Why Small Groups Work Best for Reading Instruction and Intervention: Part 1 of 2
Dr. Stephanie Stollar is a nationally respected literacy leader, researcher, and consultant known for her ability to translate reading science into clear, actionable practice. She is the founder of The Reading Science Academy and co-founder of MTSS Collective, online memberships for implementing evidence-based practices.
Dr. Stollar has served as a university professor, a school psychologist, and the Vice President for Professional Learning at Acadience Learning. She has trained thousands of educators in MTSS, assessment, prevention‑focused intervention, and evidence‑aligned early literacy instruction. Her work is grounded in decades of research and hands‑on experience supporting schools in building effective systems that meet the needs of all learners.
Widely admired for her clarity, depth of knowledge, and unwavering commitment to prevention, Dr. Stollar is recognized as one of the field’s most trusted voices. Her presentations consistently empower educators with the tools and understanding they need to create meaningful, lasting change in literacy outcomes.
An elementary teacher recently told me she felt like a ringmaster, trying to manage a three-ring circus!
She knew whole-group reading instruction wouldn't work because of the wide range of skills in her classroom. But she felt exhausted by planning for multiple small groups, discouraged by the amount of time students were left to work independently, and unsure how to align her groups to the interventions students received outside of the classroom. Fortunately, there is an alternative.
Target Instruction
The primary advantage of small groups is the ability to focus instruction on the skills students need to learn next. When everyone in the group is at roughly the same place on a skill continuum, the teacher can customize the learning so no time is wasted teaching something the students already know or don’t yet have the prerequisites to access. When all students in the group have mastered the same prerequisites and are ready for the same next skill, instruction can move at an accelerated pace, which is a key factor in preventing and intervening with reading difficulties.
Monitor and Adjust
An additional advantage of small groups is the ability to more closely monitor students and adjust instruction in real time. Teachers can be more responsive to student needs in small groups. It is easier to keep students engaged, provide immediate, affirmative, and corrective feedback, and adjust the number of responses needed for each student to reach mastery. In small groups, teachers can customize the learning process in ways that just aren't possible in a whole group.
Like the teacher mentioned here, you might be convinced of the benefits of small-group instruction but reluctant to take on planning and managing multiple small groups in your classroom.
Watch for part 2 of this blog post, “How To Design and Deliver Small-Group Reading Instruction and Intervention: Part 2,” which includes practical strategies for planning and implementing flexible small groups for reading instruction and intervention.