Inquiry - Mixed Ability Groupings UPDATE

I am in my third week of doing the mixed ability groups with my students. The first week was really interesting. I grouped them boys with boys and girls with girls. This pairing worked ok but I felt like it was not the best for the students. They did work well together and knew what was expected of them but were not as engaged as I expected them to be. They began using the card that was given to them with questions and prompts that they could ask their buddy. They knew that they had to share back the following day. It was not about getting it right but talking with their buddy and working out how they could find an answer together.

The following day we went and shared back with some of the senior students. They modelled what was expected and used maths language with them. The senior students were great role models and showed them the process of sharing back and being accountable.

The next day as a class we shared back. The students used this card to help clarify any thinking of their peers as they were sharing back.

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After week 3, the students told me that they have really been enjoying maths problem solving and want to keep doing it. They are talking together, being cooperative and supporting each other.

The next part that I want to introduce is more maths talk and questioning.

If you have any suggestions on how I can get them to do this, I would appreciate you sharing.

Inquiry - Mixed Ability Maths Grouping

I have been thinking for a while how I was going to implement my Inquiry into my maths programme that we have in our hub. So after talking to my team leader and my tutor teacher I have decided to start problem-solving maths with mixed ability groupings.

I was lucky enough that I experienced how this works last year when I taught Year 7/8, so I am feeling confident about introducing it to the children. I did a pre-test with the children on Friday and have told them what will be happening on Monday.

I have ten problems for them to work through with their buddy. I will need to launch these to them well and explain clearly what they need to do with their buddy. I will be setting them up in an area of the hub where they will be able to have access to me. They will also have a card that they can use when talking with their buddy to clarify anything they are unsure of.

Before this session has finished I will bring them back and get feedback about how they felt it went. What did they enjoy? or not enjoy? Why?

 I will then explain that the next day they will be sharing back their answers and their maths thinking with the class. We are going to go to the Year 7/8 hub to watch them sharing back so they can model what is involved. They will have some practice sharing back to the Year 7/8 children.

After the sharing back has happened I will then decide what areas need to be covered so that they can successfully answer all of the problems.

I am really looking forward to introducing this into the Year 3/4 hub and I am looking forward to seeing how the children adapt to a new way of learning maths.