The groups are small because all teachers and assistants lead a reading group. In the groups students read orally and learn how to clarify and comprehend anything they read for 45 minutes each day. Students use the Reading Formula to decode any word they don't know. They are not allowed to guess or call out. They must use their skills to figure out words independently.
Students learn how to use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other reference materials.
The Learning Formula and it's process is used here in dialog groups and across the curriculum as students process any information with which they are dealing. Formula Three works so well is that every teacher and every staff is using the same approach. The same skills and system for decoding are reinforced in every grade. In fact, last year an outside evaluator who works with many school systems across the state gave our school the highest rating on personnel deployment that he has ever given. All teachers, including the guidance counselor, the librarian, the PE teacher and all assistants are trained and are assigned dialog groups.