The Formation and Instruction of Ability Groups

Based on an analysis of first-grade reading instruction, in which the nature of the curriculum, the allocation of time, the class distribution of student aptitude, and learning are the main considerations, this article provides evidence that teaching contains important technological elements. These elements can be formulated as principles expressing coherent connections between means and ends; they pervade school-system organization and are not restricted to classes. The argument questions the view that teaching is largely intuitive, unpredictable, and resistant to analysis.