6 Secrets to Literacy Small Group Success with Sara Marye [episode 47]

Emily/Heidi
Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. We are so excited to welcome Sara Marye from the Stellar Teacher Podcast to our podcast today. We had a lot of fun visiting with her and we know you’ll get a lot of great information out of this interview.

Emily/Heidi
Sara loves showing teachers how to level up their literacy instruction, while also having a little fun, and you will definitely get both of those things today. In this episode, she shares her six secrets to small group success. I was really wowed by her insightful suggestions, so whether you are brand new to running small groups, or you’re an old pro, you will find some great takeaways from what Sara has to offer. Let’s get to the interview.

Emily/Heidi
We are so excited to have Sara here today to talk to us about small group instruction. Welcome, Sara.

Sara
Hi, guys, thank you so much for having me. I really am so excited to be on your podcast today.

Emily/Heidi
We’re excited to get to talk to you today. We’re super excited to hear what you have to share about small group instruction. So why is this a good topic for teachers to be thinking about in the middle of the year?

Sara
Well, I feel like this is like a great topic to think about kind of like, at any point in the year, especially in the middle of the year, though. I mean, because if you think about it, so like, here’s the thing, like small group instruction is where the magic happens, I always think. You know, it’s where you get to, like, get to know your students one on one, you get to like differentiate. And it’s where you really get to refine and practice, whatever whatever gaps are holding back your students from like the ultimate growth.

Sara
And I think probably one of the reason why they’re really good to focus on in the middle of the year is because, you know, it’s like not that everything revolves around like end of year testing, but like, the closer we get to end of your testing, you’re probably feeling like, oh my gosh, my students have some gaps. And whatever the content is, well, those gaps can be filled during your small group lessons.

Sara
I also think that for some teachers, they might just be getting started with small groups. I was one of those teachers that I did not start small groups during my first year of teaching until November. And I taught in Louisiana. And so we started school in August. So it’s like my, my students went, what is that, like four months without small group instruction.

Sara
And so in a lot of cases, if you you know, if you’re just getting started with small group lessons, first of all, that’s totally fine, you got started, which is like the most important thing, but like, now’s the time to really sort of like dig in, like double up level up, like you’re going to, you know, spend a little bit of time until it really like, make your small groups magical by giving just like a little bit more intention.

Sara
So I don’t know, it’s like, focus on small groups for just a little bit, and you’ll get a huge return for the rest of the year.

Emily/Heidi
And I love the idea that like this is where the magic happens, because you get to see so much of that learning in the breakthrough up close. You know, when you’re teaching a whole group, obviously, the kids are still making advances in their learning. But in that small group, you’re just I don’t know, it feels like you’re just really in the thick of it together. And you’re really seeing the next steps start to take shape. It’s it’s so powerful.

Sara
It was always one of my favorite times, because I felt like you you get to know your students on like such a personal level. And it’s like, especially for some students that don’t do well, if they’re introverted, and they don’t do well, like whole groups, students can really like come out of their shell in small group lessons. So I just feel like it’s a great time to really like connect with students on like, such a personal level.

Emily/Heidi
And as an introvert, I appreciate that because, yeah, like in the small and a whole group. I mean, maybe it was different when I was six or seven. But as I got older, I really got a lot quieter. And you know, growing up in the 80s and 90s, we didn’t small groups weren’t so much of a thing. Yeah, so I just really didn’t have a lot of connections with my teachers, because I wasn’t causing problems. And I B wasn’t the one like, getting involved really in the lesson. I was doing what I was asked, but I was never like making those connections.

Emily/Heidi
And I think in a small group, I could have had a really different experience. And I know, like you mentioned as a teacher, you get to know your kids on such a different level, when you’re just, you know, all sitting together like that. So powerful. Absolutely. So what else can you tell us about the benefits of small groups?

Sara
I think obviously, it’s like, you know, getting to know your students on like, a personal level is like a huge part of it. And you know, differentiating because you have students that you know, you get to figure out like, here’s this small group of students, they might need an objective that’s different than another group of students.

Sara
But I also think it’s an opportunity for you to reteach a concept in a different way. You know, it’s like small groups are really meant to sort of mirror and reinforce what you’ve already taught whole group. So it’s like if you’ve taught a lesson, a whole group and you have a group of students that didn’t fully understand that concept, you can present it to them in a different way and your small group lesson.

Sara
You know, whether that is using a different text or a different genre or incorporating, you know, video or audio or bringing in some like hands on materials. And so I think it’s just like an opportunity for you to really reinforce what you’ve already taught whole group, but in a way that might like resonate with your students. So obviously, you know, differentiating, connecting with students, but also just like an opportunity for you to reteach concepts in a different way that might help students master it just a little bit better.

Emily/Heidi
That’s such a good point because we don’t want our small group instruction to be an exact mirror of the whole group instruction, you’re just going to end up you’re digging the hole deeper as the disconnect between what they get, what they’re understanding and what they need to understand. So this is the perfect place to pivot.

Emily/Heidi
I also found with small groups, I love that because you needed fewer resources. So like if I needed a certain math manipulative, who finally need it for six kids, I can afford that, as opposed to like, I need it for 25 kids, I maybe can’t find that. But I can use something, something more hands on something more concrete with a small group, that is just not possible in the whole group setting.

Sara
Yeah, I mean, I think that’s so smart. Because it’s just like, you know, teachers, a lot of times we’re bringing stuff like from their own their own fund at home or their own budget, or you’re just like, I mean, I taught in schools where they’re like, great, you get five whiteboards for your class, and I’m like, What am I supposed to do with five whiteboards?

Sara
But then it’s like, great, these are like one of our magic tools at small group table, which is just like made small groups more appealing, because students are like, great, we can use the whiteboards during small groups. You know, I think anything that you can just use to like make that small group time, like more special is also another way to like, elevate that time with your students.

Emily/Heidi
So what are the unique aspects of small group teaching that also make it challenging at times?

Sara
So I think small group lessons or teaching is like really one of the most like powerful tools that a teacher has. And I think it is probably also one of the most challenging things to plan for and implement, and manage, and you know, all of that. And, you know, I think it requires a lot of like prep and intentional planning. You know, you can’t just be like, I’m going to start small groups tomorrow and like, not do anything about it, or not do anything to get ready for it.

Sara
It’s like, you have to, first of all, make sure you have a very concrete plan for the rest of your students, which I feel like is probably one of the biggest mistakes that teachers make is they don’t spend enough time thinking through, what is the rest of the class going to be doing. Because the reality of it is, you could have a really incredible lesson like planned and prep for your small group table, and it could go perfectly well. But if the rest of your class is like chaos and disorder, then that is a waste of your instructional time, because you know, 80% of your class is not engaged in a meaningful learning activity.

Sara
So when you’re preparing for small groups, you have to take time to plan for the rest of your class, which is going to also then require some training and prep work, because the students need to know how to be independent without your help. But then it also requires you to plan and prepare for each of your individual small groups. And more than likely, you’re gonna have you know, anywhere from four to six groups, and those groups are going to have a variety of needs.

Sara
And so it’s not like you can plan one small group lesson and then rinse and repeat, you know, six times. If only, if only, right, but you have to plan a different lesson for each group, which means then finding a different set of materials or texts, or, you know, whatever it is. So you know, it’s like the ultimate multitasking challenge for teachers, like you have to plan for the rest of your class and prepare and train them. But then you also have to plan for multiple, you know, small groups.

Sara
And then making sure that like your students within that group, you know, if one students growing faster than another student, like when do you shift the groups? And then how do we assess the groups? I mean, there’s all sorts of just like moving parts that happen with small groups that require teachers intentionality with it that make it challenging, not impossible, but it is definitely challenging.

Emily/Heidi
I think moving parts is a really good way of what it’s like trying to teach small groups. And you have outlined six steps for small group success. Do you want to walk us through that? I know we’ve we’ve touched on step one a little bit, but do you want to walk us through your steps for success?

Sara
Yeah, absolutely. So I mean, I always think it’s kind of like, you know, I get a lot of questions from teachers about small groups, like, you know, I need help with my small groups, or I’m getting ready to start with small groups, like, what do I do? So I think anytime that we can give teachers a set of steps or processes to take, it’s just like, Okay, this is where you’re gonna, like focus your energy and attention.

Sara
So the number one thing ultimately is make sure that your students have something meaningful to work on. And you know, when you’re sort of like thinking about the rest of your class, I kind of think that there’s almost three categories of tasks or activities that you can provide them with, and they’re all beneficial. And so it’s one of those things where it’s like, pick what works best for your teaching style.

Sara
So you could have the rest of your class working on, you know, like literacy centers or workstations where there’s, you know, a variety of tasks and they rotate and they’re working in small groups and they do something for 10 minutes, and then they switch to another task. That works great for a lot of teachers.

Sara
You could also have your students do like a self paced independent reading or independent writing. And that also works great for a lot of teachers.

Sara
And you could then also give them like a teacher assigns tasks. So rather than, you know, having them do the independent reading or writing, you might say today, you’re going to complete this assignment while I’m pulling my small group. So you’re basically guiding that time that the rest of the class is working.

Sara
And ultimately, it just depends on your style of teaching. I think that like centers and workstations are fun, and they’re great, but it sort of is a classroom management. Like, I don’t want to say nightmare. But like, there’s a lot that goes on. So like the moving parts, but like if you as a teacher, don’t feel confident with all those moving parts, you can still pull small groups just like shift what you have the rest of your class doing. So that’s like step number one.

Sara
And then step number two is making sure that you are planning your small group lesson around an objective that is going to benefit your students. And I think this can be challenging for for teachers, because there are so many, like if you think about specifically like literacy, there are so many aspects and elements that go into creating skilled readers.

Sara
You know, even if you just think about like the five pillars of reading, like phonological awareness, like phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and you might have a group of students that really struggle with phonics, you know, and they’re gonna need help and support in that area. But you might have another group of students where like, their hang up has to do with like, vocabulary, and they struggle with word parts and everything.

Sara
And then you might have another group of students where it’s like, you know, they can read all the words accurately, but like, they can’t understand what they’re reading. So they struggle with the comprehension side of things. So, you know, it’s really important that you sort of know how to group your students, and that you know, what it is that they specifically need help with.

Sara
And I support mostly upper elementary teachers. And if you have any upper elementary teachers in your audience, I this is a little message for them. But, you know, so often, we focus on the, like the list of standards that our students are required to, you know, to master by the end of the year, or we focus a lot on what are they going to be tested on at the end of the year.

Sara
But what you really need to focus on is what do my students need in order to grow as a reader. And in some cases, if you are a third, fourth or fifth grade teacher, and you have students that are struggling to actually decode a text, and you know, read the words, like at the very basic level, you might have to back up and start where they are at. Because if you continue to spend your small group time focusing on helping them master the standards, or you’re focusing on some sort of test prep, or you’re focusing on comprehension, you know.

Sara
But they can’t actually read the words like, you’re not going to get any benefit from that small group. And so, you know, once you’ve got the rest of your class, like, figured out what they’re doing, like, the next thing is, is to make sure that you’re planning objectives that are going to benefit the students in the group, regardless of like, how far back you need to go. Start with what your students need, not with, like what your state is telling you, they need to learn by the end of the year.

Emily/Heidi
I think that is such a powerful message.

Sara
Hard, though, for teachers, because it’s like, wait a minute, like I need to the standards, they’re supposed to master like, I don’t have time to back up. But you know, it’s a matter of like, what, yeah, it’s just we have to give our students what they need.

Emily/Heidi
Right. And if you don’t meet them where they are, then they can’t make progress. And so you’re, you may be putting in time and doing small groups every day. But if you’re not doing it, where they need to work, you’re just wasting everybody’s time. And that’s not what you want to be doing. This isn’t about making a checkmark that you did, your small groups, it’s about actually meeting their needs. That’s so important.

Emily/Heidi
And you’re also sending that signal, if you’re working above the level where they’re able to work, you’re sending the signal that they’re failing, this is impossible, they can’t do this. And we don’t want that ever discouraged kids in that way, you know. But if we’re meeting them where they are, and they can see that I’m making some steps forward, that’s empowering, that’s gonna motivate them to keep trying, and that’s where the growth is gonna happen. Now, if we just if we hammer fourth grade content enough, it will get in their heads like that is clearly not ever worked for anybody.

Sara
Yes, it’s doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. I feel like you know, and again, that’s like this is teachers have so much like horrible pressure from like states and districts when it comes to like testing and so like, I totally understand, but it’s just like, if a student can’t like if they didn’t read and understand the text the first time like giving them more practice and exposure to the same thing is not going to help. Like we need to go back and figure out what what sort of challenge, roadblock, hurdle does this student need in order to grow and like that’s where we need to start. Yes.

Sara
Okay. So the third thing that I think teachers should do if they want to have small group success is intentionally incorporate writing into every single small group lesson. And I think to some cases, like teachers might think, well, I teach reading, like, I don’t teach writing, but I feel like there’s such a strong connection between, there is not I feel, there is such a strong connection between reading and writing.

Sara
And whether it is you know, students are writing an answer to a question or you do you know, two small group lessons that focus on you know, reading the text and discussing and then they write about it. You want to give your students opportunity. have us to write and I always think that like reading is one of those things that is so abstract. And sometimes it’s hard to actually see like what is going on in the students brain when they’re reading this.

Sara
But when they write about what it is that they’re reading, they can make their thinking visible. And it’s an opportunity for you to get a little inside peek into, you know, their understanding of the text. But also, most students struggle with writing. And most teachers also don’t have enough time to effectively teach writing the way that they want. So if you can just be committed to incorporating writing into every single one of your small group lessons, or your small group lesson like rotation, that’s just going to benefit your students not only in reading, but also in writing as well.

Emily/Heidi
That is certainly an area where I have fallen short in the past of making sure that I’m including writing. So that is a very good reminder. And it’s such a good way for kids to own, the learning that’s happening. Is, you know, when you’re reading to an extent you are the consumer, but when you’re writing, you’re having to be the producer of the information. And that is going to force you to think at a deeper level about everything that’s going on about what what you understand.

Emily/Heidi
And like you said, as a teacher, you can’t see into the little brain. So this is the only way you have to know what’s going on in there. So it’s just such a powerful connection. And I don’t think I’ve ever recognized the connection. So clearly is like, this is important in the small group, because you’re working right at their targeted area.

Emily/Heidi
So why not get so much more bang for your buck is at work in the small group time, we’re going to work on you know, the certain skills, and then also have some kind of like, they’re going to have to produce something to really solidify, that understanding is so powerful. So thank you for sharing that.

Sara
When I was teaching in the classroom, I taught at an International Baccalaureate School, which is like an inquiry based approach. And also like they really pushed like thematic planning and thematic teaching. And so we had to really think about how are we integrating all subjects kind of like at all points, but I feel like we have this tendency to teach to teach in isolation, right, we have our math time. And then we have our reading time, and we have our writing, and we have our science and our social studies, but like the reality of it is is like our learning does not happen in like buckets, right?

Sara
Or like what you were saying like the production, like if you’re gonna write something like that doesn’t happen just during writing, like we’re producing writing, in all aspects. I think anytime that you can, like, be intentional about integrating multiple subjects at the same time, that helps students realize that it’s like, okay, wait a minute, my learning has a benefit. And like all other subjects.

Sara
So even like, you know, with this incorporating writing into your small group lesson, like one of the things you could have your students do, is after they’ve read a text, you could have them summarize it, so they’re writing, but then the next time you come back to your small group table, have them go through the writing process of their summary, and have them revise it and look at the word choice and look at like, you know, the voice that they used, and are they being too synced? Did they organize it in the right way?

Sara
So it’s like, they’re still focusing on the comprehension of the text. But you’re also then bringing in some of these other writing skills as well. So just small things you can do to like highlight writing during small group. And like I said, it’s going to elevate both reading and writing. I love that.

Sara
Okay, the fourth tip, and this was the hardest one for me, this probably took me like years to figure out. But the fourth one is to structure your small group to give students time to practice. And when I think back to like, when I started small groups, I mean, first of all, I was like, Yeah, I finally started small groups, were making progress. But my small group lessons would look something like this, right?

Sara
Like my students would come to the table, I would tell them what we were going to focus on, I would, you know, teach them a lesson, and we would talk about it a whole lot. And then before you know it, I would look down at my watch, and I’m like, oh, and time’s up, go back to your desks. And we’ll focus on this next time.

Sara
And I realized that like, my students, were coming to my table, mostly to hear me talk about whatever it is that we like, had already taught whole group, or we were going to do in our small group, but they never got time to practice. And there was so much teacher talk that was happening. And ultimately, like, if we want our students to be successful, they have to practice whatever it is that we are teaching them that like they’re never going to improve if they’re never actually practicing, or manipulating or discussing or talking.

Sara
So you really need to think about how are you setting up your small group lessons? And how are you allocating the time to make sure that students get time to practice while they’re at your small group table? Because the goal of the small group is so that they can practice and do something and you are there to provide support and feedback as needed, right. So that way you can provide like the immediate correction if your students need it. But that took me a really long time to figure out.

Sara
So one of the things that I like to do, and I encourage my teachers to use this, but it is a very, it’s I refer to it as like the 4-T framework for teaching small group and it’s a super simple structure that you can use to like plan your lessons, especially if you’re like just getting started and you’re not sure how to structure your lesson. Just think of the 4-Ts.

Sara
So the first thing is you’re going to target so you’re going to spend like one to two minutes and you’re going to sort of like identify the target of your small group. And this could be like a phonics skill that you’re going to work on decoding. This could be, you know, vocabulary that you’re going to, you know, work on, this could be a comprehension skill, this could be a specific genre, this could be summarizing the text, whatever it is, like you’re going to target. So you’re gonna let your students know what they’re doing and why it’s going to help them grow as readers.

Sara
And then the second thing you do is you’re going to teach, you’re going to teach for like one to two minutes. So like, it’s supposed to be short, because if you think about it, small group is not necessarily new learning, it should be a review of something that they’ve already taught whole group. So you don’t have to teach them something for the first time, you’re just reminding them of the process or the questions or the key point. And you know, if you can bring in like an anchor chart, or a visual or an example, or you know, a bookmark with questions, something to like, help them, but it’s short.

Sara
And then you get to the tackle, which is like the bulk of your small group lesson. And I always like to make this like eight to 10 minutes. And this is where your students are going to go through and they’re actually going to apply and practice whatever it is that you are focusing on. So it might be manipulating words in a word sort, it might be reading, you know, a paragraph or a text, it might be answering some questions, whatever it is, your students need to be doing the work.

Sara
And then the very last thing is the transfer. And this is where it’s gonna be around two to three minutes. And this is where you’re going to, you know, either review what is your students were working on or kind of bring it back to together and discuss, you know, as a group, but then you’re going to sort of remind them and let them know, like, okay, you’ve practiced this year. Now, this is what it’s going to look like when you continue to practice this.

Sara
And you’re gonna kind of like empower them with a little pep talk to be like, you’ve got this, you’ve done well, here now, like, go forth and do this every time.

Emily/Heidi
We love lists around here. Can you just give us those 4-Ts one more time, so everyone can remember?

Sara
Yeah, absolutely. So it is going to be target your skill for the small group, teach that specific skill to your students, tackle. This is where the students are doing the work, so the students are going to tackle that skill independently, will you provide support, and then the fourth one is transfer where you’re going to help them transfer that to their independent learning moving forward after the group.

Emily/Heidi
That is a magical way to look at small groups.

Sara
It helped me and I know it helps other teachers, because sometimes you’d have to be like, okay, like, how many minutes do I have here? You know, it’s like teachers have so much going on. So I think anytime that you can create a system or a procedure, it’s just going to help eliminate your you don’t have to think about it like you can sort of like make your small groups run on autopilot when you have a system.

Emily/Heidi
So good. We’re not paying you enough for this content.

Sara
Hey, if it’s helping teachers, I’m here for it.

Emily/Heidi
Okay, and what are your last two steps are up to five and six?

Sara
Absolutely. So the fifth one, I think this is most fun for like, teachers, but students for that matter. But you want to make it fun, right? Like you want to think about how can you make your small groups fun, because, you know, we talked about how small groups are going to be like this magical time with your students. But if it’s going to be magical and effective, your students need to be excited to show up and do the work.

Sara
So you want to just think about how can you do something during your small group time that is special for that part of your instructional day. So maybe you’re playing some music in the background that you only play during small group time, maybe you have some like, you know, you turn the lights off, and you have special lamps that you turn on. Or maybe you have a silly hat that you wear, or your students have.

Sara
I mean, we always like in lower elementary, I know it’s like kids wear goggles, or they have those whisper phones or those magic pointers. But like upper elementary kids love that stuff as well. Or even something like start your small group lesson with like a joke every day, you know, anything that just makes it like a fun experience for the students. And I think part of that, too, is like really highlighting and celebrating the progress and the growth that they have made.

Sara
Especially if you happen to be like an upper elementary teacher who is backtracking and working on some of those early on foundational skills, like students want to see the growth that they have made and understand that I’m getting benefit out of this small group. So consider how you can make your small group time fine.

Sara
And then the sixth tip is making sure that you are spending time assessing to make sure that your small group instruction is working because you don’t want to do small groups if they’re not providing a return. So you have to make sure that it’s like okay, how do I know that these are working?

Sara
And you can look for evidence in so many ways, like maybe you see an increase on their weekly assessments that you’re giving them, you know, maybe you’re doing a benchmark assessment and you see growth in that area, maybe you’re doing a running record of some sorts, you might even just see growth and like the students confidence and their excitement around reading, but definitely look for evidence of growth.

Sara
At some point. You know, after you’ve been focusing on something in a small group, you want to make sure that your students are actually mastering that specific skill.

Emily/Heidi
Those steps are so great. Yeah, absolutely. We love surprise and delight. That’s one thing we talked about on our podcast. And so I had never thought of incorporating that into small group because I was just always kind of like down to business. But yeah, if you can add something to just elevate the experience, your kids will just get so much more out of it because they’re gonna be invested in it.

Emily/Heidi
And then again, it’s so important to look form is this helping? Like, are they making the growth that I want them to be making from what I’m doing? Because if not either, you need to find a different way to address it, maybe you need to restructure your groups. If it’s not helping, it’s not worth doing.

Sara
You got better things to do.

Emily/Heidi
We have to make sure that we are assessing to make sure that really all of these moving pieces have a purpose, and that it’s serving the purpose that I need it to. So that’s so important. Thank you for sharing all of those. Absolutely.

Emily/Heidi
And what would you say before we finish up? What would you say to a teacher who is waiting into small groups for the first time, and they are feeling a little overwhelmed. They just got super jazzed about hearing all of your steps, and they want to do it, but they’re feeling a little overwhelmed. What would you say to them?

Sara
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think first of all, it’s completely valid to feel overwhelmed. You know, starting small groups, I feel like is a huge, like, when you do that, like, as a teacher, you’re like, Okay, we are in it now, you know, like we are there. So if you are getting started, like and you feel overwhelmed, first of all, that is okay, completely normal. But I think like don’t let the overwhelm paralyze you.

Sara
So start small, but you have to get started. Like, if you ever want your small groups to be the most amazing and like beneficial part of your instructional day, you have to start so that way, you eventually have something that you can refine. And so maybe you start by just pulling one small group a day, you know it, because if you’re pulling one small group a day, that’s 15-20 minutes, you can give your students an assigned like a teacher assigned task or assignment.

Sara
So you don’t have to worry about setting up centers, you don’t have to worry about them building their stamina for independent reading, like give them an assignment that they know how to do. So the majority of your class is engaged in something to where you have time, then to pull one small group a day. And start with that and do that for a couple of weeks.

Sara
And then when you feel like you’re comfortable managing a small group, and that your kids are sort of used to this, then maybe you start pulling two small groups, and then maybe you’re like, Okay, we’re gonna try the center thing, you know, and you just add on to it. But you have to get started if you ever want to improve your small group system.

Emily/Heidi
We are personally guilty of being the type of teachers that are like, if I can’t do it perfect, I don’t even want to. So our personal, our personal mantra is, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. And that is, that is the perfect application for this right here of just don’t just start I love that.

Sara
And it’s hard. You know, I think it can be hard, but just like put a date on the calendar and be like, alright, we’re doing this.

Emily/Heidi
Yep, dive in. And let us know how it goes. We would love to hear about that. Yes. Well, we like to end our podcast episodes with a teacher approved tip, do you have a tip that you can share with our listeners of something small and actionable that they can implement in their classrooms?

Sara
Absolutely. So I am always looking for like, how can teachers save time, because we know that like the time is something that teachers never have enough. So one of the things that I did and I encourage teachers to do, especially around small groups, is look for ways that you can repurpose your texts and materials for multiple small group lessons.

Sara
I think we have this like idea that it’s like, Okay, I’ve got I have to have a new, like a new text for every lesson or a new words or for every lesson or a new, like, whatever it is. But it’s like, okay, if you think about especially like, you know, in upper elementary, you can take one text, and you could, I mean, approach that text from so many different angles, whether it is a vocabulary or practicing fluency, or, you know, digging into like, the actual content of it, or looking at the organization and the structure.

Sara
I mean, you know, there’s so many ways that you can approach it. So rather than constantly looking for like new materials and new texts, just think about like, okay, how can I repurpose this one text for multiple lessons? I also think that gives students an opportunity just to really like dig deep into the content of the text to where they’re then also like growing their knowledge, but also working on these like literacy standards as well.

Emily/Heidi
That is such a great tip. Thank you.

Sara
And then it’s less copies to make, too.

Emily/Heidi
Oh absolutely. Even better.

Sara
Less time at the copier is always a win.

Emily/Heidi
Yes. Sara where can our audience find you?

Sara
Absolutely. So I am the host of the Stellar Teacher Podcast. I have new episodes that come out every Monday. So if you found these tips helpful, come over and take a listen. I’m also on Instagram at @thestellarteachercompany. And I love connecting with teachers. So if you have questions about small group or anything related to literacy, literally send me a DM we can chat all about it. It just makes my day when I hear from teachers. So don’t be shy.

Emily/Heidi
And I want to endorse your podcast because I really enjoy it I’m a listener.

Sara
So good. Thank you.

Emily/Heidi
Thank you so much for being here, Sara.

Sara
Absolutely. This is a fun conversation. Thanks for having me, guys.