How to Teach Small Group Routines
Ready to teach small groups but don’t know where to start? Use these tips and tricks to get started with small groups!
3 Things to Decide Before Starting Small Groups
- A silent signal or pass system for bathroom breaks, so a group doesn’t grind to a halt every time someone needs to step out.
- A timer or transition song that cues clean-up and rotation, so kids know it’s time to switch without you saying a word.
- A designated spot for materials, so nobody’s interrupting your group to ask where the counting bears are.
2 Ways to Teach Routines
- Create a “looks like / sounds like” expectation chart together, so kids have a visual anchor for what independent and small group time should actually look and sound like.
- Model the right way and the wrong way, then let students practice. The contrast helps it stick way better than just telling them the rule.
1 Way to Find out More
- I go deeper on modeling small group routines (plus the exact questions I ask myself before I start groups) in this post: Model Small Group Routines for Primary Math Instruction
