[Oz-gifted] Fw: Ability Grouping

[Fly]

>> the exact year details have blurred with time: she may have been a 
>> Year 3 in a 3-4-5 class but it was a triple class and the principles 
>> of her happy time remain the same).

Our best fit was when my son was in these 3-year classes (also grouped 
for ability) but only when he was in the lowest grade. There was not 
enough challenge when he was in the top grade of a group.

His best years were years 2-3 when the school allowed the high-ability 
kids to chose their own spelling words---they invariably chose 
completely appropriate ones for their skill level and some were 
extraordinarily challenging. They also were allowed to become the 
teacher in areas in which they excelled. eg my son was passionate about 
dinosaurs and teh teacher quickly realised he could add value to the 
lesson. They had a LOT of control over what they learned adn a lot of 
choice. The teachers were excellent and worked more as guides and 
mentors.

In year 4 a new principal bowed to the pressure to mix classes---some 
staff thought the grouping elitist. After 6 months of learning nothing 
except that the way to be recognised and encouraged was to be REALLY bad 
then do one good thing....well we bailed out on that school. What a sad 
waste. All teh good teachers bailed too.

Louise