Setting up nooks for small group in the classroom should focus on organization, student environment, and teacher data tracking. Grab these ideas!
I've seen these "I Have, Who Has" card games circulating the internet a lot lately, so I decided to make my own version for Pre-K to teach shapes (see
Teach students the keys to healthy friendships with this interactive small group intervention. Ten weeks of lessons plans and materials.
Teaching small group doesn't have to be hard! Come read about the 5 resources I won't teach at the smal group table without!
Keeping Table Groups on Point {Using Table Points to Reward Small Groups} No comments Behavior Management, Classroom Management, table points, Teaching Ideas Table points are a great way to recognize students' efforts in a small group capacity. They are also a great way to motivate students to work together as a team. I love using table points to recognize students in small groups. I have individual, small group, and whole group reward systems in my classroom. I realize I am not the inventor of table points, and that there are lots of ways one can utilize table points in a classroom, but I do hope that you find this post helpful and/or informative. :) What are table points? Well, they are just that, points that are awarded to each of the table groups in my classroom. The purpose of awarding points is to collectively motivate the students at each table group to stay focused and on task at all times. Earning points The students can earn points for practically anything, but I most frequently award them for working at the appropriate voice level, transitioning quickly (slow transitions are my pet peeve), following directions, responding to attention getters, and/or packing up at the end of the day. The students know that they have to work cooperatively to ensure that these things are being done and when they see me standing by the table point display on the whiteboard, with a marker in hand, they quickly remind each other to "get with the program." Keeping track of points There is nothing fancy or complicated about how I track the table points. Take a look! Since the display is on the whiteboard, I simply assign tally mark points throughout the day. The kids can see where their table is at compared to other groups and most of the time, this motivates the groups to work a little harder and do what they are supposed to throughout the day. You can grab this free display HERE. Simply print, laminate, and attach to your whiteboard. I used magnetic tape, but good ol' Scotch tape would work too. Rewards Table point winners are declared at the end of each day AND at the end of each week. At the end of the day, the winning table group earns a sticker. It's a small token, but it's a big deal. They are always excited to see which sticker they get that day, and they seem to love any and all sticker designs. At the beginning of the year, I gave my students a sticker book. Confession, I got the sticker book idea from my genius colleague (and sweet friend). So, each student has a blank sticker book. Each time they earn a sticker, they add it to their book. Which they loooooooove doing. The sticker book is not fancy. It's simply made with photocopy paper and card stock. I laminated several sheets of card stock and then cut each one into fourths. I used the laminated card stock for the front and back covers of the sticker books. I filled each book with about 7 or 8 pieces of white photocopy paper (also cut into fourths so each page was the same size as the laminated covers). Finally, I placed a 2x4 inch address label to the front so that the students could label their books themselves. This is my example below, but the students wrote the same title on their sticker books. They also decorated the edge of the label. Oh, and they got to use markers. Another big deal. ;) Finally, I gave them a "free" sticker and they placed it on the cover. So, as mentioned, at the end of each day, the table group with the most points is awarded a sticker. I do this by having them place their hand on top of their head (another idea from my sweet friend and genius colleague). Then, I walk around and place a sticker on the hand that is on top of their head. This saves a lot of time (we don't have to wait for indecisive 7 year olds to weigh their options), and the kids like being surprised. Over time, their sticker books begin to look a little something like this. At the end of each week, we tally up all the table points from the week. The table with the most points is declared the winner, and the students at that table group gets to pick a classroom privilege coupon. The coupons below are from Libby Dryfuse. Click here to see them on TPT. Using stickers and privilege coupons as rewards are great because they are both easy to manage. The privileges don't cost me anything, and stickers are super cheap. I stock up in the Target Dollar Spot and Michaels craft store. Every once in a while, I splurge on fun sets from Lakeshore too. In my experience, table points work. Kids are competitive by nature and they want to please me and their classmates with whom they share a small space. Put more succinctly, they want their team to win and they usually do their part to help their table earn those points. How do you reward small groups in your classroom? DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
I also have a 3-ring binder for keeping plans and running records in.
What if I told you moving your ENTIRE writing instruction to small group instruction will turn your students into INCREDIBLE writers? Well, I’m telling you that. I moved from teaching writing whole group with writing conferences on the side to GUIDED WRITING. It was a game changer. Let’s start from the beginning. All of your […]
Can you have science of reading aligned small group lesson plans for pre-readers who are still learning the alphabet? Yes! Here’s how…
After part one of guided reading and small groups in middle school ELA, this post outlines what the other students are doing during this time
Goup Boxes and Labels in the classroom
Small group ideas, tips, and tricks to make small group time meaningful in your preschool, pre=k, or kindergarten classroom and a giant FREE idea list too.
This post is full of classroom organization ideas to help you set up your small group area in kindergarten for guided reading and math.
Homeschooling with 5 little ones (yes....#5 was born last week!) is kind of like working with small groups all day long. There are a few things we work on together, but for the most part, my 3 that are in school are at such different levels that I work with them individually. There have already been so many great posts about effective small group instruction this last week on our blog, so I just have one simple tip to share: set expectations! I think as with most things in the classroom, setting expectations can be the make or break of successful small group instruction. You must be clear about the purpose of small groups, and let the students know what is expected of them when they are in the small group, and when they are not. I love this poster from Lyndsey from A Year of Many Firsts which shows students how to be a 4 star active participant in a small group discussion. You can get it free HERE along with other helpful resources for small groups. This lets the students know exactly what it should look like for them to be successful during your small group time. Of course there are different expectations for those students who are doing other work while you are with a small group. Some of these might be: **Work quietly **Move to the next activity as soon as you are finished **Do not disturb the teacher unless there is an emergency I think it's important to make sure they know that you are not just trying to keep them busy until it's their turn to be in small group, but that this is a purposeful time for them to read, practice skills, or do whatever it is that you have set up during that time. Having your expectations posted somewhere in the room, and reminding students of them often is a great way to reduce frustrations for yourself and your students! And just to leave you with a smile today, here is our sweet little treasure, Caleb, born February 16!
This guided reading toolkit is the perfect resource for reviewing skills and strategies during your small group reading lessons.
This post goes over all your Benchmark Advance small groups questions! From grouping students to running centers, this covers it!
What if I told you moving your ENTIRE writing instruction to small group instruction will turn your students into INCREDIBLE writers? Well, I’m telling you that. I moved from teaching writing whole group with writing conferences on the side to GUIDED WRITING. It was a game changer. Let’s start from the beginning. All of your […]
How I implement and run guided reading and small group in my middle school and upper elementary ELA classrooms
Help your students refocus on their goals and identify the strengths they have that will help them persevere and finish the school year strong with this fun perseverance activity!
Learn my flexible Guided Math Set Up and how to manage your small groups so your students are responsible for their own learning!
16 pre-reading questions to use with any novel! This novel
Want to teach kids about resilience? Try these hands-on activities in your classroom guidance lessons or small group counseling sessions!
If you’re new around here, you may not know that I am ALWAYS preaching on and on about managing your time in the classroom efficiently , especially when it comes to centers. This is because I am of the firm belief that centers clear space for the best teaching you can possibly give: small group
Small Groups designed by Josh Thomassen. Connect with them on Dribbble; the global community for designers and creative professionals.
These top ten task card activities are perfect for keeping students actively engaged in the classroom! Task cards are the perfect
It is possible to use math small group instruction in middle school with a bit of upfront planning! Tips for implementation and ideas to get your math small groups running smoothly.
Setting up for small group in 2nd grade can be challenging! This post outlines one teacher's simple center rotation schedule.
To teachers, close reading can sometimes seem intimidating. I used to feel like I did not have enough time in my reading block to have…
Looking for fun and meaningful Kindergarten friendship activities? You'll love these for your small group counseling activities or classroom lessons!
Make learning fun, and a little more adorable, with these free ladybug theme visual discrimination cards perfect for your preschoolers!
Great ideas and inspiration in this middle school classroom reveal - from decorating to small group areas to hanging posters and anchor charts.
125+ independent, small group, and whole class job skills resources and semester scope and sequence. SAVE 46%! Use as a stand-alone curriculum OR use the activities to supplement your existing plans. Includes warm-ups, worksheets, games, card sets, checklists, escape activities, student tests, infographics, folded paper projects, puzzles, and awards (500+ student pages plus applicable answer keys). Re-download this growing bundle to get new resources (as they become available) at no additional cost. Printable PDF files and digital Easel versions are included. Updated and expanded July 2024. Do NOT buy if you already own the Job Skills, Career Exploration, and More Super Megabundle. Single user license - Resource is intended to be used by one teacher only. Materials may NOT be resold, distributed, or posted on publicly accessible websites. ©2022-2024 Career and Employment Prep. All rights reserved. Click the PREVIEW button above for a listing all of activities and scope and sequence for the following topics (125+ activities): Unit Topics 1. Job Skills Warm-Ups and Exit Tickets 2. Student Icebreakers 3. Job Search Skills 4. Job Résumé Skills 5. Job Application Skills 6. Job Interview Skills 7. Pre-employment Screening 8. First Days on the Job 9. Learning About the Workplace 10. Workplace Behaviors 11. Workplace Conflict Resolution 11. Workplace Time Management 13. Job Skills Card Sets 14. Employment Performance 15. Workplace Decision Making 16. Customer Service Skills 17. Workplace Safety and Health 18. Workplace Technology and Cybersecurity 19. Social Media Safety and Skills 20. Business Communication, Meetings, and Presentation Skills 21. Workplace Ethics 21. Paycheck and Compensation 23. Workplace Motivation and Performance Reviews 24. Changing Jobs 25. Career and Employment Goal Setting Also available (sold separately): Career Exploration Course Career and Employment Prep Super Megabundle ( everything in the store) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earn TPT credit for future purchases: • Log-in to your account and go to the “My Purchases” page. Click on the “Provide Feedback” button. Provide a rating and short comment for each product. You will earn feedback credit that you can use on future TPT purchases. Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Learn about store sales and product launches: • On the top of the main store page, click on the green star under the store name to become a follower. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi everyone, I'm finally ready to reveal my new guided reading pack and I'm so excited about it! Last year, I made it my mission to improve my guided reading
Small group ideas, tips, and tricks to make small group time meaningful in your preschool, pre=k, or kindergarten classroom and a giant FREE idea list too.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I make a small commission at no extra charge to you when you purchase through my links. Than you for supporting my family and me! Going back to school has me thinking about the alphabet. Yes, the alphabet! I think about it all summer because I know I will have a whole new group of students that don't know their alphabet. I shared all about how I teach letter recognition HERE including using manipulatives, Heidisongs, and crafts to introduce the alphabet. This summer I have been exploring new ways to use magnetic letters because my students are really drawn to them. I started with a basic sort by color. This is a stress free way for those students that have little to no alphabet experience. You can get this set of magnetic letters HERE (I love the fun chunky font) or a set with more traditional capital and lowercase HERE. With either set the bright colors are so fun! I also use the blue and red type of letters because it is a nice way to isolate those vowels. Sort by color with hints for those vowel letters. I always encourage my students to sing the alphabet song as they go along and sing it at the end to check their work. They can switch out papers and do a mixed up version of the alphabet. This one is a little more challenging but those vowels are still highlighted with the colors. When they are done I encourage them to mix them all up again so the next person has to start from scratch. Sometimes we just want to focus on the shape of the letters. Or just fill in the missing letters. I bought this blue and red set at Lakeshore years ago and they hold up so well. I also like this set from Learning Resources because they are a full magnet on the back and hold on really well. The whole point is to get their hands on some letters for the greatest amount of exposure. Before I taught kindergarten I wouldn't have thought playing with letters would make a big difference but it really does! We use the first few weeks of school to focus on our names, learning the letters in our names and our friends names, and playing with buckets and buckets of magnetic letters. Once students start making the connection between letters and sound they can work with first sounds too. It is also in order so they can check themselves when they finish by singing the alphabet song again. The possibilities are endless! These centers will be really easy to set up and will last me throughout the month of August and well into September. They can be used as interventions later with students that are struggling or as warm up activities during small groups. You can see the templates HERE but a plain old cookie sheet (just a buck at the dollar store) and some magnets are a great start! Want to pin these ideas for later? Here you go! P.S. Get a FREE alphabet activity page HERE when you sign up for my newsletter!
How to manage whole group minilessons and small groups with Benchmark Advance
My students love working on writing blends and digraphs through this fun Blends and Digraphs Write and Wipe Activity! Once my students master the ability to read and write CVC words, then we move on to introducing blends and digraphs. After introducing the sounds, I put these activity mats into their literacy center rotations. Each student will pull a card, say the word, write the word, and use the word in a sentence. When students are able to complete the activity mat with accuracy, I offer challenges to extend their learning. For example, I may challenge to combine two word cards into a sentence or write an extended sentence with a prepositional phrase, adjective, or conjunction.
This post is full of classroom organization ideas to help you set up your small group area in kindergarten for guided reading and math.
