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From: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Pat Goltz)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: classroom groupings
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Date: 16 Mar 90 05:16:16 GMT
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Hi. Recently we were discussing mainstreaming disabled students 
with "normal" ones, and you made the statement "you can't 
mainstream/integrate if you group students strictly according to 
developmental ability; it's not done that way in what I consider 
progressive school districts." 
  Actually, that is the conventional way of looking at things, in 
my opinion. The reason why I suggested that the Montessori model 
be followed is because Montessori mixes ages. What this means is 
that if you put people together according to ability (and you can 
have a three year range in a Montessori classroom in ability as 
well), and the kids are free to use a variety of materials 
independently, which materials are on many different levels, then 
it is not a problem to put kids together according to ability (with 
a 3 year span in ability) because everyone is used to everyone else 
working on his own level, and it will not particularly stand out. 
There have been Montessori classes in my experience where profoundly 
mentally disabled kids have been integrated with everyone else, and 
there has been absolutely no social repercussions from that that I 
can determine. The problem in the conventional school is the practice 
of trying to make the age/ability groupings homogenious. This is 
necessary when teaching is done in groups instead of materials being 
used so that people can work as individuals. I submit that the 
primary problem here is that we have systematically ignored the fact 
that you can't lump children together that way normally, let alone 
when you are trying to mainstream kids with very disparate ability 
and accomplishment levels. 
  Pat 

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