Small Group Instruction Series Part 1: NOT Guided Reading

I’m so excited to kick off this small group series of blog posts—it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now! Whether you’re refining your teaching strategies or exploring new ways to make your small group instruction more effective, you’re in the right place.

I did an email series over the summer, but I wanted this to the be the first set of blog posts to make this information easy to access.

Let’s talk about small group instruction and how we can make it truly impactful for our students.

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A Fresh Look at Small Group Instruction

For years, guided reading has been the go-to approach for small groups. While it’s a familiar method, guided reading often includes practices that research has shown to be ineffective—like grouping students solely by reading levels and relying on strategies such as 3-cueing.

🌟 There’s a better way—and I’m going to show you how! 🌟

By grounding our small group instruction in science-backed methods, we can empower students with the tools they need to succeed. In this series of blog posts, we’ll cover assessment, grouping, and lesson planning tailored to the phases of reading development. If you haven’t watched video #1, I highly recommend starting there—it lays the foundation for the steps we’re discussing.

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Step 1: Assess Your Students

The first and most important step in effective small group instruction is to assess your students. Assessment provides the data you need to understand where your students are in their reading journey, so you can plan instruction that meets their specific needs.

What Assessments Should You Use?

The assessments you choose will depend on the grade level you teach and the skills your students are expected to master. Here’s a breakdown of some great options:

1. For Grades K-2:
   • Use foundational skill assessments that measure decoding, alphabet knowledge, and phonemic awareness.
   • An elementary spelling inventory is a fantastic starting point. It’s free and provides valuable insight into students’ spelling patterns and phonics knowledge.
   • Incorporate Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessments. ORF is highly predictive of reading comprehension and helps you monitor progress over time.
2. For Grades 3 and Up:
   • Start with a spelling inventory and use the results to determine whether further assessments are needed for decoding and foundational skills.
   • Continue to rely on ORF assessments to gauge reading fluency.
   • For older students, consider adding sentence dictation. This type of assessment reveals a lot about students’ spelling, handwriting, and conventions. Create sentences that gradually increase in complexity, tailored to the foundational skills program you use.
3. For PreK and Kindergarten:
   • Focus on assessing alphabet knowledge and phonemic awareness.
   • The Alphabet Knowledge Resource Kit is a great place to start for assessing these early skills.

Looking for free resources?
Check out Acadience Learning—it offers PreK-8th-grade assessments that are research-based and user-friendly. You can also grab my free Alphabet Knowledge assessment and I’ve also created a PDF of free assessments you can find online:

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Step 2: Group by Ehri’s Phases

Once you’ve collected your assessment data, it’s time to group your students. Instead of grouping by reading levels, which can be limiting, use Ehri’s Phases of Reading Development as your guide.

Ehri’s phases describe the progression of how students learn to read, from pre-readers to proficient readers. Grouping students based on these phases allows you to focus on the specific skills they need to move to the next level.

Why Use Ehri’s Phases?

1. Following these phases ensures students receive instruction tailored to their current reading development.
2. These phases align with research-backed strategies, focusing on the skills that matter most for reading success.
3. You will avoid the pitfalls of grouping by reading level, which can lead to reliance on outdated and harmful strategies like 3-cueing.

Not sure what Ehri’s phases are? You can read more about them on my Instagram page:

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A post shared by Jessica Farmer (@farmerlovesphonics)

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Step 3: What’s Next? Planning Small Group Lessons

Now that you’ve assessed your students and grouped them by their reading phases, it’s time to plan your lessons. In the next part of this blog series, I’ll walk you through creating lesson plans tailored to each phase of reading.

Each lesson will include examples of activities and strategies, but remember—it’s crucial to adapt your lessons to meet the unique needs of your students. This is why I never recommend purchasing pre-made plans—they simply can’t capture the nuances of your classroom!

Need a better way to plan?

Grab my Small Group Planning Bundle to make planning small groups a breeze!

This BUNDLE contains everything you need to plan effective small groups aligned to the science of reading!

Resources Included:

1. Small Group Digital Lesson Plans (See HERE)

2. 10 Small Group Activities (See HERE)

3. Handwriting Practice & Formation Mini Posters (See HERE)

Replace your traditional guided reading plans with skills-based lessons in order to reach every reader in your classroom. If you are learning about the science of reading and structured literacy, these resources are perfect for you to get your small groups started!

Final Thoughts!

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my very first blog post!

In conclusion, follow the 3 steps I outlined:

1. Assess

2. Group

3. Plan

Stay tuned for the rest of the small group series. Coming up next is planning a Pre-Reader lesson!

You may be interested in:

The Essential Linnea Ehri: A Research-Based Explanation of How Children Learn to Read Words

Reading Rockets: Typical Reading Development

Alphabetic Phase Theory: 4 Steps to Literacy Success

Science of Reading Small Group BUNDLE

K-5 Small-Group Literacy Instruction: Sample Schedule and Activities

Science of Reading Mini Con