Chapter 5 – Flexible Grouping
in Success for All Learners
Presenter: Darren Ellison
Overview
• Frequent movement from
wholeclass/individual/base or random groups
• Careful planning and management
• Teaching social and collaborative skills
Individual, Small-Group, and Whole-Class Work
Working with the whole class:
The whole class is the setting for much _________________, and ____
___ _______ _________ that contributes to a student’s sense of
identity.
Working alone:
Individual work allows students to _________ ___ _______on their
learning, and to ____ ________ ______. Teachers need to _______
_____ _____ for students to work individually at every stage of the
learning and assessment process.
Working in groups:
Group work allows for greater student _________, teaches valuable
_________ and _____ ______, and acknowledges “___ _______
__________ __ __________”
Tasks best done in groups:
• Tasks in which student thinking will be
enriched by the contribution of _______
experiences and points of view
• Problem-solving tasks that require ______
_____ _______
• Broad research tasks in which the group’s
product can be a _________ of the
information contributed by the members.
Flexible Grouping
• Base Groups
– Heterogeneous (change
every 4-6 weeks)
– Small-group
collaboration for group
activities like:
• Listen-Think-Pair-Share,
Co-op Co-op, NumberedHeads-Together
• Random Groups
– Out of base groups into
random for activities
like:
• Lab partners
• Peer-editing
• Think-pair-share
Group Configurations and Instructional Goals
Whole Class Work
Individual Work
Group Work
Instructional Goals/Functions
Learning Strategies
• Provides the learning community that fosters
a sense of identity
• Facilitates direct instruction
• Provides a real audience
• Offers a stimulating setting for discussion
• For discussion of classroom policies,
development of assessment rubrics, and
reflection on group processes
• For mini-lessons, films, and guest speakers
• For introducing and modelling learning strategies
• For student performances and presentations
• For analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and
application of ideas
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Class meetings
Mini-discussion with whole-class audience
SWIM/LAPS
Anticipation Guides
Note-Making Frames
Graphic organizers
Think sheets
Response sheets
Opinion lineups
Think-Pair-Share
KWL Plus
• Provides students with time to revise their
concepts in the face of new information
• Enables students to set and pursue individual
goals
• Allows students to reflect on their learning
and develop metacognition
• Allows students to express their learning in
individual forms
• Provides time for conferences with the
teacher
• To access prior knowledge
• To integrate new information
• For self-assessment
• For individual reading, research, and writing
• KWL Plus
• Focused Free-Write
• Learning logs
• Process Notes
• Preparation for presentations and performances
• Portfolios
• Individual learning projects
• Allows for active learning
• Increases student talk and decreases teacher
talk
• Allows students to express tentative
understanding and talk their way through to
consolidation of their ideas
• Stretches students’ thinking
• Teaches and reinforces social and
collaborative skills
• Fosters tolerance and mutual support in a
diverse community
• To extend prior knowledge
• For peer teaching
• For building data bases
• For collaborative problem solving
• For extension activities
Collaborative Reading
KWL Plus
Word Cycle
Listen-Think-Pair-Share
Numbered-Heads-Together
Listen-Draw-Pair-Share
Jigsaw
LINK
Co-op Co-op
Word Splash
Group learning projects
Sort and Predict
Gallery Walk
Concept Frame
Group Work: “Curriculum in Disguise”
Curriculum
Cooperative Learning
• Enhances short and longterm memory and critical
thinking
• Provides opportunities to
discuss ideas, deepening
understanding of new
concepts and prior
knowledge
• Enhances intercultural
relations
Examples:
• Co-op Co-op
• Jigsaw
Suggested Reading
• Classroom Connections
• Together We Learn: Small Group Learning
• Cooperative Learning
• The Cooperative Classroom: Social and
Academic Activities
Evaluation