Grouping in Kindergarten in Texas

I taught middle school math here in Texas. Except for the pre AP class (gifted and talented), everyone, including special education students were mixed together in the classes. I am not qualified to teach Kindergarten, but speaking from the perspective of teaching older students, it needs to be a mix of both.

While I can appreciate that this teacher doesn't see it as the student's jobs to be teachers, there is a benefit to both parties when higher achieving students work with students who may be having difficulties. Sometimes a student suddenly "just gets it" when a peer explains it. Even if the student said the same thing I said. Sometimes those kids are more willing to ask questions of another kid, rather than the teacher. If you look at Bloom's Taxonomy (basically the learning objectives), teaching a skill requires a student to use the higher levels of learning. So the "teacher" also gains a great deal in the exchange. And if a classroom teacher is rounded enough, there will be times when those who usually struggle will have the opportunity to also teach. (Many of my special ed students were far more visual learners than others, so they often mastered tangrams and such faster).

On the other side there are times when a lesson has to be taught "on level". When those students who excel are allowed to delve more deeply into the lesson. Given a chance to move and little faster and be challenged some too. And students who need that extra guidance need a chance for some hand holding, slowing the lesson down and more repetition. You can't expect everyone to learn at the same pace or in the same manner.

Teaching can be quite the balancing act. And next year when class sizes are larger, it will be even more challenging, but I suppose that's a topic for a different post. :)

I agree with your friend !!!

I am 39 and we were grouped all throughout school. Why would it be fair for the more advanced students to have to slow down so the slower kids can keep up? You're going to have some bored students on your hands.

I would rather have my child grouped according to ability.
We call it the No Child Gets Ahead Act. In many of the public schools if a child is ahead they are sat next to one who is behind so they can "help", or be a good influence.
Puhleeeease!!!!! That's why we have teachers. It's also why I now homeschool.
I absolutely agree with the teacher. Group them according to ability, let the ones who learn faster and are more academically competitive have peers in their groups that learn like they do.

THere was just a study done this week about workplace groups. If you are in a job where you are in teams or groups, when your coworkers are of the same mindset and cognitive ability, you will get more done more efficiently than if you are in a group where one is exceptionally more or less intelligent.
Watching my husband in his new job, this makes perfect sense.

I have to agree with April. I am 40 and when I was in the 1st grade, the same thing...they seperated in order to teach accordingly. Why slow down and bore kids that are ahead? AND, why go beyond and irritate those that are behind?
I also remember being in an advanced reading class in the 5th grade...again, just trying to "even the playing field", so to speak.

I have to go along with your friend.

In our local public school kids are mixed so that there is a pretty uniform distribution across kinder classes.

However, in first grade they are put in different reading groups based on reading level, and I'm assuming they do the same for math. Group composition can change as students progress at different rates. The kids don't think anything of it, since a lot of what they do is in groups, and they don't even know what their reading level is and where they fall in comparison to rest of class.

Personally I think the best method of grouping is based on ability. Not just because it is easier/more efficient for teacher but because each student deserves to be taught to their full potential.

If you group all ability levels together, the less advanced students might benefit some, the struggling students will still fall behind, and the most advanced students won't be able to reach their full potential. (Genius denied is a book that has an interesting take on this method of education and how it fails our brightest students).

I don't live in Texas, but here in California, children are regularly grouped by ability - my kids are grouped for math, reading, and science. Even as young as first grade they go to different classrooms with different teachers for these subjects. (It's called "Reaching All Kids" here, or RAK.) Now that class sizes are upward of 30 kids per class, this is critical! Can you imagine the teacher putting 29 kids on hold to go over a concept with 1 kid who doesn't get it? So much better to have 30 kids all on the same level (whether that level is higher or lower). EVERYONE learns more that way, and nobody is frustrated or bored. The kids are totally unaware of what level they're grouped into, so it's not like anybody feels like they're part of the "dumb group."

Honestly it seems to be a pretty effective teaching tool and it is truly the only way to "reach all kids" with class sizes as big as they are now.

No, I'm 35 and even when I was in 1st grade, I remember that they put us in different reading circles and math groups. That way we could read at our levels and get on with life, while other people got extra help and the teacher was able to see better what was wrong (somebody moving their finger along as they read might help someone who was stumbling because their eyes were jumping around trying to hurry, or whatever). I remember being in 3rd grade, a different school that lumped us all together, and I'd get mad and slam the book shut or put my head on the desk because it was taking hours to go over one stupid thing. I was frustrated nearly to tears and just wanted to go home, but I know the children that were having problems were equally as frustrated or stressed out. I did just totally blank out and not do anything, or would sneak my own book to read instead of going with the class on things because "I hated school" now. It was really that I was aggrivated and bored. It doesn't have to be some big "official" statement of "you get to go with the smart kids" or whatever, but yes, I think it helps sometimes for people to get extra help if they need it and give other kids an opportunity to go ahead a little if they want to. (And I'm not bragging on myself, I was soooo far behind in math once I found out what boys were! I could have used a little extra help there).

Even in older grades children will be grouped for math reading etc.. This does not mean that kids stay this way forever. They can be moved into other groups sometimes, within weeks, if all of a sudden they show comprehension.

It is just easier to teach a smaller group with certain skills all at once.

Other class time they will be homogenized. I remember in 3rd grade our daughter was in one group and 3 weeks later her teacher called and said they were moving her into a different group.

This is pretty common, unless the class size is really small or the whole class was already "grouped".

I can't answer most of your question, but I do believe that grouping according to ability is beneficial to the children who are advanced, because they can stay at their own level and continue to be challenged, but presents a disadvantage to the children who are behind. Tough situation, and I'm not sure how I would feel...it would depend on where my child was placed, I guess. Doesn't seem fair, though.

I hope my previous answer really was erased - one of those times where what I wrote was not quite what I wanted to say!

Anyway, I agree with the mom who said that they get put into groups within the class, based on ability. I disagree with your friend that kids that need help will learn from their peers. Is she expecting that some of the kids will be essentially tutoring the ones that need help in class? Or does she think that....okay, I'm not really sure what your friend even meant by that! Is she saying that being exposed to kids that 'get it' is going to help some kids understand 'it' better or easier?

In elementary, most teachers group children by ability for reading groups. They meet with the groups of children who need a bit more help more often than those that read beyond grade level. However, that is just for reading groups. There is more to reading instruction than that. Whole group instruction is, also, used. Sometimes mixing abilities is best and sometimes putting children with those on their level is appropriate. Depends on the lesson and what is being taught. Kids do learn from one another and sometimes a weaker student can learn a lot by watching the modeling of a stronger one. Just like when we model reading to our children at home. Even the kids who are stronger in that particular subject area get a lot out of helping another student. I used to always tell my students when I taught that if they could teach someone else how to do something, for example, a math concept, then they could be sure they understood it. A good teacher will know when to group and how based on their experience and the students' abilities in her classroom. Trust the teacher and ask her questions if you need clarification or explanations about ability grouping.