Our first toolbox topic explores strategies for creating student groups. Use of small, targeted groups is key to differentiated instruction, and is an essential element of cooperative learning (Spencer Kagen). Effective grouping "ups" participation and enhances student engagement. In a typical class of 30, when a single student gives an answer 1/30 of the class is participating at a given time. In a group of four, 1/4 of the class can be responding to the prompt simultaneously. More students are getting more experience with content at a given time. If you want to skip the philosophy stuff, go down to "Random Groups"for some fun ideas.
Group Size
In cooperative learning teams of four are magical. By breaking the team of four into pairs you double participation, and can use Pairs Check, Paired Reading and the Flashcard Game structures. The rationale:
- Allows for pair work.
- Avoids "odd man out". A group of 3 generally forms a pair and leaves one out.
- Creates more learning pairs. A group of 3 gives 3 possible student pairs, a group of 4 generates 6!
Heterogeneous groups mix achievement levels. Groups consist of 1 high-achiever, 2 middles, and 1 lower-achieving student. These take some work, so typically you form these groups to last an extended period of time. Heterogeneous groups:
- Provide great opportunities for peer tutoring and support.
- Improve cross-race and cross-sex integration.
- Ease classroom management - having a higher-achiever in each group is kind of like having a teacher aide per group.
- Write each student's name on an index card.
- Deal the cards into 4 equal piles according to student ability (High, Medium High, Medium Low, and Low)
- Choose one card from each pile. Be sure to include a mix of students (according to gender, race, and personality). This is Team 1.
- Form the remaining teams in the same way. Assign team numbers.
Random Groups
Random groups can really add to student engagement. They shake things up and add variety. Random groups seem "fair," and provide leadership and skills transfer opportunities. Here are just a few ideas for creating random groups. Some have hyperlinks for more information. If you have a favorite technique, please email me. I'd be glad to add it to the list!
- Puzzled People - find some pictures (clipart, magazines, calendars, postcards, etc. and think about your content!) and cut them into four pieces, like a puzzle. Shuffle and distribute to class members (or draw out of a bag.) Without talking, student find their team by completing the picture. You can extend this to integrate science by adding Linda Shore's Pieces of the Puzzleactivity, showing the importance of data.
- Animal Sounds/Poems/Songs - Give students a card with a term, concept, poem or song on it (you'll need four matching cards to generate groups of four.) Find the other people in your team by acting-out the term, singing the song or reciting the poem. Collect the cards and reuse!
- Silly Stuff - create groups by thumb size, bellybutton height, birthday, favorite hamburger, etc. Click here for more ideas, or download at the bottom of this page.
- Fairy Tale, Book or Character Match - create cards with the names of four people that go together. Choose characters from the same book, four scientists in the same field, four generals from the same war, etc. Students try to find their their teams by matching people. Keep the cards to reuse!
- Characteristic Match - create cards with terms on one card and definitions on another. Students find their pair by matching a term with the definition, then create fours by grouping pairs. Click here or below for a neat variation, called "Match Rocks." In this activity, students receive a rock they keep hidden. Students write descriptions of how their rock looks on an index cards, then look for others with the same description. If you want two students per group, pass two matching rocks -- four per group, use four rocks! This concept can be varied for any content. Review concepts and create groups at the same time!!!
- Cooperative Learning Cards - Create a class set of cards that can be grouped at your discretions. In AndraKosmoski'sactivity, each card has different stickers, symbols and words that stand for different student attributes. By grouping one color, you get one type of cooperative learning group, group by a word for another. It takes some initial work, but can be reused throughout the year.
- Milling to the Music - Play a cool tune. Students mill about the room making an easy comment (a compliment, a fact about content, etc.) When the music stops, students group into however many you dictate and do a quick discussion.
Creative Grouping Strategies. Staff Development. Retrieved from