Instructional Agility. Cassandra Erkens

in mixed-ability groups to grapple with difficult concepts, struggling students, nonreaders, and second language students immerse themselves in a steady dose of:

      ■ Access to academic language (a deficit in vocabulary knowledge is a major obstacle to academic achievement)

      ■ Opportunities to hear and observe how students think and explore complex material

      ■ Exposure to complex material that they may not have otherwise accessed through personal reading

      Likewise, in mixed groupings, strong readers and skilled students gain access to:

      ■ Clarity about potential pitfalls, misunderstandings, and misconceptions