Are they the Same? Children come in all types

1. Children Learning
English Jayne Moon
Chapter 3:
Are they the Same? Children come
in all types

2. Topic:
 Students’ individual needs.
 “Mixed ability ” classes.
Three aspects:
 Teachers’ experience of differences.
 Teachers’ expectations of pupils.
 Strategies for responding to different needs.

3. TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCE OF
DIFFERENCES
How different are children?
 Many ways apart from the academic
ability.
Important:
 How they affect your teaching and
children’s learning.
 Whether and how to respond to
differences.

4. Managing classes of mixed ability children
 Resources available.
 Situation in which the teaching process
takes place.
Three Strategies
- Teach children in groups, according to
ability.
- Prepare activities to suit the level of the
groups.
- Vary teaching methods

5. Challenges and ways of meeting these in
mixed
abilities teaching
Ways of meeting the challenges
 Planning differenciated activities
 Giving enough time to different groups
 Catering for all the different needs
 Aiming your lesson at the right level
 Catering for pupils’ lack of interest or
ability

6. TEACHERS’ EXPECTATION OF
PUPILS
How do our expectations of pupils affect
them?
 Expectattion becoming self-fulfilling.
 Affecting students’ self image.
How can we avoid labelling children?
 Consider different sort of activities.
High expectations!

7. STRATEGIES FOR RESPONDING TO
DIFFERENT NEEDS
 Differentiating
 Peer tutoring: “buddies”
 Group teaching