Does anyone have feedback on cluster grouping of gifted kids in regular classrooms? Our school district clusters gifted kids in groups of 4 or 5 in a classroom...However, when in the classroom, the gifted kids are typically seated next to three or four kids in a regular classroom environment instead of being grouped together.
I'm totally confused. As far as I know, there is no expectation that gifted kids sit near each other in cluster grouped classrooms. I think the ideas is that instead of having only one child per classroom with her or his hand raised for every question, that several of those kids are in the same classroom, while in the other classrooms a new group of kids is encouraged to answer more questions because they have a chance.
From what I've read, clustering is most valuable if the teacher pretests the whole class on the new material, and gives more advanced material to the kids who are ready for more advanced material. If the teachers go on teaching to their preconcieved notion of what kids need then there is limited value to clustering beyond the social benifits.
Our local public school has no formal clustering program, however, several years they have 'stocked the pond' in my son's classroom in an attempt to meet is socioemotional needs. They don't recognise the need to be educationally challenged, they don't see the connection between developing good work ethic and having educationally challenging material but they do see that my son needs other bright kids to have fun at school, and I am grateful. ((shrugs))
Grinity
