Teachers can either have students in the same groups every day, or they can facilitate what Diane Heacox, author of "Differentiated Instruction in the Regular Classroom," calls flexible grouping. Flexible grouping gives teachers the option of switching up groups daily or on a semi-regular basis. Teachers can either group students of like abilities together or place students together who have different strengths. Placing students who are of similar abilities benefits students because they can work on projects that are tailored to fit their level or preferences. Placing students of different abilities together is also an option because higher-achieving students are more likely to help lower-achieving students. Together, they will achieve more than if they were working alone.
Spencer Kagan, author of "Cooperative Learning," says that when children are working in small groups, they need individual accountability to make sure that each student pulls his weight. Give each student a number. For instance, in a small group of three students, one student would be one, one would be a two and the other a three. Divide parts of the task and assign each number one part. Ones could be in charge of the note taking, while twos could be in charge of research. Threes could be in charge of cleaning up and making sure a project gets turned in on time. Giving each student a job helps ensure that all students are staying on task during a project.
Allow different groups to choose what kind of assignment or project they will be working on. Heacox say that students all have different learning styles, and if you pair students together of like abilities or interests, they are more likely to choose a project that appeals to them.
When students turn in a project, grade them on the group's final project, but also grade them on their individual performance. Giving students different roles helps with this, but you can also check what they are doing by having each student in the group write in a different colored pencil. That way, when you grade a project or assignment, you will see how each student contributed.