Simply Small Groups : Differentiating Literacy Learning in Any Setting

Make the most of small group time—in-person or online

To help students progress as readers, they need personal attention from a teacher and a connection with their peers. Small groups offer both! When you work with just a few kids at a time—whether face-to-face or in a virtual setting, you provide a safe, trusting environment that encourages them to challenge themselves.

In this timely handbook, author and reading expert Debbie Diller provides concrete guidance for tailoring the small-group experience to literacy instruction. You’ll learn how to assess student skills and needs, how to flexibly organize groups, and how to differentiate instruction to give every reader a pathway to success. Features include:

• Strategies and tools grouped by developmental reading stages
• At-a-glance charts for assessing current skill level and identifying next instructional steps
• Downloadable printables for planning and instructional use
• Easy adaptations for use in online learning
• Reflection prompts and guiding questions 

Whatever your instructional setting, you and your students need the relationships that are best forged in small groups. With this book, you’ll build those relationships and help young readers achieve success.

Small groups accelerate student reading growth

Elementary students need personal attention from a teacher and a connection with their peers to progress as readers. Small groups offer both! When you work with just a few kids at a time on skills specific to their assets and goals, you provide a safe, trusting environment that encourages students to challenge themselves.

Organized by developmental reading stages—emergent readers, early readers, transitional readers, and fluent readers—this timely handbook shows how to engage students where they are, regardless of grade level, and help them progress to the next stage.  You’ll learn how to assess student skills and needs, flexibly organize groups, plan and teach lessons, select appropriate texts, and differentiate instruction to give every reader a pathway to success. Features include:

· Phonics and phonological awareness, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension strategies and tools   for each reading stage

· At-a-glance charts for assessing current skill level and identifying next instructional steps

· 70 downloadable teacher and student resources for planning and instructional use

· Dozens of easy adaptations for use in online learning

· Over 100 full-color photographs so you can see small groups in action

· Reflection prompts and guiding questions for personal and PLC use

Whatever your instructional setting, you and your students need the relationships that are best forged in small groups. With this book, you’ll be able to differentiate instruction in a way that’s manageable and sustainable – and build those relationships that help young readers achieve success.