed to do and how to do it – every time, every day. Which means that the teacher must be consistent in using routines. Creating routines leaves the guess work out. Expectations are clear. When students know the routines, they can work with each other independently so that their teacher can teach. In these classrooms, students are not only learning how to get along with each other and complete assignments independently, they also receive focused small group time with the teacher, time that is especially beneficial for English learners.

 

Based on: Echevarria, J. Short, D. & Vogt, M. (2008). Implementing the SIOPModel through Effective Professional Development and Coaching. New York: Pearson.