Quick Answer
Small groups in Preschool Vibes classrooms are short, focused learning sessions during center time. Groups are based on individual student goals, monthly learning targets, and one-on-one name writing practice.
Small Groups in Preschool
In Jess’s public half-day preschool classroom, students attended four days per week for about three hours per day.
Each day included about one hour of free-choice center time. That is when small groups took place.
Students moved freely through centers using their name tags. When the teacher called a student’s name, the student brought their name tag to the table and joined the group.
At the same time:
• the teacher was running small groups
• the assistant was often pulling students for art
• both adults were still helping manage the classroom
Small groups happened within the classroom flow, not in isolation.
Small Groups Do Not Need to Take the Entire Center Time
A major part of the Preschool Vibes approach is recognizing that preschool teachers are needed all over the room.
It is not realistic to sit and run small groups for a full hour while everything else happens independently.
Preschool teachers are constantly needed for:
• problem solving
• helping with materials
• supporting behavior
• guiding play
• redirecting students
• managing transitions
Because of that, small groups are intentionally short and manageable.
The goal is not to run groups constantly.
The goal is to use the time well.
How Often Students Come to Small Group
Students are usually called to the table one to two times per week.
Sometimes it is just once, and that is okay.
The goal is steady, meaningful practice over time rather than trying to force an unrealistic schedule.
Small groups are kept short so students still have plenty of time for play, exploration, and peer interaction.
The Three Things Small Groups Are Based On
1. Monthly Learning Targets
Jess breaks learning goals down by month and identifies the most important or most foundational skills to focus on during that time.
Small groups may be based on monthly targets such as:
• sorting
• measuring
• patterns
• number recognition
• one-to-one counting
• rhyming
These are often simple, engaging games or activities.
These groups are not always highly targeted. Sometimes they are simply a way to make sure students get repeated exposure to an important monthly skill.
2. Individual Student Goals
At the beginning of the year, each student is assessed.
After those assessments, Jess identifies two goals for each student.
These goals are based on the student’s most important next steps. For example:
• colors
• shapes
• counting
• number recognition
• letter sounds
• name writing
Students with similar goals are often grouped together for small-group games and targeted practice.
For example:
• students working on colors may play a color game together
• students working on number recognition may practice with number activities together
• students working on letter sounds may do a letter sound game together
This helps small groups stay purposeful and responsive to student needs.
3. One-on-One Name Writing
The third focus area during small-group time is individual name writing.
This is not always a true group. Sometimes it is one-on-one work done during the same center-time block.
Students use name-writing packets that are placed in dry-erase sleeves.
At the beginning of the year, many students start with:
• their first letter only
• tracing the first letter
• then writing it independently
As students build skill, they move toward:
• their full first name
• then eventually their last name
This one-on-one practice is important because the focus is not just whether a student can “write” their name. The goal is correct letter formation.
That means some students may spend a long time tracing or practicing just a few letters before moving on.
How Groups Are Chosen
Small groups are flexible and change often.
Jess may group students in different ways depending on the goal:
• students with the same assessment goal
• students practicing the same monthly standard
• individual students needing one-on-one support
Groups are usually small.
Most groups include one to four students, and sometimes up to five.
There is no rigid formula. The group depends on the skill being practiced and what the class needs most at that moment.
Tracking Progress
Jess uses a master assessment checklist to keep track of student progress across the year.
After the first round of assessments:
• scores are recorded
• weaker areas are highlighted
• two to three goals are identified for each student
Later in the year, updated scores are added right next to the original scores so growth is easy to see.
For some skills, small-group tracking may be simple:
• did the student do it or not
For other skills, a scale may be used such as:
• 1
• 2
• 3
For example, in a rhyming small group, students may be scored based on how independently they identified rhyming words. Students who need more practice are pulled again later.
What Small Groups Look Like in Real Life
Small groups in preschool are usually short, active, and focused.
They often look like:
• a quick rhyming game
• a counting activity
• a number recognition game
• a shape or color game
• a dry-erase name writing session
• a targeted practice task based on student goals
These are not long, formal lessons. They are brief teaching moments designed to move students forward.
Why This Approach Works
The Preschool Vibes approach to small groups works because it is realistic.
It recognizes that:
• preschool students still need lots of adult support
• teachers cannot sit for an entire hour doing groups
• meaningful practice matters more than perfect scheduling
• play and small groups can work together in the same classroom block
This allows teachers to provide targeted instruction without losing the flexibility and energy of a play-based preschool classroom.
The Goal of Small Groups
The goal is not to make preschool feel rigid or overly academic.
The goal is to:
• support individual growth
• reinforce important monthly skills
• build strong foundations
• meet students where they are
Small groups are one piece of the Preschool Vibes classroom. They work alongside free-choice centers, interactive lessons, and strong routines to create a balanced preschool day.
The Preschool Vibes Approach
Preschool Vibes is a structured play-based preschool approach designed to build character, independence, and curiosity through engaging lessons, free-choice play, and strong classroom relationships.