Reading Passage 3: the case for mixed ability classes
I'm working on this new reading lesson about the different types of distractors and how to recognise them.
Which answer would you choose (first paragraph of a Passage 3 about mixed-ability classes)?
27 The writer describes the Romeo and Juliet lesson in order to demonstrate
A how few students are interested in literature.
B how a teacher handles a range of learning needs.
C how unsuitable Shakespeare is for most teenagers.
D how weaker students can disrupt their classmates’ learning.
1. Picture this scene. It’s an English literature lesson in a UK school, and the teacher has just read an extract from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with a class of 15-year-olds. He’s given some of the students copies of No Fear Shakespeare, a kid-friendly translation of the original. For three students, even these literacy demands are beyond them. Another girl simply can’t focus and he gives her pens and paper to draw with. The teacher can ask the No Fear group to ... and maybe provide a tentative plot summary. He can ask most of the class about... and five of them might be able to ....
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The answer is B.
The writer describes how a teacher handles a range of learning needs (by giving different tasks to different students: He’s given some of the students a kid-friendly translation of the original, he gives a girl pens and paper to draw with. The teacher can ask the No Fear group to identify the key characters and maybe provide a tentative plot summary. He can ask most of the class about character development, and five of them might be able to support their statements with textual evidence.
What do the distractors have in common?
Answers A, C and D are NEGATIVE.
A. 'few' = not many students like literature (too general, irrelevant)
C. Shakespeare is unsuitable (opinion-based, not mentioned in the text)
D. to disrupt learning (= disturb) (too strong, not mentioned)
But the first paragraph is a very positive introduction. The teacher 'handles' mixed-ability students well. They all have something different to do so they can work at their own level. The results are positive - note the language: 'can' and 'are able to' 'identify' 'provide' 'support'.
You can see the full reading here - video lesson in progress.
