Classrooms Divided By Math?

Math is not typically a student's favorite class, but there's a school in Providence that feels they've found a way to get more kids having fun with figures.

The plan at Highlander Charter School in Providence is to group math classes by ability and not age. So kids in grades 3-6 can all learn fractions and division with other students on the same math level as them, not simply the same age as them.

It definitely sounds like it makes sense. There are plenty of kids out there that feel frustrated when they are lagging behind in class and can often start to give up. And on the flip side if you already know how to do something, classroom boredom can make you tune out or possible end up being disruptive in class.

So if you have everyone working at their level, everyone would be working right?

Not having any teaching background myself (unless you count yoga) and being far removed my from own classroom days, I can only take other parents word for it on how the school systems are these days. But it seems to me after reading this article about the school's plan on the Providence Journal website that Highlander Charter is on to something.

Highlander also says they aren't giving kids grade in math either. Kids can move on to more difficult math classes once they have mastered the material and that's it. If you don't know it, you aren't forced to move on. And if you pick it up quickly you can learn more and more things.

Again, all sounding like it totally makes sense.

So would you want to see math policies like this take place in your child's school? And even though this is a charter school's pilot program right now, could you see a math plan like their's going to the public school system some day too?