Reflection

It is appropriate to use small group instruction when the teacher wants to focus more
about a topic that may be easier taught with a group of three to six students. It can also be used
engage students into a new skill or a new concept. I think that a small group lesson is appropriate
for an early childhood classroom because it is easier for the teacher to focus on a smaller group
of children rather than the whole class. In a small-group setting, the teacher can give each child
more attention and can provide support and challenges tailored to childrens individual needs
(Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p. 40).
For my small group lesson, I used teaching strategies by giving directions to the students
on what to do, providing information on the activity, asking questions to activate their prior
knowledge, acknowledging the students answers, and giving them specific feedback. I told the
students that we will be doing an activity about plants and what we eat. As I started the lesson, I
asked the students if they knew that we actually eat plants and I asked them if they can name
some. The students shared their answers and we had a little discussion on plants that we eat.
According to Lemlech (2010), Small groups also enable students to learn from each other and to
develop respect for each other (p. 63).
I think that my lesson is developmentally appropriate for the students because it was a
hands on activity and I allowed the students to work together. According to Copple and
Bredekamp (2009), giving children opportunity to engage in conversations with peers and solve
problems collaboratively is another major benefit of the small-group experience (p.40). I
believe that my lesson was effective because I related the topic to the students daily lives by
connecting it to what they eat.
Overall, I think that my small group lesson went well. The students were able to work
together in order to complete the chart. I also think that the students were surprised by how many
plants they eat. However, one thing that did not go well was having them draw the plant. The

students argued over who was going to draw it and some of the drawings were too small. In order
to change this, I would draw a plant, such as a flower, and then have the students label the parts
and so the rest of the activity. I chose Describe structures of plants (e.g., roots, leaves, stems,
flowers, seeds) (LS-E-A3) as my standard. The students met this standard because they were
able to describe the structures of the plants on their own and they became familiar with the
different parts of the plants that we eat.