Elementary Grouping; a Disadvantage for the Majority
Labels and ability grouping help determine a student’s future. A label can give a student an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Let me tell you about two second grade students. Both student A and student B have straight A’s, but yet there are some slight differences. Student B has a slight reading disability and a speech disorder. Does this mean student A is smarter than student B? Well, in the eyes of this particular school, student A is “brighter”. Therefore, student A is put into an honor group/club and is put into the “bright” classes in elementary. Student B is labeled and grouped as an “average” kid. Student A continues to participate in this honor club and is eventually put in the advanced …show more content…
No, labels do not completely determine success, but they do indicate and help individuals acquire success. Labeling in elementary negatively effects the majority of children. For example, labels were very important throughout my educational journey. I went to a small school. Therefore, everyone knew your label and it was practically permanent. I am the “average” student B. I had the label of average from around third grade until I became a part of National Honors Society late in my senior year of high school. Being a part of National Honors Society did not benefit me at this point, because it was too late. Most of my “bright” peers had plenty of college credits, advanced classes, and better resources than myself. For example, while the twenty students in the advanced English classes wrote plenty of essays and prepared for college, the other sixty students and I were studying vocabulary words. How many essays did I write during my last two years of high school English? I wrote one two-page paper, while student A and all of the other “bright” students wrote around four a semester. Most of these students were the same kids from the “bright” classes and honors group in elementary. They were set up at an early age to succeed and achieve. Every school is different, but ability grouping and labeling is a common problem that students have to
Labels and ability grouping help determine a student’s future. A label can give a student an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Let me tell you about two second grade students. Both student A and student B have straight A’s, but yet there are some slight differences. Student B has a slight reading disability and a speech disorder. Does this mean student A is smarter than student B? Well, in the eyes of this particular school, student A is “brighter”. Therefore, student A is put into an honor group/club and is put into the “bright” classes in elementary. Student B is labeled and grouped as an “average” kid. Student A continues to participate in this honor club and is eventually put in the advanced …show more content…
No, labels do not completely determine success, but they do indicate and help individuals acquire success. Labeling in elementary negatively effects the majority of children. For example, labels were very important throughout my educational journey. I went to a small school. Therefore, everyone knew your label and it was practically permanent. I am the “average” student B. I had the label of average from around third grade until I became a part of National Honors Society late in my senior year of high school. Being a part of National Honors Society did not benefit me at this point, because it was too late. Most of my “bright” peers had plenty of college credits, advanced classes, and better resources than myself. For example, while the twenty students in the advanced English classes wrote plenty of essays and prepared for college, the other sixty students and I were studying vocabulary words. How many essays did I write during my last two years of high school English? I wrote one two-page paper, while student A and all of the other “bright” students wrote around four a semester. Most of these students were the same kids from the “bright” classes and honors group in elementary. They were set up at an early age to succeed and achieve. Every school is different, but ability grouping and labeling is a common problem that students have to