Streaming in Education

The article below is taken from ‘www.theedadvocate.org‘ aiming to help IELTS candidates boost their vocabulary and have enough ideas for them to fully cover any topic in Speaking and Writing. The useful ideas are written in Bold, collocations are shown in red with relevant terms being underlined, followed by their definitions coming along.

Streaming in Education

What is Streaming in Education?

Streaming is the process of grouping students with similar abilities. Students with similar skills are then united to create one class. The purpose of streaming is to allow students to move together at the same pace. 

A group with a similar ability range allows the teacher to maintain a consistent pace. Streaming also ensures that you are not leaving anyone behind. The tasks and challenges are suitable for everyone in the class, and the teacher can move at high speed with a competent student group. 

However, a group of slow students can be taught slowly. It gives the teacher more control over the class while allowing them to set an accurate pace. 

Positive Side of a Streamed Classroom

When it comes to streamed classrooms, students learn at their convenience without fear of being left behind. Here are some benefits of streamed learning:

• The confidence of students is improved, as everyone has similar abilities. This promotes healthy competition. 
• Classmates motivate one another as they understand each other’s abilities. 
• Students move to the next phase together, as there is no difference in their learning abilities. 

Disadvantages of Unstreamed Classrooms

Unstreamed classrooms don’t promote healthy competition, as some students are gifted while others have average or lower learning abilities. Here are some disadvantages of an unstreamed class: 

• Students with gifted abilities lose interest in the classroom, as they have no competition with other classmates. They get bored with the pace of the class. Since they are not adequately challenged or allowed to move ahead, they become careless. 
• Students with lower abilities feel inferior, as they can’t compete with others. Their inability to meet the challenges demotivates These students can react in different ways, including truancy, rebellion, withdrawal, and indiscipline. They are more prone to be left behind if the teacher is not paying enough attention to them. 

ON-TOPIC ITEMS:

• Consistent: adjective UK  /kənˈsɪs.tənt/ US  /kənˈsɪs.tənt/

always behaving or happening in a similar, especially positive, way

• Competent: adjective UK  /ˈkɒm.pɪ.tənt/ US  /ˈkɑːm.pə.t̬ənt/

able to do something well

• Accurate: adjective UK  /ˈæk.jə.rət/ US  /ˈæk.jɚ.ət/

correct, exact, and without any mistakes

• At sb’s convenience: noun UK  /kənˈviː.ni.əns/ US  /kənˈviː.ni.əns/

at a time when someone is ready or wants to do something

• Motivate: verb UK  /ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ US  /ˈmoʊ.t̬ə.veɪt/

to make someone want to do something well

• Gifted: adjective UK  /ˈɡɪf.tɪd/ US  /ˈɡɪf.tɪd/

having special ability in a particular subject or activity

• Inferior: adjective UK  /ɪnˈfɪə.ri.ər/ US  /ɪnˈfɪr.i.ɚ/

not good, or not as good as someone or something else

• Inability: noun [ S or U ] UK  /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ US  /ˌɪn.əˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/

lack of ability to do something

• Demotivate: verb [ T ] UK  /ˌdiːˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪt/ US  /ˌdiːˈmoʊ.t̬ə.veɪt/

to make someone less enthusiastic about a job

• Truancy: noun [ U ] UK  /ˈtruː.ən.si/ US  /ˈtruː.ən.si/

the problem or situation of children being absent from school regularly without permission

• Rebellion: noun [ C or U ] UK  /rɪˈbel.i.ən/ US  /rɪˈbel.i.ən/

action against those in authority, against the rules, or against normal and accepted ways of behaving

• Withdrawal: noun UK  /wɪðˈdrɔː.əl/ US  /wɪðˈdrɑː.əl/

behaviour in which someone prefers to be alone and does not want to talk to other people

• Indiscipline: noun [ U ]   formal UK  /ɪnˈdɪs.ə.plɪn/ US  /ɪnˈdɪs.ə.plɪn/

a situation in which people do not control their behaviour or obey rules

• Be prone to sth/do sth: adjective UK  /prəʊn/ US  /proʊn/

likely to show a particular characteristic, usually a negative one, or to be affected by something bad, such as damage or an illness

Selected and Edited by: Nasibeh Nouri

Javidan Language Centre

www.rashtielts.ir

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