Module 5 - Adult Literacy Classroom
Delivery Modes
Small Groups
Small-group instruction draws on the resources of both the instructor and students' peers in an intimate setting. A “small group” can be as small as a pair of students and is generally most effective when no larger than six learners. While the instructor's attention may be divided among the needs of several learners, instruction can be designed to draw on the collaborative and cooperative abilities of other learners, providing students with the opportunity to work together.
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“I have found that having students work in small groups helps them learn faster. The students like to help each other. And the students who don't attend regularly are encouraged by their peers to be there.” |
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“And so I worked with another student. And that was good, ‘cause we learned from each other. He learned reading and stuff to take his driver’s license test, and I learned more about driving rules and how to study for tests.” |
Take a moment to consider the pros and cons of small-group instruction and its implications for instruction of adult literacy learners.
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On your worksheet, record your initial thoughts about instruction in small groups. |
Small-group instruction should be intermixed with independent work and whole-group instruction. Activities in small groups or pairs give students an opportunity to share and explore ideas or practice new learning with peer assistance. Independent work time provides an opportunity for private reflection and independent practice. Discussion among the whole group can be used to set the stage, provide direction, and summarize the learning of students in the group. In many classes, attendance fluctuates significantly each day. Instructors should be creative in forming small groups and flexible in reshuffling if many members of the group are absent.
Listed below is a real-life adult education scenario. While you are reading, consider how the instructor has tailored small-group instruction to the needs of the learners. What other ways could he have address these students’ needs?
Real-Life Scenario – Shakespeare in Abe’s Class:
Abe’s lower-level reading group recently surprised him with a request to read Shakespeare. They tried reading the original prose, but they had difficulties comprehending and discussing what they read. So, Abe located some Shakespeare stories for younger readers, written in more modern English. These new materials worked well. The group focused on one story over the course of a week and would begin each class with a review of what they had already read. Abe then introduced important vocabulary for the next section. Next, the students paired off to independently read sections of the story to themselves and discuss each paragraph with a partner. When all pairs completed the reading, Abe brought the group back together to discuss the story, share insights into the characters, and make predictions for what will happen next.
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On your worksheet, record your thoughts on the needs of the learners and the instructional tools the instructor has chosen. |
Click the + sign in the box to the right to see ideas from other Adult Education Instructors. | [?] |
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I find I have to specifically teach group process skills. I have a sheet that I give each small group to chart their progress at the end of each work session. It asks them to jointly self-assess their group processes in such areas as group member participation, time on task, accomplishment of the task, etc. I try to give them tools like worksheets or short time limits to help them develop good, focused communication skills.
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Small groups don't work well if the material is boring - no instruction really does. I try to work with small groups to find topics of interest to all of them and use those topics to structure lessons in math. My students really prefer problem-based learning in which they can share different approaches to solving math problems.
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My tutoring students are so isolated. I wanted to give them an opportunity to interact with one another. As I was the common denominator, I began having them work on shared assignments – posing challenges to each other via online discussion boards & e-mail. With some guidance they would choose short reading assignments for one another and create reading comprehension questions for their peers to answer. One trio even wrote a shared story via Tutor-mail. They loved the opportunity to ‘work together’ and I found they challenged each other more than I expected.
In reviewing these ideas, did you find any similar to your own? Did any of them strike you as particularly interesting? Did they provide any new insights for your instruction of adult literacy learners?
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On your worksheet, make note of any tips, insights, or new ideas gained from the instructors’ suggestions. |
In Summary:
- Small-group instruction builds team and social skills, while providing opportunities for peers to learn from each other during literacy skills instruction.
- Instructors should vary lessons to include independent work, peer coaching, and short cooperative or collaborative opportunities, as well as whole-group discussion, problem-solving, and evaluation as part of the learning process.
- Instructors may need to work with learners to build skills that foster successful teamwork and to be flexible, as the make-up of groups shift due to changes in attendance.
- Effective small-group activities can be intermixed into whole-class instruction.
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On your worksheet, record any final notes or thoughts, specific ideas you want to be sure to remember, plans for further study, etc. |
Click "Next" below or a specific topic on the outline to the left to continue.
