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Grouping students for explicit teaching

Flexible grouping: A definition

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An instructional strategy where students are grouped together to receive appropriately challenging instruction.

True flexible grouping permits students to move in and out of various grouping patterns, depending on the course content.

Grouping can be determined by ability, size, and/or interest

www.nagc.org/index.aspx

Flexible grouping

When I think of flexible grouping, I picture working with sand castles that the tide will

wash away.

I think of ability-grouping as working with concrete to build permanent foundations meant

to withstand change.

Opitz, Michael (2005)Empowering the reader in every child

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Activity

Work with a partner.

Divide the reading into two sections:

1. Grouping Options and Teaching strategies (pages 2-3)

2.Flexible grouping in action (pages 3-4)

Share key understandings.

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Flexible grouping in action

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Groupingoptions

Teaching strategiesCut-apart

CRAVariedmode

Pairedreading

Genrestudy

Textset

Random X X   X    

Social or cooperative

  X X X X X

Interest     X X X X

Task X   X X    

Knowledge of subject

      X X X

Skill/ strategy

X   X     X

Student choice

     X X X X

Nine reasons for using flexible grouping

1. To ensure that all learners feel part of the community.

2. To help children better understand what they have read.

3. To enable students to work cooperatively with a wide variety of peers.

4. To help students feel more involved in their learning.

5. To capitalize on the research that supports the use of grouping as a way to engage students with appropriate instruction and materials.

Opitz, Michael (2005)Empowering the reader in every child

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Nine reasons for using flexible grouping

6. To offset the effects of ability grouping.

7. To help the majority of students by using time efficiently.

8. To provide for individual differences using open-ended assignments.

9. To accomplish the goals of a reading program and address national reading and language arts standards

Opitz, Michael

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Do I need to use flexible groups?

If after analysing pre-assessment data, no powerful differences exist among students, flexible grouping is not necessary.

Flexible grouping is necessary if, after analysing pre-assessment data, significant differences exist among students with respect to: interests; learning style preferences; expression style preferences; prior knowledge /readiness to learn.

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Flexible grouping

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• Grouping based on formative assessment

• Short periods of time• Targeted instructional

strategy• Formative assessment

used to determine effectiveness

• Groups will vary

• Permanent• Same instruction as

large group• Tracking• Extra work• Repetitive worksheets• Round Robin reading• Drill, drill, drill

What is it ? What is it not ?

• Fluid

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Flexible grouping is the heart of differentiated

instruction

Heacox, Diane (2001) Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom

What is Differentiation?

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Differentiated instruction, also called differentiation, is a process through which teachers enhance learning by matching student characteristics to instruction and assessment.

Differentiated instruction allows all students to access the same classroom curriculum by providing entry points, learning tasks, and outcomes that are tailored to students' needs.Hall, Strangman, & Meyer, 2003

Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy, but rather an approach to instruction that incorporates a variety of strategies.Access Centre, 2004

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What is Differentiation?

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increasingly proficient in understanding their students as individuals,

increasingly comfortable with the meaning and structure of the disciplines they teach, and

increasingly expert at teaching flexibility in order to match instruction to student need with the goal of maximizing the potential of each learner in a given area.

Differentiated instruction is responsive instruction.It occurs as teachers become:

Carol Ann Tomlinson, 2003

Key principles that support differentiation …

1. A differentiated classroom is flexible.

2. Differentiation of instruction stems from effective and ongoing assessment of learner needs.

3. Flexible grouping helps ensure student access to a wide variety of learning opportunities and working arrangements.

4. All students consistently work with “respectful” activities and learning arrangements.

5. Students and teachers are collaborators in learning.

Tomlinson & Allan, 2000

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In conclusion

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Student grouping is not an

organisational structure, but a teaching strategy.

Bibliography

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Access Center. (2004). Differentiated Instruction for Reading. Washington D.C.: Author

Heacox, Diane (2001) Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom

Opitz, M. (2005) Empowering the reader in every child: The case for flexible grouping when teaching reading.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2003). Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.