Post on 20-Dec-2015
Grouping for Reading Grouping for Reading InstructionInstruction
Grouping for Reading Grouping for Reading InstructionInstruction
Teaching Reading in a Teaching Reading in a Mixed-ability ClassroomMixed-ability Classroom
There are four basic questions teachers tend
to ask:• How do I decide which children to
put in which groups?• How many groups do I need?• How large should the groups be?• How often should I change the
groups?
Flexible grouping solves many grouping dilemmas.
Flexible grouping refers to having students work in a variety of differently mixed groups that are drawn together for a specific purpose.
How to assign students to groups
• Randomly when the reason is primarily management or forming groups of equal size.
• Interest when student interest in a topic is the motivating reason for learning about a topic.
• Skill and/or instructional need when you need to teach a skill or strategy to a group of students.
Use whole group/class to
• Introduce a unit, a new book or a new strategy, e.g., using dictionary guidewords
• Planning• Build community• Tap prior knowledge (e.g., K-W-L)• Closure
Use (teacher-led) small groups to:
•Provide focused instruction
•Guided practice•Guided reading•Some types of assessments
Use (student-led) small groups for
•Shared tasks•Collaborative responses•Shared reading, e.g.,
literature circles•Shared writing
Use dyads and one-on-one to:
• Buddy read• Shared tasks• Supported
practice—think Vygotsky and the ZPD
• Tutoring
• Independent practice
• Individual assessment, e.g., running record
• One-on-one instruction
Some things to remember about
grouping• NO group should stay together all
year.• No grouping scheme should feel like
a permanent sentence for teacher or student
• Grouping can change within a lesson.• Groups should stay together only
long enough to achieve an instructional purpose.
One myth about grouping must be eradicated…
Just say NO to homogeneous grouping in reading.
Homogeneous reading groups