interesting!

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interesting!
By J/IA

I think it is so interesting the conflict between research and what you hear from teachers in the field. I am not one who can quote from this researcher and that, but I absolutely trust the Guided Readers and Writers book,
and know for a fact that the authors are two of the most well-known and well-respected names in language arts instruction, and have been so for many years. I also know they base their model on what has been proven to work. I also wanted to put in my 2 cents about the switching of students between classes. I do not advocate this approach. I believe in small flexible groups for language

arts and for math instruction, but within the walls of the homeroom. I think when we switch kids it takes away from the community we work so hard to create with our homeroom group. They get enough of that in middle school. I don't want to rush into that. It is also too close to looking like we are bordering on what is easiest for the teacher, not what is necessarily best for the children. ALSO, I wanted to clarify that I blend my flexible groups with many other groupings throughout the day--whole class, mixed ability groups, same ability groups, similar interest groups, pairs, you name it. I would never do things just one way--the students deserve to have a variety of experiences throughout the day/week/year.

At a district I taught in two years ago, they REQUIRED flexible grouping. The principal also dialogued with teachers regularly about how that was working, and helped us trouble shoot. Flexible grouping does not equal ability grouping.