Ways to Group Students in the Classroom

Grouping students may make a difference in their success.

Grouping children in the classroom can be an important part of classroom management as well as a an integral way to teach while your students learn. Whether you choose to group students in pairs or small groups of three or four can make all the difference in what is learned and absorbed in the lesson you are trying to teach.

Partner Students In Pairs

Partner students in pairs. One way to do this is to use the clock and a sign up sheet. Have the students sign up for a specific time with a specific partner. Do the same thing for other hours of the day so students will have the opportunity to work with other students.

Group by Learning Levels

Group students at different learning levels together. The idea of "teacher" and "student" can be helpful for both members of this pair. If a student who really knows the subject is allowed to teach another student, this may help to solidify the subject in the "teacher"'s mind while helping the other student to learn at his own level with one of his peers. Sometimes kids have an easier time expressing a problem with certain activities to other students rather than a teacher.

Group Students Randomly

Group your students randomly. Have each student put her name on an index card and simply shuffle the cards up in order to group the students with other members of the class. Usually it is a good idea to keep groups small -- three to four students -- and to have each member of the group take on a job, such as recorder or announcer, to keep all of the students focused.

Divide the Class in Half

Dividing your classroom into larger groups may be effective for a game or smart board activity. One idea is to have the students line up in two lines, half of the class in one line and half in the other, and have the students race against each other answering pre-written questions

References

• Scholastic: Top 5 Ways To Practice Classroom Management Right From The Start