How do you deal with a wide range of abilities in one class?

NEA Today, Nov 2003 by Thornton, Arnette, Fulginiti, Kathleen, Ballato, Christine, Huff, Donna, Et al

1, 2, 3

1. The concept is introduced to the whole class. 2. A hands-on variation of the concept is available for students who may experience difficulty with the concept. 3. An enrichment or application activity or research project is available for advanced students.

ARNETTE THORNTON Third-grade teacher, Redan, Georgia

Same materials, varied uses

I use the same materials for everyone and vary my objectives and expectations for each level of learner. A worksheet on proper nouns can be used "as is" by most students. Gifted children might invent their own questions on the back and trade them around. Lower level readers might work with buddies to recognize as many nouns as they can. Everyone is productive, and I have used my time to plan for my students, not to chase around looking for materials.

KATHLEEN FULGINITI Fourth-grade teacher, Brooklawn, New Jersey

Cooperative learning

One way is through cooperative learning teams. Make teams of four students-one high ability, one low ability, and two average ability. Team members are responsible for each other's learning but they are assessed individually. For example, students work together to solve a problem. Then each member of the team takes a turn explaining the answer to the others. This gives the lower ability students four opportunities to review the solution. The teacher then randomly calls on one team member to explain the answer to the class. Students earn certificates and other rewards for good team work. Later, they are given similar problems to solve independently, and that work counts toward a grade.

CHRISTINE BALLATO Success for All facilitator, Steubenville, Ohio

Contracts

Try learning contracts. A common contract design is set up in a grid. Each box on the grid includes an assignment, based on a different learning style or readiness level but clearly focused toward the same learning goal. Students can be given a number of boxes to complete.

Alternately, some boxes can be required and they can choose extra boxes as well. Allowing student choice helps keep the atmosphere positive.

DONNA HUFF K-5 staff development coach, Souderton, Pennsylvania

Different strokes

I teach and reteach the same material in a variety of ways, trying to hit many learning styles. This gives the kids who "got it" the first time a chance to improve, and those who need repetition have several chances to "get it." It helps that my subject (foreign language) lends itself well to this kind of teaching.

DEBBIE FINN Seventh-and eighth-grade foreign language teacher, Seymour, Wisconsin

Costs and benefits

For homework, assign recall questions or other questions in the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy to the struggling learners, give average achievers the next levels, and give high achievers synthesis and evaluative questions. Make projects open-ended. In learning about the American Revolution, my struggling readers will summarize a biography of one of the Founding Fathers. The top group might examine which one had the most impact on the Revolution, or whether Puerto Rico being a territory of the United States is any different from the colonies and England. It does take extra work but the rewards are many.

I know it is politically incorrect to say homogeneous groups are easier to teach-and many studies show that low-achieving and average students make more progress in heterogeneous classes. But inclusion does slow the pace and our brightest are not as challenged as we would like. Many very bright students become complacent with mediocrity. I have a gifted child-now 24-who lost his ambition to excel in middle school because of the lack of challenge.

As always, we are expected to be for or against ability grouping, but a compromise would be better.

DONNA BLANCHARD Eighth-grade language arts teacher, Methuen, Massachusetts

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ARNETTE THORNTON Third-grade teacher, Redan, Georgia

KATHLEEN FULGINITI Fourth-grade teacher, Brooklawn, New Jersey

CHRISTINE BALLATO Success for All facilitator, Steubenville, Ohio

DONNA HUFF K-5 staff development coach, Souderton, Pennsylvania

DEBBIE FINN Seventh-and eighth-grade foreign language teacher, Seymour, Wisconsin

DONNA BLANCHARD Eighth-grade language arts teacher, Methuen, Massachusetts