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Getting
Students to Work Across Levels in the Multi-level Classroom
Sarah Lynn
In last month's
article, I addressed how to differentiate instruction by sorting
students according to their skill level. In this month's article, I
provide some tips on working with mixed-ability groups.
Mixed-ability grouping is a great way for students to learn from one
another and to build classroom community. Grouping students across
levels works particularly well when the task is open-ended and less
structured. Pre-level students benefit from working with their more
skilled partners, and the above-level students are challenged by their
leadership roles. However, this perfect-world scenario sometimes falls
apart. Occasionally the more-skilled students dominate the process
while the lesser-skilled students withdraw and take no risks. By doing
some prep work up front, you can help students manage the dynamics of
group work so that it is an engaging and challenging experience for
all.
1. Explain how above-level
students can help their pre-level classmates.
When teachers assign students to groups, we often say "help each other"
or "work together." Remember to get specific. Describe how students can
help one another. For example:
Activity: Read the
story together.
Above-level student:
Read the story aloud to your partner.
Activity: Practice
the dialogue together.
Above-level student:
Model the pronunciation of each line first.
Activity: Ask and
answer the discussion questions.
Above-level student:
Respond to the question first in order to model answers.
Activity: Practice
new vocabulary
Above-level student:
Give an example of the word in a sentence.
2. Talk
about good teaching practices.
Have students follow these principles in their groupwork:
- Wait! Give your partner time to
answer.
- Don't tell! Give an example but
don’t give the answer.
- Ask for help! The teacher is
always here to help.
3. Equip students with language
for managing group work.
Write a list of phrases on the board (or even better, post them
permanently on the wall) to remind students of useful group-work
language. For example:
Take
turns
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You go first.
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It's my turn.
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Invite
your partner to participate
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What do you have for
- number . . .?
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How about you?
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What do you think?
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Ask to
make sure you understand
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What do you mean?
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What does ________ mean?
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How do you pronounce this word?
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Could you please repeat that?
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What did you say?
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Make
suggestions
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Let's . . .
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Maybe we can . .
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What if we . . .
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Tell
your partner you understand
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I see what you mean.
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That’s an interesting idea.
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That's right.
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Talk
about differences
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I have a different answer.
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I see it another way.
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4.
Divvy up the responsibilities.
Look at what each group activity requires of students, identify
different roles, and assign the roles to students according to their
skills. For example:
Role
plays: Students act out situations using vocabulary and
grammar
they have studied.
The pre-level student plays the role of the person who asks the
questions. (The teacher can provide a paper with the questions listed.)
The above-level student plays the role of the person responding, which
allows for lots of improvisation and embellishments.
Here are some examples:
| Role
Plays |
Pre-Level
Role |
Above-Level
Role |
| Job
Interview |
Employer |
Applicant |
| Doctor
visit |
Doctor |
Patient |
| Getting
a doctor's appointment |
Receptionist |
Patient |
| Ordering
food |
Waiter |
Diner |
| Calling
911 |
Dispatcher |
Caller |
| Returning a purchase to a store |
Customer Service Person |
Customer |
| Renting
an apartment |
Applicant |
Landlord |
Team projects: Students work together in groups of three
or more to make a product or complete an activity. These projects can
vary widely, but include such activities as:
- design a poster on a topic;
- solve a problem;
- do a survey and make a graph;
- discuss ideas;
- create a menu;
- plan a party;
- write up a community guide;
- make a holiday calendar;
- play a board game; or
- write a story.
| The pre-level student can: |
The above-level student can:
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- keep the time
- assemble the supplies
- read aloud the directions,
questions, or anything else printed on the activity handout
- copy the group answers on the board
- draw the group poster or calendar
- collate and assemble information
for a booklet or directory
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- lead the discussion
- model the activity
- take notes during the discussion
- be spokesperson for the group
- edit the group’s first
draft
- write a summary of
the group work
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Conclusion
Group work is a great vehicle for practicing language. If you
anticipate the kinds of tasks, roles, and language needed for the group
work, your students will benefit from the experience and learn valuable
collaborative skills.
Sarah Lynn
currently teaches at a literacy/learning program in Cambridge, MA. She
has trained volunteers and led workshops on many aspects of teaching
adult education students. Sarah has taught ESL for 20 years in the U.S.
and abroad. Sarah is a series author and a featured instructor on the Future Teacher Training DVD.
"Ask Sarah Lynn – Our
Teacher’s Helper" is part of the Future
website.
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