WHOLE CLASS TEACHING
Benefits of whole class teaching
Efficiency – teachers teach once and well! Explicit teaching techniques mean children are switched on, contributing to the lesson with high chances of success.
Equity - Sørensen & Hallinan (1986) concluded was that the high groups tended to get more learning opportunities in small group instruction than the low groups.
Amount of instruction – when students are grouped, they get less instruction time with you. You might argue that there are benefits that outweigh this point, but research tells us that lower levelled students are disadvantaged by this approach.
Challenges with whole class teaching:
Differentiation – My students have different needs, how can I cater to them in one large group?
Teachers need an explicit scope and sequence and lesson objectives targeted to the majority of students. Differentiation mostly takes place in the practice and application stages of the lesson. Any struggling students should also be receiving additional tier 2 teaching sessions.
Formative assessment – With so many children how can you gauge how well they are doing?
Whole class explicit instruction allows for continuous checking for understanding. Read more about this here.
Attention and behaviour – I’ll struggle to keep their attention sat on the carpet for so long!
The structure of explicit whole class teaching means children are always active with cold call responses, partner discussion, choral responses and mini whiteboard work. Following a systematic scope and sequence means that you will avoid intrinsic cognitive overload, too.
Teacher effort (planning and during) – it sounds exhausting!
It is, sorry. But students will benefit! We're here to help.
WHEN TO USE GROUP WORK
Use small group instruction for:
Differentiated guided practice and application activities to coach students towards independence and mastery.
Tier 2 intervention (additional instruction) to close the gap.
For small groups to work well the teacher must select students based on need and provide targeted instruction and activities to meet those needs. Small group work becomes wasteful when the same instruction and activities are used with all groups. If groups are selected based on need, then groups must be fluid. When groups are set and never change the gap in achievement only widens.
Small group settings allow teachers to gather valuable formative assessment data, checking each child’s understanding and capabilities.
With Little Learners Love Literacy® teachers will find at least half of their literacy teaching block is whole class explicit instruction. All revision routines and teaching of new content (including guided practice and checking for understanding) are explicit whole class teaching. This is to ensure efficiency, engagement and that you are making the most of every minute! Students benefit from teacher time, if you teach your class together they get more of your time! Many Little Learners Love Literacy practice and application routines are small group, partner or independent work. These are listed in the table below.
USING DECODABLE BOOKS
There are several ways to teach and practise with decodable books. You will find the majority of the Little Learners teacher support focuses on small group reading instruction. Our weekly plans regularly include small group reading instruction, plus partner reading and take-home reading. Sometimes choral reading of passages or stories too.
At Little Learners Love Literacy®, we don’t just love small group reading – we love lots of types of reading! The more reading, the better. Teachers might want to try the following types of reading.
Small group reading
What is it? Well-planned group reading sessions can be effective, allowing children to apply the skills and knowledge that have been explicitly taught in whole class lessons and allowing teachers to provide additional instruction and guided practice. Use the following points to guide planning:
Arrange groups of 4–6 children per group with a similar learning focus or need.
Depending on the age and ability of your group, sessions should take 10–20 minutes.
Only use decodable books using previously taught sounds and letters.
Use the strategy of sounding out and blending (decoding) to read words when children get stuck.
Best for: guided practice, instruction and formative assessment in all school settings.
Partner reading
What is it? Children read a familiar decodable book to their partner, taking it in turns to read a page to each other. The process of re-reading builds fluency. Children can also do partner reading with Speed Words lists, ticking them off as their partner reads them correctly. This routine is perfect for when teachers are working with a small group.
Best for: fluency practice using previously read decodable books.
Independent reading
What is it? Re-reading a decodable book aloud without adult support. Children could try reading with the Little Learners apps if they need more scaffolding and support. The apps have audio available on each word if needed. They also have recording functionality, which allows children to listen to their reading and make improvements to their reading fluency.
Best for: fluency practice using previously read decodable books.
One-to-one reading
What is it? Reading with each child in your class every week, tailoring the session to the child. If you work in a small school or have education support staff/parent helpers, then this might be an option for you. Use the small group reading activities described in this book to guide you through the process. If you have large classes, then you will find grouping children with similar needs is a more time-effective alternative (small group reading).
Best for: guided practice, instruction and formative assessment in small school settings using a new decodable book.
Whole class reading
What is it? Model fluent reading to the class before the class echo/join in. Choral reading is when students read aloud in unison.
Choral reading helps build fluency, self-confidence, and motivation. When students read aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel self-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.
Children listen to the teacher model and follow along, tracking with their finger. The whole class re-reads in unison. Teachers can use this opportunity to demonstrate and model key skills such as decoding, reading Heart Words, reading multisyllabic words, reading with expression – and also comprehension thought processes by ‘thinking aloud’. Focus on the skills the group need to work on most.
Best for: guided practice, fluency using decodable books from the current or prior stage.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Little Learners Love Literacy® Small Group Reading Teacher Notes
Free webinars on small group reading and various areas of literacy instruction.