You may already use small groups or station rotations in your classroom—one group with you, another working independently, and a third tackling enrichment. That structure is powerful: it builds collaboration and gives you time to circulate.

But targeted small-group instruction is a little different. It’s not just about how students are arranged, it’s about why they’re grouped. In targeted small groups, you bring students together based on data: specific needs, patterns, or misconceptions you’ve actually seen in their work. It’s instruction driven by evidence, not activities.

Even when you know it’s valuable, getting started can feel like one more thing. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Here are three common reasons you might hesitate to launch small group instruction and a few ways to make it easier.

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“I don’t have time to make new groups every week.”

You don’t have to. The ASSISTments Assignment Report does the grouping for you. After an assignment, open the report and look for clusters of students who struggled with the same skills or problem types. You can analyze it a few different ways:

Sort the overall score from lowest to highest. This gives you a quick snapshot of who might need reteaching and who’s ready for extension.
Sort by problem score. Look for items that tripped up large portions of the class—those become perfect talking points for your small groups.
Check for common wrong answers. If multiple students selected the same incorrect option, they’re likely sharing a misconception worth unpacking together.
Switch to ‘Standards view’. By toggling to this option, you can group students by the specific learning goal or concept where they need support, rather than by the overall assignment.

In just a few clicks, you can form small groups using the new Student Groups feature based on real learning needs with minimal effort. No spreadsheets, manual sorting, or lengthy data dialogues required.

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"I’m not sure what to do once the groups are formed"

You don’t need to pull every student into a small group, just the ones whose data show they need intervention right now. Use your small group time wisely and keep it focused.

What to do with your small group:

Use whiteboards, dry erase markers on desks, or paper and pencil instead of tech so you can watch students’ thinking unfold in real time.

Select one or two problems from your Assignment Report that best represent the trend you noticed. Guide the group through them by asking:
• What do you notice here?
• Where might the thinking have gone off track?
• What’s still confusing?

Encourage each student to explain their reasoning, whether it’s correct or not. When students talk through their thinking, you gain insight into where the confusion really lies, and they gain insight and validation from one another.

After the discussion, give the group a new, similar problem aligned to the same standard to solve together on their whiteboards or paper. Once they finish, you can decide what comes next. They could complete an ASSISTments Skill Builder for additional practice and confidence building, or transition back into the class’s ongoing assignment or activity for the day.

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“What about the rest of my class while I’m with a small group?”

This might be the biggest concern of all. You can’t focus on your small group if you’re constantly putting out fires elsewhere. The key is setting clear routines, assigning the right kind of work, and practicing the process until it feels natural.

To start, keep it simple. Everyone in the class could be working on the same task while you meet with a small group. That task should meet three key criteria:

Students can do it with little to no support. Choose something within their current skill set so they don’t need you every few minutes.
It lasts long enough for you to pull at least one group. Think about how long you need for your targeted small groups and how long your students can work without you. You can build this muscle throughout the year, but for now, start small.
It connects to the learning goal. The task reinforces today’s concept, extends yesterday’s learning, or previews what’s coming next.

Some examples include:

Completing an assignment or practice set in ASSISTments that reviews a recently taught concept. Make sure students have access to the supports (don’t use test mode).
Watching a short video that introduces the next lesson and taking notes using a provided template.
Working on curriculum items with paper and pencil.

The key is engagement. Know your students well enough to select something they can access independently and that feels meaningful and not like busy work. When students understand why they’re doing something, they’re more likely to stay focused.

Once you’ve planned the task, set the tone with clear expectations.

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Expectations for Targeted Small Group Instruction

Work the whole time. Everyone has a job to do.
Use your resources. Check hints in ASSISTments, notes, anchor charts, or peers before asking me for help.
Use a quiet voice. Keep volume low so others can focus.
Solve first, then ask. Try before seeking help or using a hint.
Show your thinking. Whether online or on paper, make your thinking visible.

If you post these expectations, model them, and practice the transitions, your small group time will quickly feel smoother and more productive. The goal isn’t silence, but rather independence and meaningful engagement.

Start Simple

Targeted small group instruction isn’t a huge shift, it’s a mindset. It’s moving from “I think my students get it” to “I know exactly who needs what, and why.”

When you start using your data to form groups and respond to what students actually need, small groups stop feeling like “one more thing.” They become the thing that makes the rest of your teaching more powerful.

Remember: start small. Open your latest ASSISTments Assignment Report, notice one clear pattern, and pull one group. You’ll be surprised how much clarity (and confidence!) can come from that single step.

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View Your Assignment Report →

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