Which scenario demonstrates flexible grouping?

• A. A teacher groups students based on literacy challenges at the beginning of the year, and the students work together in the group throughout the school year.
• B. A teacher assigns students who have similar literacy skill levels to independently read books at the same reading level at their own pace.
• C. A teacher groups students based on interests and skill levels to complete a reading task, then changes the groupings for different tasks.
• D. A teacher gives students assigned seats for a reading activity and periodically changes their seat assignments.

Answer: (C)

Flexible grouping means forming temporary, purpose-driven study teams that can be reconfigured as tasks change or as students’ needs shift. It’s about not locking students into the same group for long periods, but instead mixing and matching learners to target specific skills, interests, or challenges for each activity.

This scenario shows flexible grouping because groups are formed by both interests and skill levels to tackle a reading task, and then the groupings are changed for different tasks. That means students work with different peers and in different configurations depending on what the current objective requires, which supports differentiated instruction and peer learning.

In contrast, keeping the same group for the entire year regardless of task, or assigning students to homogeneous groups for independent work without shifting for new activities, isn’t flexible. Merely changing seat assignments doesn’t demonstrate grouping for collaborative learning tasks in a way that adapts to students’ needs.