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Posted on March 12, 2015 10:42 pm
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eQymyX
eQymyX
Reps: 108
Small Group Help
Small group is a difficult time during the day for my four year old students. I have to have independent groups in my class, which is hard because the kids do not like sitting still for thirty minutes. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can make my small groups run more smoothly?
 
     
     
 
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Solution 1
Posted March 15, 2015 2:54 pm

yqeSeL
yqeSeL
Reps: 102
I have the same small group designated time of 30 minutes per day that I have to incorporate in my lessons. However, we can split the time up into 15 mini lessons if we so wish. You may want to try it. I choose to split my groups into 4 or 5 depending on what indicators I need to hit. My two teacher directed groups consist of specific indicators that I will be assessing. My independent groups are created to keep the kids interested and on track so that I and my assistant can target individual instruction with our groups, while keeping an eye on the independent groups as well. I normally place 2-4 kids in an independent group and this helps to keep the noise to a minimum. Once students have learned the ropes of using scissors, glue, water colors, and craft materials, I like to incorporate these items into my independent groups because the students enjoy it and it keeps their attention. Hope this helps!
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
Thats a great idea! Thanks I will most definitely use that in the future.
  Posted on: October 1, 2015 8:14 pm

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Solution 2
Posted March 13, 2015 1:59 pm

Jennifer Dowdy
Jennifer Dowdy
Reps: 101
Could you start with a shorter small group time and lead into the longer one? Find a carpet activity or something with playdough for the independent groups. Something they know how to do independently and will do for an extended period of time. Also, try to keep your independent groups smaller than the teacher-led groups.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
Thats a great idea! Thanks I will most definitely use that in the future.
  Posted on: October 1, 2015 8:14 pm

neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
Thats a great idea! Thanks I will most definitely use that in the future.
  Posted on: October 1, 2015 8:15 pm

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Solution 3
Posted March 15, 2015 7:59 pm

yvyGyQ
yvyGyQ
Reps: 100
Due to the fact that they are young children they are adjusting to routine things. First they will start with difficulty but consistency is they key. The students will get use to it after doing small-groups often.
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Solution 4
Posted September 28, 2015 7:19 pm

Autumn Carroll
Autumn Carroll
Reps: 202
I find that when working with small groups you need to grab their attention first. Use a fun activity, or something where they need to move around and then slowing bring them back to a smaller activity. This is a way of exerting some energy and also getting students to focus on the information you are providing.
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Solution 5
Posted October 4, 2015 7:28 pm

Kayla Campbell
Kayla Campbell
Reps: 105
Don't give up on small group time, I really think that once you figure out how to make this time run smoothly, the students will respond positively. Try incorporating more physically active, interactive, and engaging activities into group time, that way students are staying interested in instruction and are not just sitting around.
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Solution 6
Posted October 15, 2015 12:41 am

Thomas Smallwood
Thomas Smallwood
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Maybe use incentives for behaving well. Or praising good behavior.
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