Designing Targeted Small
Group Instruction
S. Greenlaw,
Adapted from work of…
McKenna and Stahl,
Debbie Diller,
Linda Dorn,
Tyner and Green
WCC
October 12, 2010
Models by S. Estabrook, Houlton RF
Set Purpose and Poll the Audience
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Poll the Audience
Purpose: Walk-through a series of
Small Group instruction options that target
student assessment needs
Turn and talk about how these fit the needs
of your students
Discuss how this fits RtI (GEI) for Tiers I & II
Key Words
Guided reading is all about differentiation.
“Differentiation is instruction that helps children
accomplish challenging tasks that are just out of
their reach, instruction that targets a particular
group of children’s needs directly and
temporarily, instruction that applies a
developmental model.”
- Sharon Walpole & Mike McKenna, 2008
A Basic Reading Group Template
___________
Whole Group
Instruction
Lowest Group
Center
Center
Center or
Intervention
Middle Group
Center
Center
Highest Group
___________
Whole Group
Instruction
___________
Center
___________
Traditional small group reading
Instruction
THREE KINDS OF GROUPS (See handout)
 Flexible Groups
 Ability/Aptitude Groups
 Cooperative Groups
NOW LETS LOOK AT CURRENT
PRACTICE….
Gather your instructional
resources
Review the state standards: Common Core Standards
 And the scope and sequence in your instructional
Materials (See K-3 Early Reading Target Areas and
Maine Grade 3-5 GLEs/HMH scope and sequence).

Review the state assessments (NECAP)
district assessments (NWEA,DRA,OS, DIBELS) and
Any Assessments that come with your core program (Integrated
theme test);
 When needed do diagnostic assessments---Fill in gaps with
additional assessments (Pre-Literacy Screening,
Phonics/decoding screening, DSA-developmental spelling
assessment)
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Turn and Talk
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What resources are already in place in your School?
What are you current using for assessments that inform
teaching?
How do you use this information (data) when planning daily
small group lessons?
What types of assessments are being used for
Universal Screening,
progress monitoring,
diagnostic measures, and
Outcome (summative measures)?
Consider your children’s
needs (KcKenna and Stahl—2008)

Given your screening data, you will know that some portion of
children are likely at benchmark (or above), some are just
below grade level, and some are well below grade level.

For children at benchmark, you can decide to focus smallgroup time on skills, skills and fluency, or on
vocabulary and comprehension.

Only the below-grade-level children
need additional diagnostic assessments
McKenna and Stahl (Walpole)---2008
The
Cognitive Model
See Handout
Brief Q and A discussion…
Turn and Talk: Cognitive Model


Look at the parallel development of reading
in McKenna and Stahl’s Cognitive Model,
and think/talk about where some of your
students fit on this model?
Think/Talk about how the assessments show
you were your students are in their reading
acquisition using this model?
A Basic Reading Group Template
___________
Whole Group
Instruction
Lowest Group
Center
Center
Center or
Intervention
Middle Group
Center
Center
Highest Group
___________
Whole Group
Instruction
___________
Center
___________
Scientifically Based Reading Programs
Instructional Content * Instructional Design
Ingredients
--Phonemic Awareness
--Phonics
--Fluency
--Vocabulary
--Comprehension
Ingredients
Recipe
--Explicit Instructional
Strategies
--Coordinated Instructional
Sequences
--Ample Practice Opportunities
Recipe
So….
How do we do this ?
and
What does it look like?
(…In small groups)
Things to consider for Flexible Grouping
with Targeted small group instruction
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Weekly Focus of Instruction
Differentiation of Instruction
Key Elements to Consider
Checklist for Forming Needs Based Groups
A Differentiation Plan (Samples)
Levels of Intensity of Small Group
Instruction
High Teacher Support/Highly Explicit & Systematic
Skills Focused Groups
(Walpole and McKenna)
Differentiated Guided
Reading
(Diller, Dorn. Southall, Tyner)
Guided Reading
(Fountas & Pinnell)
Low Teacher Support/Less Explicit
and Systematic
L. Larsen. MDOE
We will explore****
Small Group Lesson Models…
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Flexible grouping plan
Walpole and McKenna
Debbie Diller Model
Linda Dorn/Fountas and Pinnell Models
Tyner and Green models
Walpole and McKenna Lessons--2009
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Phonemic awareness and word recognition
Word recognition and Fluency
Fluency and Comprehension
Vocabulary and Comprehension
Sample: Phonemic Awareness and
word Recognition Group
McKenna and Walpole-2008
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alphabet Review
Initial Sound Sorting
2 New Letter Sounds:
Review Old Letter Sounds
2 New HF Words
Review Old High Frequency Words
Concept of Word
3 Min
3 Min
3 Min
3 Min
3 Min
Sample: Phonemic Awareness and
Word Recognition Group
McKenna and Walpole-2008
Oral Segmenting and Blending
 Short vowel Patterns
 4 New High frequency words
Review old HF words

3 min
6 min
6 min
Sample:
Word Recognition and Fluency Group
McKenna and Walpole--2008
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Teach Letter Patterns ----- 6 min
New HF words
Review old HF words------3 min
Decodable Text -------------6 min
Sample: Fluency and Comprehension
Group
KcKenna and Walpole---2008
Pre-teach difficult words
2 min
 Choral or Echo read
new text or passage
5 min
 Partner or whisper read
Same text
5 min
 Summary or inference or
Questions (use-comprehension skill and
strategy from core scope and sequence) 3 min
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Sample
Vocabulary and Comprehension Group
McKenna and Walpole--2008
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Pre-teach Vocabulary
Preview Comprehension skill
and strategy
Teacher read-aloud or
Whisper read
Comprehension Discussion
3 min
1 min
7 min
4 min
Turn and Talk:
Walpole and McKenna Lessons

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Pick a group of students
Thinking about the data you have and needs
you have observed when working with this
group of students, talk about which lesson
might work for Targeting their needs?
More than Guided Reading
Adapted from: L. Dorn, et al; Fountas & Pinnell; D. Miller;
Tyner and Green and others
Before Reading:
---Pre-teach tier-2 words
---Pre-teach vocabulary
---Build background
---Set purpose for reading
---review comprehension skill
and stragtegy
 During Reading:
Students partner read
text or passage
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After Reading:
---Comprehension discussion
--- Targeted skills review
from difficult words in text
---word work connected to
text
---writing response to text
Targeted Guided Reading Lessons
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Debbie Diller—Targeted small group
lessons: PA, Phonics, fluency, vocabulary
and comprehension
Linda Dorn: Guided Reading Plus
Reading and writing lesson over two days:
familiar read, new book, word work, writing.
Making the Most of small group
instruction---Debbie Diller, (2008)

Using data, design flexible groups to target
specific needs in the five essesntial
elements: (walkthrough lesson frames)
Phonemic Awareness and Rhyme
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Turn and Talk: Debbie Diller Lessons


Pick a group of students
Thinking about the data you have and needs
you have observed when working with this
group of students, talk about which lesson/s
might work for Targeting their needs?
More than Guided Reading
Adapted from: L. Dorn, et al; Fountas & Pinnell; D. Miller;
Tyner and Green and others
Before Reading:
---Pre-teach tier-2 words
---Pre-teach vocabulary
---Build background
---Set purpose for reading
---review comprehension skill
and strategy
 During Reading:
Students partner read
text or passage


After Reading:
---Comprehension discussion
--- Targeted skills review
from difficult words in text
---word work connected to
text
---writing response to text
Guided Reading Plus, Comprehension
Focus Groups ---Linda Dorn (2006-09—in print)
Two Types of Lessons:
(walkthrough lesson frame)
 Guided Reading Plus: A two day lesson
framework that includes Reading and writing
 Comprehension Focus Groups: The lesson
framework foci is teaching strategic reading
through comprehension strategies
Turn and talk: Linda Dorn Lessons


Pick a group of students
Thinking about the data you have and needs
you have observed when working with this
group of students, talk about which lesson/s
might work for Targeting their needs?
Components and Activities
for Small-Group Differentiated Reading
Tyner and Green (2005)
Lesson Models for Intermediate Readers
Using both Narrative and Expository texts
 Evolving Reader
 Mature Reader
 Advanced Reader
(walkthrough lesson frames)
See handouts
Organizational Models:
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Flexible grouping plan
Walpole and McKenna
Debbie Diller Model
Linda Dorn/Fountas and Pinnell Models
Tyner and Green models
(SAMPLES in handout)
Model for Student Success
Continuous
Assessment
Instruction
Data-Based
Instructiona
l Planning
Case Study on Johnny
In October, Johnny’s kindergarten teacher notices that he is still
having a hard time in school. She is trying to figure out how to
best meet his needs during small group reading time. She has
looked at the data and found the following:
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DIBELS: Johnny received a score of O on PSF and is struggling
on ISF.
Running Record: A CAP test showed that Johnny is still
struggling with 1:1 matching, directionality and sound symbol
association.
Classroom data: he cannot segment, knows only 6 letters (J,
O, X, T, S, H) and only 5 sight words (Johnny, yes, no, mom,
dad)
Informal Data/Teacher Observation: he can’t sing the
alphabet, still does not know all the letters in his name, struggles
with rhyming
What does Johnny need in small group instruction?
Skills Focused Lesson
Alphabet Review
Initial Sound Sorting
2 New Letter Sounds;
Review Old Letter Sounds
2 New HF Words;
Review old HF words
Concept of a Word
3 minutes
3 minutes
3 minutes
3 minutes
3 minutes
(McKenna & Walpole, 2008)
Case Study on Sylvia
In January, Sylvia’s first grade teacher notices that she struggles with
automatically solving sight words. She only uses initial and/or initial and final
visual information. She has looked at the data and found the following.
DIBELS: She knows letters sound by sound, but she cannot blend
on NWF. She is below benchmark in this area.
Running Record: She confuses HF words and is not fluent. She
is currently reading at level 6/E.
Scott Foresman: Shows that she still confuses short and long
vowels in reading and writing.
Informal data/Teacher Observation: Teacher notices that Sylvia
often mimics student answers at groups and confuses HF
words like was/saw, on/no, here/he/her
What does Sylvia need in small group instruction?
Skills Focused Lesson
Decodable text
Whisper Reading
3 minutes
Sounding and Blending
4 minutes
New HF Words; Review Old
High Frequency Words
4 minutes
Decodable text
Whisper Reading
4 minutes
(McKenna & Walpole, 2008)
SO WHAT---NOW WHAT?
Now we have set the stage
for PRESCRIPTIVE TEACHING (differentiated
reading instruction)
It is time to plan: So keep in mind…
----- your resources (classroom assessments,
core materials/scope and sequence, leveled
texts).
-----Consider your children’s needs
plan ONE WEEK OF …
Small group targeted instruction
It is time to plan: So keep in mind…
-------your Resources:
 Assessments (both formal and informal),
 core materials/scope and sequence,
 Teaching tools: lesson frames, manipulatives
leveled texts.
-----Consider your children’s needs
plan ONE WEEK OF …
Small group targeted instruction
Options for MORE Learning…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Digging deeper into what DRA and DSA
Planning for Skills-Focused small group
instruction—
Plan for Targeted Small group teaching
Explore classroom diagnostic reading
assessment options
3-2-1 Feedback/ticket to go
Jot down
 3 new things you learned?
 2 things you will need to know
more about?
 1 thing you can start doing
tomorrow?
Sources
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Walpole and McKenna. (2009). How to Plan Differentiated Reading
Instruction. Guilford Press
Walpole and McKenna (2007). Differentiated Reading Instruction for the
Primary Grades. Guilford Press.
Southall.(2009). Differentiated Small-Group Lessons. Scholastic
Diller. (2007). Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for all.
Stenhouse.
Tyner and green. (2006) Small-Group Reading Instruction: A Differentiated
Teaching Model for Intermediate Readers, Grades 3-8. IRA.
Dorn (2008-2009): Select CIM Workshops offered at University of Maine, Orono.
Dorn and Soffos. (2011).Interventions that Work; A Comprehensive
Intervention Model for Reversing Reading Failure. Allyn & Bacon.
Dorn and Soffos. (2009). Interventions that Work: Guided reading Plus and
Interventions that Work: Comprehension Focus Groups DVD. Stenhouse.
Thank You
And
Have a fabulous day!!!