Small-Group Instruction

Under the umbrella concep of "differentiated instruction," there is also a need for teachers to assess the level and typs of differentiation in their classroom.  It might be that many students need individual, unique approaches.  But it may also mean that many students do better within groups (small or large) which are built according to students' needs and approaches to learning.

For the right students, within groups deeper and more positive dynamics can grow that deeply enhancesd learning and engagement with a subject.  Pairs, for example, may be just right for some students.  For other students, groups of two or three may be ideal.  For others, groups may work at different sizes.  The interactions that evolve among students in any particular group varies widely, but having students in a group that is ideal for them potentially enhances discussions, encourages students to explore in ways that may not happen either alone or in groups of larger or smaller size, and can keep students fully engaged in a subject over longer periods.

Determining when students do better in groups, what size the groups should be, and monitoring the group activity to assure that every participant is achieving the intehnded goals are all important considerations when setting up small-group instruction within a classroom.  It can be a great challenge to figure this all out, while keeping instruction generally moving forward for all students.

An educational consultant can take the time to understand all of the students in each classroom, and can help teachers detrmine who would do better with group instruction.  The consultant can also help detrmine the optimal sizes for the groups, which students would do better in each group, and how to assure that the groups are succeeding.