Flexible Grouping for Literacy in the Elementary Grades

Flexible Grouping for Literacy in the Elementary Grades
Author: Marguerite C. Radencich
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Total Pages: 200
Release: 1995
Genre: Education
ISBN:

An in-depth look at ability grouping in elementary school reading and language arts programs. Offering a variety of models, strategies, and classroom experiences, it provides practical suggestions and resources for educators interested in moving to or enhancing their use of flexible grouping for reading instruction. The authors describe programs that have proved successful in preventing reading problems, outline models that have been successfully implemented, and provide guidelines for linking assessment to instruction. Throughout, they report on the experiences of teachers and children involved in these programs. Elementary Teachers, Supervisors, and Administrators. A Longwood Professional Book.

Differentiation Through Flexible Grouping

Differentiation Through Flexible Grouping
Author: Michael P. Ford
Publisher:
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:

There always has been a problem with grouping practices in reading programs. The complexity of the interaction between readers, texts, and the contexts in which reading takes place often is ignored by educational decisions that suggest that one program, set of materials, instructional technique, or grouping arrangement can address the needs of all students in a classroom. Common sense and personal experiences suggests that one size rarely fits all. A single instructional response to a group of diverse learners often means that the teaching technique will help some while it ignores others. Furthermore, the exclusive use of the single instructional technique over time will magnify that flaw. Flexible grouping emerged as a practice to address these concerns. It acknowledges that all grouping patterns--large groups, small groups, teams, partners, and individuals-- have value because they all offer the reader slightly different experiences with different outcomes. Flexible grouping was defined by Radencich and McKay (1995) as "grouping that is not static where members of the reading group change frequently" (p.11). For example students may work with a partner, in a small cooperative or teacher-led group, or with the whole class. The basis for the grouping may be students' interests or needs. Typically, flexible grouping may revolve around a core grade-level selection read by an entire class or around an individual trade-book program. Teachers attempting flexible grouping recognize that reading achievement is a function not only of the text, but also of the conditions that surround the learning situation. [This report was provided by Learning Point Associates.] (Contains 4 tables.).

The Flexible ELA Classroom

The Flexible ELA Classroom
Author: Amber Chandler
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2016-09-13
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1317189655

Find out how to differentiate your middle school ELA instruction so that all students can become better readers, writers, and critical thinkers. Author Amber Chandler invites you into her classroom and shows how you can adjust your lessons to suit different learning needs while still meeting state standards and keeping your students accountable. She provides a wide variety of helpful tools and strategies, ranging from easy options that you can try out immediately to deeper-integration ideas that will reshape your classroom as a flexible, personalized learning environment. Topics include: Using choice boards and menus to teach vocabulary, reading, and presentation skills in fun and interactive ways; Grouping students strategically to maximize learning outcomes and encourage collaboration; Making vocabulary learning interesting and memorable with visual aids, tiered lists, and personalized word studies; Designing your own Project Based Learning lessons to unleash your students’ creativity; Assessing students’ progress without the use of one-size-fits-all testing; And more! Bonus: downloadable versions of some of the rubrics and handouts in this book are available on the Routledge website at http://www.routledge.com/9781138681040. Also, check out the book’s website, doyoudifferentiate.com, for additional articles and strategies.

A Teacher's Guide to Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning

A Teacher's Guide to Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning
Author: Dina Brulles
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2018-12-18
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1631982850

Master flexible grouping and differentiation strategies to challenge every learner, every day. Grouping learners purposefully throughout the school day based on their needs and the curriculum remains the single best way to differentiate instruction. This award-winning guide will help teachers expertly use flexible grouping and differentiation strategies to respond to students’ diverse learning needs, abilities, and interests. Included are methods for creating groups based on assessment data, planning group lessons and tiered assignments, engaging learners at all levels, supporting personalized learning, grading collaborative work, and communicating with parents about the benefits of groupwork and productive struggle. Digital content contains all forms from the book and a PDF presentation. A free online PLC/Book Study Guide is available at freespirit.com/PLC.

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms
Author: Carol A. Tomlinson
Publisher: ASCD
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2001
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0871205122

Offers a definition of differentiated instruction, and provides principles and strategies designed to help teachers create learning environments that address the different learning styles, interests, and readiness levels found in a typical mixed-ability classroom.

Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone?

Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone?
Author: JoAnne Schudt Caldwell
Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2002
Genre: Education
ISBN:

There is more to grouping readers than the traditional grouping by ability with each level not so cleverly disguised by names like bluebirds, redbirds, and crows. Flexible grouping allows teachers to address today's increasingly diverse classrooms and their diverse needs. In this practical, hands-on guidebook, JoAnne Schudt Caldwell and Michael P. Ford describe a variety of grouping patterns and ways to implement them throughout the elementary grades. First they examine the most recent research on grouping practices in reading programs to present a rationale for moving these practices in new directions. Then, using an easily accessible question-and-answer format, they explore the "how to's" of alternative grouping practices, including: whole room instruction small-group formats cooperative grouping working in pairs individualized reading programs. To demonstrate how flexible grouping really works, the authors visit classrooms at different grade levels to capture the stories of teachers who have implemented flexible patterns in their reading programs. Along the way, they discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each pattern so that readers can make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls when implementing a program of their own.

Improving Literacy in America

Improving Literacy in America
Author: Frederick J. Morrison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2008-10-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0300130252

divAn alarmingly high number of American students continue to lack proficiency in reading, math, and science. The various attempts to address this problem have all too often resulted in “silver bullet” solutions such as reducing class size or implementing voucher programs. But as the authors of this critically important book show, improving literacy also requires an understanding of complex and interrelated social issues that shape a child’s learning. More than twenty years of research demonstrate that literacy success is determined by a combination of sociocultural forces including parenting, preschool, classroom instruction, and other factors that have a direct impact on a child’s development. Here, Frederick J. Morrison, Heather J. Bachman, and Carol McDonald Connor present the most up-to-date research on the diverse factors that relate to a child’s literacy development from preschool through early elementary school. Urging greater emphasis on the immediate sources of influence on children, the authors warn against simple, single solutions that ignore other pivotal aspects of the problem. In a concluding chapter, the authors propose seven specific recommendations for improving literacy—recommendations that can make a real difference in American education./DIV