Looping in
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...
is the practice of moving groups of children up from one
grade
Grade most commonly refers to:
* Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance
* Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage
* Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope
Grade or grading may also r ...
to the next with the same teacher. This system, which is also called multiyear grouping,
lasts from two to five years and, as the class moves on, the teacher loops back to pick another group of children.
This practice is particularly prevalent in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
.
Background
It is believed that young learners experience a complex period of development and that it requires consistency, which can be provided by the looping learning framework.
Looping allows teachers to address this issue by providing continuity as well as a stable and secure learning environment.
It had its origin in
Waldorf education
Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical ...
, which spread in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
in 1928 after it was first introduced in Europe. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the looping system was implicit in the educational structure, particularly in one-room schools where there was only one teacher available for all students.
Outcomes
According to its proponents, looping offers several benefits and these include an improved student-teacher relationship due to the stability and emotional security provided to the learners as well as a greater opportunity for teachers to get to know them, leading to individualization of their learning program.
It is also suggested that it provides more instructional time since there is less time required at the beginning of the school year on routines of procedures and familiarization. The "carryover" relationship keeps the class from starting from scratch on the next year of the loop, allowing them to gain up to six extra weeks of instructional time.
Looping also facilitates better social interaction and could enhance a sense of family and community within the classroom.
There are also studies that show students who loop tend to have better attendance.
It is also associated with improved reading and math performance as well as improved conflict resolution and teamwork capabilities.
References
Educational stages
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