This document discusses ability grouping and praise in education. It summarizes research showing that ability grouping children at a young age and streaming them into "top sets" can negatively impact lower-achieving students. Specifically, research found that 71% of September-born children were placed in top sets compared to only 26% of August-born children. The document also reviews research demonstrating that praising children's intelligence rather than effort can have a detrimental effect on their motivation and resilience. In contrast, praising hard work and the learning process leads to greater persistence and achievement. The document advocates avoiding ability labels and focusing feedback on effort, learning, and growth.

1. challenginglearning.com
@JamesNottinghm
james@jnpartnership.com
facebook.com/challenginglearning

2. Cappelen Damm
June 2013

3. 76%
98%
96%
89%
89%
88%
79%
78%
77%

4. 5000+ children from the
Millennium Cohort Study
 97% were ability-grouped by age
7
 Nearly 1 in 5 were streamed
within their first year of school
71%
Sept-born
children in top
sets
26%
August-born
children in
top sets
Tammy Campbell, Institute of Education
London (2013)

5. Which group
benefits?
High
Medium
Low
Marzano, 2001, p88
Nottingham, 2012, p51
0.09
0.51
- 0.60
Impact of Ability Grouping
80% of the students held
back in the USA are black
or hispanic boys
(Hattie, 2013)

7. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Progress Charts

8. Achievement AND progress
Progress
Achievement
1. High A
Low P
2. High A
High P
3. Low A
Low P
4. Low A
High P
0.4

9. ✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✗
✗
✗
✔
✗
✗
✗
✔
Pre-Test
410 - = 6

10. Do your children train their brains?
Dweck, 2006

11. Children learn (sometimes better) without us

12. How many of these phrases
have you used?
Clever girl
Bright boy
Brilliant linguist
Gifted musician
He’s a natural
By far the best
Top of the group

13. Mueller and Dweck, 1998
In six studies, 7th grade
students were given a series
of nonverbal IQ tests.

14. Intelligence praise
“Wow, that’s a really good
score. You must be smart at
this.”
Process praise
“Wow, that’s a really good
score. You must have tried
really hard.”
Control-group praise
“Wow, that’s a really good
score.”Mueller and
Dweck, 1998

16. Boys get 8 times more criticism than girls (Dweck, 2010)

17. 1.Good girl; 2.How extraordinary; 3.Great effort; 4.Outstanding
performance; 5.What a scientist you are; 6.Unbelievable work; 7.You’re
a genius; 8.You're getting better; 9.Clever boy 10.You should be proud;
11.You've got it; 12.You're special; 13. Very talented; 14. You've outdone
yourself; 15. What a great listener; 16. You came through; 17.You’re
very artistic; 18.Keep up the good work; 19.It's everything I hoped for;
20.Perfect; 21.A+ Work; 22.You're a shining star; 23.Inspired; 24.You're
#1; 25.You're very responsible; 26.You're very talented; 27.Spectacular
work; 28.Great discovery; 29.You're amazing; 30.What a great idea;
31.Well worked through; 32.Very thoughtful; 33.You figured it out;
34.Top of the class; 35. You make me smile
Say, Avoid, Cringe?

18. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology and author of Mindset
Bright
Clever
Good
Bad
Stupid
Racist
Naughty

20. challenginglearning.com
@JamesNottinghm
james@jnpartnership.com
facebook.com/challenginglearning