What are all these groups my Year 1 child is in?

[redskyatnight]

Has taken me most of the term to work out that DS actually works in 3 different groups (was very confused that the people in his group kept changing).

He is in a group that seems to be ability based for guided reading.

Another group that also seems to be ability based (and has 4 children out of 6 the same as the guided reading group) that is mostly for Literacy (does guided reading not come under literacy then?) except for the days when it is also used for Numeracy

And another group that seems to be mixed ability (no children in common with his other 2 groups) that they use for "topic work" (this also seems to include some stuff I would put under Literacy).

Is this the norm? Seems horrendously confusing to me.

yes this sounds normal. Sometimes children will be in groups as per ability and sometimes they are in groups of mixed ability. There is a big emphasis just now on children developing skills in working together so we work it so that the children get a chance to work with others in the class on a rotational basis.