Quote: "In guided reading, small, homogenous groups of students meet with the teacher to read a book at their instructional level." (Tompkins)
Comment: It seems like dividing students into groups according to reading and writing ability is the only way for all the students to get as much as they can out of literacy instruction. That way those that are advanced get the challenge they need, and those on a lower level get the help they require. However, in elementary school I was in a lower reading group, and I remember feeling like I wasn't smart because I was in the "dumb group". The kids in the higher reading group were the super stars, the "smart" ones of the class.
Question: How can I divide my class into groups according to skill level, while avoiding this kind of hurt and separation between the groups?
You pose a valid concern. I would suggest dividing the students into smaller groups (3-4). This would create more groups which would make it more difficult for the students to discover which student is on which level. Also, I would recommend naming the groups something generic such as numbers, or animal names, or colors...making sure to avoid labeling the students beginning, intermediate and advanced. I feel that this would help to create a safer environment for the students to learn at their level without feeling inferior to the other students in the classroom.
ReplyDelete