Power in Acceleration
Once students have mastered basic skills they can move on to high interest and challenging activities.
By Deborah Reynolds
Take a moment to think back to the time you got your first bicycle. You were excited and probably a little nervous about this new experience. Even though it came with training wheels, it was still all new. But then days and weeks go by, and you feel like an expert. Several kids in your neighborhood have removed their training wheels, but your parents still think you need them. You feel that you are ready to move on, but your parents are holding you back.
Imagine how frustrated you would feel in that scenario. That is exactly how high-ability students feel everyday when they are not challenged. They feel misunderstood and frustrated. They have shown you what they know, but you continue to give them the same level work day after day. Over time, this can make them loose their enthusiasm for learning. They may even become underachievers because they find school "boring."
Acceleration is a powerful method for addressing the needs of these students. If a student shows mastery in a particular area, or in all areas, they should be provided with higher-level instruction. A student in second grade that is strong in reading could go to a third grade class when you break into reading groups. A student who has already mastered two digit addition could work on logic problems that reinforce this skill. Teachers can also tier assignments so that students can choose more challenging activities. For example, if students are studying types of transportation, they could choose to write about innovations in travel starting with the horse-drawn carriage and ending with the space shuttle. They could draw a timeline outlining different modes of transportation and when they were invented. Or students could design their own car, train, or plane, labeling each of the parts.
Providing challenging activities for students can also be a collaborate effort. You can work with teachers in higher grade levels and share curriculum ideas. This saves time and keeps teachers from having to feel as if they must reinvent the wheel in order to diversify lessons. Ultimately, this extra effort will make your students feel valued, understood, and properly challenged. Here are some lessons that include examples of ways teachers can accelerate learning in their classes.
Accelerated Learning:
Colonial Regions: New England, Middle, and Southern
This lesson was written for seventh grade, but it could be modified for lower grade levels studying the American Revolution or the Thirteen Colonies. The goal of the lesson is for students to compare the economic, social, and religious characteristics of each colonial region. There are three activities for low, medium, and high-performing students.
PowerPoint: Foundations of Our Country
Students create a PowerPoint about the Founding Fathers of America. The lesson calls for students to be pre-assessed to determine their level of knowledge on the topic. Then, students are assigned to one of three groups that are differentiated according to the data from the pre-assessment. All students work on the same project but at their instructional level.
Students construct geometric shapes with Geo-Boards and Popsicle sticks. Students working at an introductory level work on building the shapes. Students at a higher level construct and label ten shapes.
