One of the biggest challenges of small-group instruction has nothing to do with the students sitting at your teacher table. Instead, it’s the constant worry about what’s happening in the rest of the room. We’ve all been there—trying to focus on a phonics lesson while keeping one eye on a student across the room who seems to be “busy” but isn’t actually learning.
In a recent webinar, literacy experts Dr. Analexis Kennedy, Dr. Taylar Wenzel, and Dr. Gina Fugnitto addressed this exact struggle. Their solution isn’t about finding more “busy work” to keep kids quiet; it’s about shifting our mindset from “centers” to meaningful practice that directly aligns with your instruction.
Ensuring Everyone is Learning
Here’s how you can confidently lead your small groups while ensuring the rest of your students are engaged in high-quality, independent work.
1. Move Beyond “Busy Work” Centers
Many of us may have been given the impression that we need to create brand-new literacy centers every week, often spending our weekends prepping activities that have little to do with our current lessons. The webinar presenters suggested a powerful shift: think of independent time as extended practice opportunities. Instead of asking, “What activities will fill the time?”, ask yourself, “What practice do my students actually need right now?” When independent work grows directly out of your whole-group or small-group lessons, students see the value in it, and your planning becomes much more sustainable.
2. Align Practice with Your Instruction
To make independent work effective, it must be an extension of what you’re already teaching. For example, if you’ve just finished a small-group lesson on inflectional endings or SL blends, the independent task should allow them to:
- Reread the same decodable text for fluency
- Revisit vocabulary words from that specific lesson
- Respond to that text through writing
When the work is directly connected to their current learning goals, students are more likely to demonstrate accuracy and take responsibility for their learning.
3. Build Independence Before You Step Away
One reason students often “manage” themselves poorly is that we expect independence too soon. Students cannot work independently until they’ve had enough modeling and guided practice with you first.
If your students are struggling during independent time, it might be a sign they need more feedback or another round of practice with you before they’re ready to do it alone. You can also use collaborative practice (letting students work with a partner) to help build their confidence before they move to solo tasks.
4. Choose the Structure That Fits Your Class
There is no one right way to organize your room. You might prefer:
- Rotational Models: Moving students through different stations
- “Must Do, May Do” Lists: Giving students a list of required tasks and then a choice of activities once they finish
- Flexible Blocks: Longer periods of independent practice based on student needs
The best structure is simply the one that maximizes meaningful practice for your specific group of students.
Teacher Tips & Takeaways
Conduct a “Class Audit”
Try an experiment for one day: don’t pull a small group at all. Instead, sit at your teacher table and just silently observe. Watch how students engage with the materials and where they get stuck. Use these observations to hold a class meeting and reset expectations.
Accountability Isn’t Just Grading
You don’t have to grade every single thing students do while you’re with a small group. Use peer feedback, student reflections, or quick check-ins during your next small-group lesson to see if they’re mastering the skills.
Organize for Success
Ensure your materials are organized so students can access them without asking you for help. This promotes self-regulation and keeps your small-group time uninterrupted.
Reflect on the “Why”
Ask your students if they can explain how their independent task helps them become better readers. If they know why they’re doing the work, they’re more likely to stay focused.
The Bottom Line
The goal isn’t just to keep the rest of the class occupied—it’s to give them authentic opportunities to practice and build independence. By aligning their work with your instruction, you can finally focus on your small group with the confidence that everyone in the room is learning.
Meet CC PAL: The Digital Practice App That Solves the Small-Group Dilemma
In the search for just-right independent work, digital tools can be a lifesaver—if they’re instructionally aligned. CC PAL is the only practice app designed specifically to extend classroom learning by directly reinforcing your instruction.
Here’s how it fits into your small-group routine:
Direct Alignment
Unlike generic games, CC PAL aligns with SIPPS® and Being a Reader™. You simply set the student’s current starting point, and the app delivers practice that advances alongside your daily lessons.
Zero Prep for You
The app does the work of ensuring each student gets a just-right challenge that’s playful and interactive.
Data-Driven Insights
While you’re busy at the teacher table, the app is collecting data. You can check a dashboard to see top errors, spelling sounds reviewed, and average practice time.
Also, students love it!
- It’s playful and interactive, making independent retrieval practice fun and engaging.
- It’s adaptive, meeting each student at their skill level so they’re challenged but never frustrated.
- It gives students choice: they pick which activities to play and texts to read.
- It grows with them, providing years of support from foundational skills through advanced phonics and morphology.
CC PAL
The Only Curriculum-Aligned Practice App for Foundational Skills Mastery
Related:
How the CC PAL App Enhanced a Collaborative Literacy Pilot in Wisconsin