Each week, my son's sixth grade class has a spelling test. Here's the catch... it's not just a one-test-fits-all kind of thing. The teacher divides the class into three groups based on their past spelling grades.
My son may drag his heels when it comes to doing math homework, but he loves to study his spelling words. Why? We make it a game. I'll call out one of his words and then he gives it a go. Each time he spells a word correctly he gets to take a shot using his foam basketball. After all, what kid isn't going to like studying when it simultaneously involves play time?
Because we study it so heavily, my son has always aced his spelling tests. His good grades put him in the top tier of the spelling groups. Well, the top tier until two weeks ago, anyway. I don't know why, but two weeks ago my son bombed his spelling test. He bombed it so badly that he got knocked down into the lowest level of the three groups his teacher has set up. When he came home with his list of words, I was shocked. He went from having spelling words such as appreciation, scientist, encyclopedia, and contagious to having spelling words like beef, school, and mood.
The discrepancy in the word difficulty was startling. My son was utterly humiliated to be sent down to the "dummy group" as he so inelegantly dubbed it. I told him it was most certainly not a dummy group and I encouraged him to look at it as a challenge -- all the more reason to work hard and get back to the top tier of the spelling groups. Despite my perky mommy shell, I have to admit the whole thing concerned me.
What's your opinion? Do classroom competitions give kids the incentive to work harder? Or do they humiliate and discourage kids? Does sorting kids into groups give the high achievers a chance to excel while giving kids who are struggling a place to feel comfortable? Or does it unfairly separate kids who should be on common ground?
Update: The results are in! 11% of ChatterKid readers thought classroom competitions were a good idea. 23% weren't sure; it probably depends on the circumstances. The majority of readers -- 63% -- were in agreement that competitions have no place in the classroom.
Do you have additional thoughts to share? Please leave your opinion in the comments.
Jake, Age 3
Kalie, Age 5
3 comments:
I think the groups is a terrible idea - what about those poor kids who have to stay in the "dummy group" all year? Wouldnt it be better to make groups with a mix of levels so more advanced kids can participate in helping the less advanced?
Good point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
That's ridiculous. Unless they have documented special needs that require accomodations in school, kids shouldn't be sorted out into smart, kind-of-smart, and not-so-smart groups. It's insulting and definitely humiliating. Once more, the kids who are tossed into the not-so-smart group aren't going to be well-prepared for the next grade up. It just sets kids up to be low performers.
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