Grouping children for learning: Implications for kindergarten education.

Placing students in small groups for instruction is a common practice in
elementary classrooms. This article provides an overview of current research
and theory on within-class grouping for learning during the early
school years, and how it influences children's learning in school. After reviewing
the traditional theoretical approaches to the study of grouping in
classrooms, the chapter introduces a model that serves as a framework for
integrating research on grouping, followed by a critical review of the major
findings on the use of grouping as a learning context for young children.
Implications for the transition between the kindergarten and early school
years are discussed.