The Art of Primary School Teaching in Small Groups

It seems that primary education is constantly evolving, and one type of new teaching style that holds a lot of potential for putting the students at the centre of their own learning is small group instruction. 

This has played a very successful role for tutors in Canberra and in this article we will start to look at this lesser-known form of tutoring Canberra now offers.

The Essence of Personalised Learning

In a small group, teachers can drill down into the learning needs of each child. Here, students become the centre of a learning universe, each tailored to their level and emotional and social needs — their personality. 

Students can have their voice; their thoughts are valuable. Their potential is nurtured.

Engagement and Interaction

Small groups make it more likely that students will engage in more activities with a feeling of community and belonging.

Instead of showing their individual work or presenting facts, the teacher functions more as a pathfinder.

They lead and offer suggestions, making it more conducive to have students share their thoughts and questions, feeling they are in a safe place, their discourse welcomed and valued.

Social Skills and Collaboration

Small group teaching is a great environment for learning the soft skills you need for life — you might work with people all your life, however, if your teachers didn’t model good group work, you might think that it’s an environment where everyone is out for themselves, full of tedious group work and microaggressions.

At school, students learn to work collaboratively with their peers, negotiate and compromise, and support each other, all while building empathy, learning different ways of thinking, and learning to express their own views in a constructive way.

Assessment and Feedback

A closer look at each student’s work allows teachers to give immediate feedback – essential to good learning – as well as to assess ongoing progress. 

Working with small groups enables teachers to see when students have gaps in learning – and to address them in real-time. 

In other words, it enables teaching to be responsive, moving students forward at all times.

Curriculum Enrichment

With students in smaller groups, teachers can enrich the curriculum by introducing additional materials and activities but that are relevant to the students’ groups interests.

Plus, it would enhance the learning experience whether it is a project, game or using technology and media.​

Challenges and Strategies

Small group teaching can be really effective but can also be challenging. You can struggle with the other students while teaching a group.

Use strategies when you want your children to do something, make it an engaging type of work for your students to do independently, and teach your students routines so they can succeed at certain activities without you always having to stop and support them.

Now we thought we’d move on and break everything down:

Breaking Down the 5 Biggest Benefits of Small Group Teaching

As we have already touched upon, small group instruction is now a fundamental part of primary school tutoring Canberra offers, as it comes with proven methods. 

This type of teaching typically offers a much more focused learning experience and individualised attention to differentiated needs than a large class. Here, we outline the five key benefits of small group instruction.

1. Individualised Attention
   
   As a small class teacher, you can both give individual attention to each student and have a better understanding of each child’s learning style, strengths, and difficulties, thus better adjusting your instruction to enhance its learning effect. 

   As many people involved in education would agree, there can be ‘no compromise’ between a large class and quality teaching.
   

2. Enhanced Social Skills

   It is important for students to work together with each other in working in group because by doing that they need to have the opportunity to develop the social aking skills to collaborate, listen and respect to their different opinion between each other so it can help them to have a more pleasant academic and personal life when they grow up with these disciplines.
   

3. Increased Participation
   Small-group formats are conducive to more participation by all students. 

   In small groups with fewer students, many students feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas or asking questions, which, in turn, enhances and enriches class discussion.

4. Focused Learning
   
   The elimination of distractions through small group instruction makes learning more focused and intentional. 

   Teachers see misconceptions more easily and can quickly correct them. The whole process becomes more efficient and effective.
   

5. Flexibility in Teaching
   
   It is in small groups that teachers can vary their instructional strategies most effectively, moving from one type to another based on what they feel is the best strategy and is most successful for particular students learning. 

   It may involve hands-on activities, games, or other activities that can be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum you are teaching. 

   So there you have it. It's easy to find private tutors near me, as here we are. Our tutors in Canberra are vastly experienced across several topics and levels. So, fill out the Contact form and say hello, let’s find out how we can help.

Summary:

Primary School Tutoring in Canberra involves small group instruction, which is an important tool in the primary setting. It provides some of the best private tutoring Canberra can offer. Attention to each student increases participation, boosts social skills, provides an opportunity for undivided attention, and catered teaching enhances learning for all right now. After-school primary school teaching is very popular. If you’ve been thinking, “why can’t I find tutoring near me?”. Don’t worry, you’ve found us!