Start with the instructional target
Choose the standard or skill students are working toward this week. Avoid creating groups from broad labels such as high, middle, and low.
Small-group instruction
How to group students for small-group instruction.
Small groups work best when every group has a clear reason to exist. Use a current skill need, select students who need a similar response, and decide what success will look like before the group begins.
14 days free. Continue for $12.99/month or $99/year only if you choose to upgrade.
USE THE REPORTS YOU ALREADY HAVE
Your scores are collected. Your next teaching step should be clearer.
Use supported IXL Score Grid, MAP Growth, aimswebPlus, and classroom assessment exports alongside rosters and curriculum maps. Review learner matches and available evidence before using a suggested group or teaching plan. Accepted formats vary by report.
New beta paths: Star, i-Ready, and mCLASS / DIBELS
Selected CSV or Excel layouts for Star Reading & Math, i-Ready Diagnostic, and mCLASS / DIBELS can provide screening, domain, placement, or benchmark context. Format coverage and the full upload-to-recommendation workflow are still being verified.
These are file imports, not direct vendor connections. Diagnostic scores do not establish mastery of an individual standard or automatically place students in an intervention.
Use current evidence
Look at recent assessment items, exit tickets, work samples, practice data, and other aligned evidence. The closer the evidence is to the target skill, the more useful it is for grouping.
Match the group to a teaching move
A small group should answer what you will do differently.
- Reteach a prerequisite
- Model and practice the current skill
- Provide a scaffold and fade it
- Extend the skill through transfer or deeper application
Plan the exit from the group
Decide what students will produce or demonstrate. Use that evidence to regroup instead of carrying the same roster forward automatically.
How it works
Your report shows a score. Your next lesson still needs a plan.
Stop rebuilding groups and teaching plans from scattered reports. Review the evidence, choose a focused teaching move, and keep a record of the support you provide.
Bring the evidence
Use assessment results, classroom evidence, curriculum pacing, standards, and the class context you already work with.
Find the priority
Identify the skill and students that need attention now instead of stopping at a score report.
Make the next move
Choose support, targeted instruction, extension, or another evidence check—and verify what changed.
Related teacher guides
Keep turning evidence into instruction.
Explore practical guides for grouping, assessment analysis, and next-step planning.
Frequently asked
Common questions
What is the best way to form small groups?
Form groups around a specific current instructional need and use recent aligned evidence to decide who needs the same response.
Should small groups stay the same all quarter?
No. Flexible groups should change when student evidence changes.
Can MasteryCue help plan small groups?
MasteryCue is designed to identify skill priorities and flexible student groups, then connect each group to a practical instructional next step.