Recent scientific evidence demonstrates both the incredible potential of the brain to grow and change and the powerful impact of growth mindset messages upon students' attainment. Schooling practices, however, particularly in England, are based upon notions of fixed ability thinking which limits students' attainment and increases inequality. This…

The present study identifies reading instructional practices used in upper elementary classrooms during the age of high-stakes test accountability and compares reading practices among schools of varying accreditation status and socio-economic status (SES). The current study partially replicates and extends a study conducted by Baumann, Hoffman,…

Success for All (SfA) is a whole-school approach to improving literacy in primary schools. Teachers receive training in areas including group learning strategies, phonics, and assessment, and are provided with structured daily lesson plans and teaching materials. There is also support for school leadership in areas such as data management, ability…

The monitorial system of education was the most promising device in the field of primary education at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Its astonishing spread across the five continents represents one of the earliest processes of internationalization in the field of elementary schooling, which has rarely been analysed from the point of view…

A teacher gives insight into the benefits of teaching a combination class. Students of different levels learn to think of themselves as multilevel people, sometimes helping their peers, other times receiving help. Suggestions for planning for two different levels are offered. (DF)

Discusses the detrimental effects that low reading groups can have on children. Presents four alternatives to ability grouping that can help all children gain control of their learning and experience success in literacy. (MG)

Focused on the topic of ability grouping in reading instruction, particularly at the elementary level, this annotated bibliography contains 31 references to articles and papers entered in the ERIC database between 1983 and 1989. The citations include articles discussing recent research on ability grouping, and possible alternatives to ability…

During the 1990s, there was considerable emphasis on promoting particular kinds of pupil grouping as a means of raising educational standards. This survey of 2000 primary schools explored the extent to which schools had changed their grouping practices in response to this, the nature of the changes made and the reasons for those changes.…

Open-ended activities have been advocated in the literature of gifted education as a way to allow students who are identified as gifted to work in their own interest areas, in their own learning styles, and at their own ability levels. They are recommended as a means to differentiate instruction, but little research documents this recommended…

Concludes that children's reading ability is not the sole reason behind their placement in particular reading groups and that teachers also consider such things as their ability to do academic work, work habits, classroom behavior, personality, and, occasionally, their home environment. (FL)

Two explanations for the effect of ability groups on student achievement are discussed. One stresses the importance of peer groups, the other differential instruction. Little evidence was found that achievement differentials in elementary school grouping systems arise from either peer influence or from differential instruction. (Author/IS)

Considers the effects of those who wanted to minimize classroom teaching in elementary schools, infant schools and infant departments. Explores the ideas of Maria Montessori, the debate between whole-class methods and individualized instruction, grouping students by ability, and the notion of individualism. (CMK)

Describes curriculum based measurement (CBM), a procedure which rank orders students based on the number of correct words per minute read from three basal passages. Emphasizes that this procedure is efficient in forming reading groups and monitoring students' progress. (MM)

Describes a long-term project in which elementary school teachers made fundamental changes in their reading/writing program, and came to a better understanding of their students' development as readers and writers by listening to children. Notes that children helped those with learning difficulties participate in the regular class upon elimination…

Reviews arguments for and against mainstreaming and presents strategies for using newspapers in elementary school mainstreamed social studies classrooms. Gives examples of newspaper learning activities related to community affairs, social competencies, safety, and prevocational skills. (DB)