Middle/Junior High

Types of Flexible Grouping

Teachers utilize EAL benchmarks to purposefully and strategically group and regroup students within the classroom, and in combination with other classes in various ways based on the subject area and/or type of task. Grouping and regrouping allows teachers to more easily address learners’ specific needs and allows English language learners the opportunity to work and communicate with a variety of different students. It encourages students to develop leadership skills and take responsibility for their learning. Flexible grouping and regrouping encourages students to develop relationships and connections with their classmates, and helps minimize the stigma of being in a "special" group. Teachers should be prepared to provide guidance and training to students to help them work in groups and/or independently.

• Mixed Ability Grouping Placing students with a range of language backgrounds, academic strengths, and learning needs—including both EAL learners and native English speakers—together in the same classroom groups. This approach encourages peer learning, collaboration, and meaningful language use, as students support one another through shared tasks and discussion while allowing teachers to differentiate instruction within an inclusive setting. 

• Ability Grouping Placing students with similar levels of academic achievement, language proficiency, or learning needs together in the same classroom groups. This approach allows teachers to tailor instruction, pacing, and support more precisely to students’ current abilities, while enabling students to work with peers who are at a comparable stage of learning. 

• Sheltered Class Grouping If there are a large number of English language learners in your school with a specific need, it can be beneficial to create a sheltered class to address that need. Sheltered classes are built into the timetable and provide ongoing instructional support to English language learners, alongside curriculum learning. Although students spend most of the school day in the grade-level classrooms, sheltered classes provide the opportunity for English language learners to receive targeted instruction to address their literacy, numeracy, English and academic needs, as reflected on their EAL Benchmark assessment. 

• Sheltered Grouping within a Grade Level Class English language learners with similar language proficiency or academic needs often benefit from working in small groups on language- and subject-specific outcomes, within a grade level class. Small, teacher-led groups allow for more interaction, instructional conversation and individualized support. Students receive "just-right" instruction because the teacher can differentiate instruction based on student ability, readiness and proficiency, and provide scaffolding, as needed. 

• Pull Out To create a small, ad hoc instructional group of English language learners with similar needs, it is sometimes necessary to pull students out of different classes for a short time during the day. Pull outs provide students with intensive instruction to address a specific learning need. Teachers should be aware of the possible disruption to students’ classroom learning that can be caused by a pull out. Teachers also should be sensitive to how students might feel about being pulled out of a grade-level class, especially if they are missing activities that they enjoy. 

• Push In An alternative to pull out is push in, which involves bringing an additional teacher into the class to provide extra support. This allows English language learners to stay connected to and within the context of the grade-level class. One teacher supports the class while the other teacher works with a small group of English language learners. This teacher can teach the small group and provide explicit language instruction, guided practice or supported review. 

• Whole School Literacy Block/Time Common, school wide, dedicated literacy time, where students can be grouped for intervention and EAL support. Implementing a whole school literacy block facilitates cross grade/class grouping and allows English language learners dedicated time to receive targeted literacy support when peers are also focused on literacy instruction.