Small Group

This strategy asks four to six students to come together and engage in an academic discussion. The small group could discuss a passage in a text, a concept, or any other topic that would lead students to deepen their knowledge of a particular strategy or course concepts. When students work in small groups, they have an opportunity to learn from their peers and test out their ideas in a safe learning environment. When managed well, group work can be a very effective teaching tool.

To ensure group work is purposeful and productive, set the context for the discussion, provide clear directions and post a prompt for all students to see. Depending on the task, you may want to consider assigning group roles (see below).Who chooses the groups? Does the teacher select group members or do students form their own groups? There are a number of ways to form groups. We can let students decide, or we can create "mixed-ability" groups. We might also look at language proficiency to help guide our decisions. Whatever we decide, we need to make sure that all students are accountable for the learning.

Adolescent learners need multiple opportunities to work with and process new information. Group work provides opportunities for students to apply new knowledge, ask questions, and address gaps in their own learning. Group work diversifies instruction by allowing students to speak to one another about course concepts and process new ideas through visual representations like posters and graphic organizers.Working collaboratively also teaches students how to work as a team to problem solve and execute a plan. Students learn how to speak to one another and learn how to use individual talents to create a quality product.

Take a few minutes to explore the different features on this page. The "Literacy TA Process" and "School-wide" sections provide important details about how to teach the strategy. Once you are familiar with the content, think about how you might use the different elements provided on this page to enhance the teaching of this strategy.

Strategy Videos

Assess

Assessing Content Knowledge

Plan

Developing a Speaking Purpose

Pacing & Supporting the Lesson

Implement

Learning the Skill

Developing the Skill

Mastering the Skill

Checking In: What do students know about the "Small Group" strategy?

When introducing or reviewing any strategy, it is a good practice to check-in with the students. We want to assess how much they know about the strategy so that we can build on their prior knowledge. Here are a few ways to assess students' prior knowledge of "Small Group."

Teachers could...

ask students to explain the purpose behind the strategy. In other words, have students explain why it is important to work in collaborative groups.
have students talk about how "Small Group" is used in other content area classes. For example, what types of collaborative activities happen in science, math, English, etc. Students may be able to articulate how this strategy looks differently across content areas.
ask students to form groups--no larger than six students--and assess how they move into their groups, how they work together initially, how they organize their members, and their time. Do students automatically put their desks together? Are they all facing one another? Do they stay on topic? Do they get to work right away, or do they immediately get off topic? Observing their habits and behaviors will help teachers identify what students know about this strategy.

Assessing the Skill

When assessing students' ability to work in collaborative groups, teachers could...

walk around the room and listen to what students are saying, paying attention to how they are seated and engaged in the work.
use the strategy rubric below to assess students' ability to work productively in small groups.
ask students to write a brief reflection at the end of class that explains how collaborative work helps them learn new concepts.
assess how well students carry out their individual group roles.

Assessing Content Knowledge

If we are going to invest time teaching speaking strategies, we should have some idea of how the strategy is improving students' comprehension of course concepts. When assessing students' knowledge of the content, teachers could...

develop a short series of multiple choice questions that assess students' knowledge of the content. The questions should focus on the topics you asked students to discuss in their groups.
craft short answer prompts that ask students to articulate--in writing--their knowledge of the content. Short answer prompts should also focus on the ideas you asked students to discuss in their groups.
ask students to create an academic poster that accounts for the main ideas they discussed throughout the class period.
ask students to take a quiz in pairs in order to evaluate the impact collaborative work has on student achievement.
engage students in a formal conversation like a Socratic seminar, assessing students' knowledge through verbal performance.

Developing a Speaking Purpose

Before we ask our students to work in small groups, we should develop a purpose for their collaborative work. What do we want our students to do? What will the final product look like? How will we assess our students? How much time will students have to complete the task? Answers to these types of questions help students understand our expectations for task completion. Teachers will have students work in collaborative groups for a variety of reasons. A few reasons are listed below.

Students must learn how to work collaboratively with others.
Students must learn how to manage time, resources, and group members.
Students are sometimes more productive when they have a chance to share ideas and produce a product together.
Students need to practice speaking academically.
Students can share ideas in a safe, comfortable environment.
Student engagement and retention of new ideas increases when they teach others.
Students can help each other comprehend complex ideas.

Remember, set the expectation for task completion and guide students as they learn how to work together.

Pacing and Supporting the Lesson

When introducing the "Small Group" strategy, assign simple tasks so that students can concentrate on moving into groups and learning group roles. As students become more familiar with group roles and responsibilities, tasks can become more sophisticated. Time on task should also increase over time. Start with 10 to 15 minute tasks. As students demonstrate proficiency, teachers can increase the amount of collaboration time. Below are a number of tips to help you pace and support "Small Group."

Students should work collaboratively twice or three times a week.
Provide a purpose for group work either verbally or in writing.
Explicitly state your expectations.
Set high expectations for the group work.
Show students how to efficiently move in and out of groups.
Create opportunities for students to practice the strategy before assessing them.
Walk around the classroom while students are sharing ideas and coach groups when necessary.
Give students ample time to learn and master this strategy.
Check-in often. Assess what they know and what they still need to learn.

Learning the Skill

Here are a few ways to help introduce the "Small Group" strategy.

Explicitly teach students how to move into groups and set aside class time for rehearsal. Use the "Forming Groups" handout below.
Strategically group students so that every group has a nice mix of talent and personality.
Establish a clear purpose for all collaborative work.
Go over group roles and group norms. Explain the importance of each.
Gradually increase the time on task as students demonstrate proficiency.
Use a timer to hold students accountable for their time on task.
Project the strategy rubric and go over your expectations.
Coach students along the way, giving them feedback and suggestions.

Developing the Skill

As students develop their ability to work collaboratively, consider using the following strategies.

Increase the amount of time students work together.
Assign more sophisticated tasks as students become more familiar with the strategy.
Students should work in the same groups for a month or two in order to learn how to work together as a team.
Have students assign and perform group roles without the teacher's support.
Walk around the room while students work in groups and provide feedback.
Talk to the whole class about your expectations. Strike a nice balance between coaching and praising.
Ask students to evaluate their collaborative groups. What do they do well? What do they need to improve?

Mastering the Skill

Mastery of any skill takes time, lots of practice, and a solid understanding of the strategy. Consider applying some of the following approaches when developing students' mastery of group work.

Expect groups to monitor their own behavior and productivity. We recommend using the "Group Norms" strategy slide.
Expect students to produce more in a shorter amount of time.
Have students use the strategy rubric to assess their own collaborative work.
Direct students to solve their own problems while working in collaborative groups.
Challenge students with sophisticated tasks.

School Wide

In order to make a strategy transferable through a department and across a school, the name of the strategy must stay the same and it must be implemented and talked about in the same way. Although reading purposes may change from class to class, unit to unit, the work behind a strategy must be predictable and consistent for our students. When a set of effective literacy strategies are implemented throughout the school day, students gain a deep knowledge of how to use the strategy, when to use it, and most importantly, why to use it. The goal for school-wide literacy, therefore, is to develop students' mastery of a select set of strategies so that they can independently and strategically employ them in rigorous academic and professional environments.

English Description

In the English classroom, students work in small groups to create posters, participate in "Investigative Reading" tasks (see the "Investigative Reading" strategy), workshop essays, and to help each other accomplish a variety of other tasks. Group work is an essential part in an English classroom. Students should have lots of opportunities to share ideas with their peers and talk about what they are learning.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider when facilitating and managing group work.

Set the context. Explain what the students will do and why they are doing it.
Establish clear goals for the activity.
Set high expectations for behavior and task completion.
Provide verbal and written instructions.
Have in mind group numbers and group locations.
Prepare materials before students arrive.
Decide on who will work together before students arrive.
Assign group roles (refer to the "Group Roles" handout).
Establish group norms.

Math Description

In the math classroom, students work in small groups to solve equations, participate in unit or chapter quizzes, review various types of math problems, and to help each other accomplish a variety of other tasks. Group work is an essential part in an math classroom. Students should have lots of opportunities to share ideas with their peers and talk about what they are learning.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider when facilitating and managing group work.

Set the context. Explain what the students will do and why they are doing it.
Establish clear goals for the activity.
Set high expectations for behavior and task completion.
Provide verbal and written instructions.
Have in mind group numbers and group locations.
Prepare materials before students arrive.
Decide on who will work together before students arrive.
Assign group roles (refer to the "Group Roles" handout).
Establish group norms.

Science Description

In the science classroom, students work in small groups to create posters, participate in labs and lab reports, workshop writing tasks, review concepts, and to help each other accomplish a variety of other tasks. Group work is an essential part in an science classroom. Students should have lots of opportunities to share ideas with their peers and talk about what they are learning.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider when facilitating and managing group work.

Set the context. Explain what the students will do and why they are doing it.
Establish clear goals for the activity.
Set high expectations for behavior and task completion.
Provide verbal and written instructions.
Have in mind group numbers and group locations.
Prepare materials before students arrive.
Decide on who will work together before students arrive.
Assign group roles (refer to the "Group Roles" handout).
Establish group norms.

Social Science Description

In the social science classroom, students work in small groups to create and analyze maps, draft and workshop compositions, read and analyze primary documents, and to help each other accomplish a variety of other tasks. Group work is an essential part in an social science classroom. Students should have lots of opportunities to share ideas with their peers and talk about what they are learning.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider when facilitating and managing group work.

Set the context. Explain what the students will do and why they are doing it.
Establish clear goals for the activity.
Set high expectations for behavior and task completion.
Provide verbal and written instructions.
Have in mind group numbers and group locations.
Prepare materials before students arrive.
Decide on who will work together before students arrive.
Assign group roles (refer to the "Group Roles" handout).
Establish group norms.

Standardized Exams Description

When preparing students for state and local exams, have them work together as they learn how to...

preread and build prior knowledge before reading.
analyze essay prompts.
craft multi-paragraph responses to essay prompts.
analyze and respond to multiple choice questions.
read and mark reading passages.
solve various types of math problems.
respond to word problems.

Examples

Example 1

What does an engaged group look like? Typically, students have resources and materials scattered across their tables, they are speaking to one another, and referencing the text we have asked them to read. Some might say this group is messy. I say they are learning.

Example 2

When working in groups, every student should have a role or responsibility, ensuring that all members are engaged in and accountable for the learning. This example shows four students working together to complete a group project.

Example 3

Some teachers like to prep their classrooms before asking students to work in groups. In this example, a teacher has arranged her desks into groups of six. At the end of the day, she will move the desks back into rows.

Example 4

When working collaboratively, make sure the desks are arranged so that they are close enough to talk quietly and share documents.

Example 5

Everyone in the group should have a copy of the document they are working with. In this example, students are learning the "Peer Review" strategy. Every student has a copy of the essay they are reviewing.

Sharing

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<h1>Small Group</h1>
<p>This strategy asks four to six students to come together and engage in an academic discussion. The small group could discuss a passage in a text, a concept, or any other topic that would lead students to deepen their knowledge of a particular strategy or course concepts. When students work in small groups, they have an opportunity to learn from their peers and test out their ideas in a safe learning environment. When managed well, group work can be a very effective teaching tool.</p>  <h2>How Do I Use The Strategy?</h2>
To ensure group work is purposeful and productive, set the context for the discussion, provide clear directions and post a prompt for all students to see. Depending on the task, you may want to consider assigning group roles (see below).Who chooses the groups? Does the teacher select group members or do students form their own groups? There are a number of ways to form groups. We can let students decide, or we can create "mixed-ability" groups. We might also look at language proficiency to help guide our decisions. Whatever we decide, we need to make sure that all students are accountable for the learning.<h2>Why Is It Important?</h2>
Adolescent learners need multiple opportunities to work with and process new information. Group work provides opportunities for students to apply new knowledge, ask questions, and address gaps in their own learning. Group work diversifies instruction by allowing students to speak to one another about course concepts and process new ideas through visual representations like posters and graphic organizers.Working collaboratively also teaches students how to work as a team to problem solve and execute a plan. Students learn how to speak to one another and learn how to use individual talents to create a quality product.<h2>Where Do I Start?</h2>
<p>Take a few minutes to explore the different features on this page. The "Literacy TA Process" and "School-wide" sections provide important details about how to teach the strategy. Once you are familiar with the content, think about how you might use the different elements provided on this page to enhance the teaching of this strategy.</p><p>More about <a href="http://www.literacyta.com/literacy-skills/small-group">Small Group</a></p>
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