Flexible Grouping Woodmont School Established Fall 2012
To utilize flexible and varied grouping practices that enhance the opportunity to receive extended, comprehensive, expanded, intensive, enriched and/or accelerated curricula at all instructional levels.
Enrichment VS. Acceleration Enrichment refers to "learning activities providing depth and breadth to regular teaching according to the child's abilities and needs" (Townsend, 1996). Enrichment activities are normally in addition to and different from the regular classroom activities by way of offering challenge.
Enrichment VS. Acceleration Acceleration is instruction that aligns gifted and talented students' abilities and learning needs more closely to the curriculum. "In practice, acceleration occurs when children are exposed to new content at an earlier age than other children or when they cover the same content in less time" (Townsend, 1996). Thus, acceleration differentiates the timing of introduction of content and/or the rate of coverage.
Grouping to Meet the Needs of all Students Students are different from each other and challenged when provided programming at the appropriate level of instruction Teachers must look at each student individually. Flexible Grouping for the delivery of instruction is the cornerstone of appropriate differentiation for all students in order to receive the appropriate challenge, support, and preparation for success, both current and future.
When does grouping facilitate instruction? When it: allows both for quick mastery of information and ideas allows for additional exploration by students needing more time for mastery allows for both collaborative and independent work gives students and teachers a voice in work arrangements allows students to work with a wide variety of peers encourages teachers to try out students in a variety of work settings keeps students from being pegged as advanced or struggling
When does grouping benefit students? When the task requires input from different types of learning styles and perspectives. When it allows all students to be engaged in real learning in order to challenge or support them.
PRE-ASSESSMENT The purpose of pre-assessment is to determine what students know about a topic before it is taught. Pre-assessment will help the teachers determine flexible grouping patterns and will be used prior to each unit of study.
A three step process is implemented by the teacher: Pre-assess content to be studied Modify learning activities so that students receive instruction in what they do not know.regardless of the group they are in. Any deficits will be taught and evidence of mastery will be demonstrated. Provide alternate learning activities that offer meaningful and challenging enrichment and/or teaching or re-teaching.
Examples of activities that may occur in the various groups All students are offered tasks that are equally interesting, equally important, and equally engaging and respect the appropriate levels or needs of each student. During a unit on fractions, a 3rd grade class is learning to read, write, or represent halves, thirds, or fourths of a set or region using symbols, words, or models.
Example: For an enrichment group A pre-assessment indicates that a group of students has already mastered this indicator. If the indicator was not mastered, the teacher will teach the lesson(s) and reassess for mastery throughout the unit. The teacher plans activities for this group to enrich these skills through the application of activities. An example of an activity may look like this: The children may use pictures from a magazine to create word problems using halves, thirds, and fourths on a poster. They will use the pictures to show how to solve each problem. Teachers may plan several mini-activities throughout the unit or a long term activity or a combination of both. After enrichment ~ this group could begin working on fractions through tenths which is a fourth grade skill (Acceleration).
Example: Having Respectful Tasks For Reteach & On Grade Groups Students will use a shopping advertisement for the following assignments: Reteach group might need to count bills and coins and put them together to find a total shown in the advertisement. On grade group might use coins and bills to solve and/ or create a problem based on the shopping advertisement.
Post-Assessment/Homework A successful end product and/or the fulfilling of the pre-stated objective. Homework will be assigned at the teacher s discretion and will be based on the skills being taught in that unit. Post-assessment/homework may vary from group to group.
The use of Flexible Grouping assures Success for Every Student. Questions????