The document describes strategies for teaching mixed-ability classes, including differentiating instruction, peer tutoring, and group work. It notes that children differ in their abilities, backgrounds, and learning styles. Effective strategies include teaching in small groups according to ability level, preparing leveled activities, varying teaching methods, and giving attention to different groups at different times. Both challenges and solutions are outlined, such as planning differentiated activities and catering to all needs. Teachers are advised to focus extra support on slower students and monitor their progress over time.

2. Description of pupils
Mario can’t sit still or concentrate. He enjoys action
games.
Lucia is very quiet- does not say much. But she listens
carefully and her written work is always good.
Emanuela has moods. Some days she takes part in
everything. Other days she just sits silently and stares.
Carlo is very quick to answer and to finish his work.

3. Teachers´ experience of differences
Teachers´ expectations of pupils
Strategies for responding to different
needs

4. How different are children?
Pupils may differ in their…
…perception of the language
…relationship with the teacher
…family background
…types of intelligence
…interests
…gender
…attitude and motivation for learning English
…experience
Teachers´ experience of differences

5. Suggestions for managing classes of mixed
ability children
1. Use group teaching
2. Give differentiated tasks
3. Give attention to different groups
at different times.
4. Vary your teaching/ learning
methods to include different
activities.

6. Managing classes of mixed ability children
Strategies:
1
• Teach children in groups, according to
ability
2
• Prepare activities to suit the level of groups
3
• Vary teaching methods to cater for a range
of different abilities and styles of learning.

7.  Challenges
I. Time consuming.
II. Allocation of time/attention given to
different groups.
III. Insufficient time to cater for all the different
groups.
IV. Difficult to aim the lesson at the right level in
the presentation stage.
V. Pupils’ lack of interest or low ability in
certain skills and certain types of activity.

8.  Ways of meeting these challenges
A. Planning differentiated activities.
B. Giving enough time to different
groups.
C. Catering for all the different needs.
D. Aiming your lesson at the right level.
E. Catering for pupils’ lack of interest or
ability.

9. Teachers´ expectations of pupils
 What is the message of this cartoon?
 How do your expectations of pupils affect them?
 How can you avoid labelling pupils?

10. What is the message of this cartoon?
 Children are very quick to know how they have
been labelled or assessed by teachers.
How do your expectations of pupils affect them?
 Teachers are likely to have views and prejudices
about what children should be like as pupils.
 Children begin to behave has we expect them to.
How can you avoid labelling pupils?
 Teachers need to find out pupils´ views
of themselves.

11. What do labels tell us?
Name Type of
personality
Typical
behaviour
Speaking
and
listening
skills
Reading
and writing
skills

12. Order of ability Possible evidence
Katya: high Very able, listens carefully,
creative, ready to answer,
interested in everything.
Eva: middle Interested and co-operative but
sometimes a bit shy, not so good
at speaking.
Gabor: low absent-minded, cannot
concentrate, always wants to
play.

13. Action plan. Procedure:
•Choose a pupil who is slow or underachieving.
•Focus on this pupil for three or four weeks.
•Ask him/her more questions than usual.
•Be prepared to wait the answers. Don't give up.
•Give plenty of encouraging smiles and show
interest in what he/she says.
•Set tasks in which he/she can be successful.
•Get him/her to help you in classes.
•Keep a diary and write down the pupils reactions.
•See if it makes a difference to his/her attitude and
behaviour.

14. Strategies for responding to different needs
Different teaching strategies:
1. Differentiating activities
2. Peer tutoring
3. Group teaching

15. Differentiating
 Teachers can consider…
… Core work for pupils
… Reinforcement work for more intensive
practice
… Extension work for helping to move
pupils further on and to challenge them.

16. Peer tutoring: “buddies”
Children work together with a partner or buddy
Buddies are friends.
They are there to help you.
They support you, not dominate.
They help you when you get stuck.
They help you to do things for yourself-
they do not tell you the answers.

17. Peer tutoring:
Strategy used in activities when the teacher
wants slower or weaker pupils to get more help
and support.

18. Advantages Disadvantages
It involves pupils in helping each other. Some pairs may not work well together.
It may be difficult to pair pupils
appropriately.
Both weaker and stronger pupils gain
from the system, i.e. the weaker pupil
learns how to do the task and the
stronger pupil learns to think more
strategically in order to help his/ her
buddy.
Stronger pupils may be less challenged.
Stronger pupils may not necessarily be very
good at helping their peers to learn how to
do activities. They may want to give the
answers.
Pupils become more involved in the
learning problem.
Some pupils may try to dominate their
buddies.
Pupils are learning to be more
independent.
It takes time to train pupils how to work
effectively as buddies. It may be possible
to use this system only for straightforward or
routine types of activity.
It is a flexible system which can be
used according to need. It allows
different pupils the opportunity to be
“buddies” for areas where they have
particular strengths.
Without careful handling by the teacher,
this procedure may reinforce a lower
status for the weaker students in the class.
Weaker pupils will also need opportunities
to act as “experts”.

19. Group teaching strategies:
The teacher will need:
… to be very well organized and plan the
lesson carefully.
… to develop a proper system for
monitoring and checking work done by
pupils on their own.
… to train pupils to be able to work
independently for a large part of the lesson.

20.  Pupils will need:
… to learn how to work more independently
and to feel confident doing this
… to collaborate with each other and help
each other
… to learn to follow instructions
… to learn to work quietly so as not to disturb
others

21. Advantages Disadvantages
It helps pupils to become more
independent as learners
It takes time to train pupils to be
independent.
It enables teachers to spend focused tie
daily with different groups of learners
Pupils who are not interested or lacking
in confidence may disrupt other groups.
It ensures that teachers of large classes,
in particular, give regular attention to
different ability groups.
It may be very difficult to implement with
young learners who cannot read and
write, as many of the independent tasks
rely on reading and writing skills.
It encourages pupils to collaborate more
and help each other.
It means a lot careful planning and
preparation by the teacher.
It allows pupils to work at their own pace
and be successful at what they do.
There may be a tendency for pupils to
be labelled permanently according to
the group they belong to. It may be
difficult for them to progress to another
ability group.

22. Action plan. Procedure:
•Choose one of the three strategies described
before.
•Try it out with a group of pupils over a period of
two or three weeks or longer.
•Note down aspects which worked well and
aspects that did not work well.
•Decide what you would do differently next time
in order to make it more effective.
•Try it out together with another teacher so you
can share experiences.

23.  Avendaño, Ivana
 Blanco, Fatima
 Fernandez, Fiorella
 Gonzalez, Mercedes
 Onischuk, Giselle
 Oses, Gisela