Ability grouping-Rachel Johnson

Ability grouping gifted and non-gifted children has advantages and disadvantages. 

Kulik concludes that by grouping gifted children they can achieve high levels of academic success.  A classroom with all gifted children can accelerate learning and teacher to higher DOK levels than a heterogeneous classroom.  Whereas in a heterogeneous classroom a gifted child might be bored, in an ability grouped classroom a gifted child can rise to their reach his/her potential.  In the same aspect, if low and middle level ability students are grouped with like peers in classrooms they can have academics taught at their level.  A teacher would be able to move a slow pace for the lower level class allowing more student success. 

There are also some disadvantages to ability grouping children.  When grouped with others of liked giftedness, gifted children have little interaction working with peers who are not gifted.  In the “real world” people have to interact successfully with those from all ability backgrounds-not just those of backgrounds similar to them.  Also, Kulik (2003) pointed out that children of low and middle-abilities had higher self-esteem when grouped heterogeneously.  The ability to learn from one’s peer is greatly diminished when children are grouped by ability.  

In conclusion, ability grouping is not always adventitious for gifted or non-gifted children.  I have found in my class over the past years that I enjoy having a mixture of ability level.  This allows for peer learning, livelier class discussions, and a variety of view points.