Learning Together: Why a Classroom Is More Than a Collection of Individual Learners

By Sylvia Langford · 13 min read

Throughout my years working in schools, one question became increasingly important to me:

What makes it possible for a group of children to learn together when each child has different capabilities and needs?

I visited classrooms with very different numbers of students. Some had large groups of children who managed to work in an organised way. In others, with fewer students and more adults providing support, it was difficult to maintain a shared learning activity.

These experiences led me to question some of my own assumptions.

Initially, I paid considerable attention to children’s individual capabilities and difficulties. Over time, I realised that I also needed to observe how learning was organised for the whole group.

It was not enough to understand what each child needed to learn.

I also needed to ask how we could create conditions that allowed everyone to participate in a shared learning experience.

Gradually, I arrived at a reflection that I consider fundamental:

Developing individual independence is one of the conditions that make group learning possible.

1. Being in the Same Classroom Does Not Mean Learning Together

Imagine a classroom with thirty children.

They are all sitting at their desks, completing individual activities.

Some work independently. Others need an adult to explain every step. Several wait for someone to check their answers before continuing.

Although they share the same physical space, they are not necessarily participating in a group learning experience.

Learning together means more than being physically present in the same room.

It involves participating in an organised educational experience, with a common learning goal, understandable instructions and opportunities for each child to act from their own capabilities.

This does not mean that everyone must complete exactly the same exercises, progress at the same pace or achieve identical results.

Nor does it mean that children must constantly work in teams.

They may listen to shared instructions, observe a demonstration and then practise individually.

What connects them is the goal they are working towards and the learning experience they share.

A group is not formed simply because children are together. We need to create conditions that allow them to learn together.

2. Why Is Independence So Important for Group Learning?

This was one of the reflections that most influenced my understanding of education.

In a classroom, the teacher needs to organise activities, communicate instructions, observe responses and support the learning of many children at the same time.

But what happens when every student needs an adult to continually tell them what to do?

One child waits for instructions to be repeated.

Another needs a reminder about how to begin.

A third stops working because they do not know how to continue.

Meanwhile, the teacher tries to keep the group activity moving while responding to all these needs.

Under these conditions, teaching can become a series of individual interventions taking place simultaneously in the same classroom.

This does not mean that the children are doing something wrong.

It may mean that they still need to develop capabilities that allow them to participate with greater independence.

For example, understanding an instruction, beginning an activity, remembering what to do, attempting to solve a difficulty and continuing to practise are all capabilities that contribute to learning.

As these capabilities develop, children may need fewer constant interventions.

And that has consequences for the whole group.

A child who can begin an activity independently allows the teacher to spend more time with those who need additional guidance.

A child who listens to instructions also helps create conditions in which classmates can listen.

A child who learns to wait and respect the work of others contributes to an environment where everyone has opportunities to concentrate.

Individual independence does not benefit only the child who develops it. It also helps create conditions in which classmates can learn.

However, this does not mean that we should demand independence before teaching children how to develop it.

Independence is a capability that needs to be developed.

And schools need to provide opportunities for children to do so.

3. Different Starting Capabilities, a Common Goal

One of the most important lessons I learned from working in schools was that children in the same year level had not necessarily developed the same capabilities.

The curriculum establishes what is expected to be taught and learned at each school level.

But being in a particular year level does not mean that a child can already complete every activity expected at that level.

In our Bamboo Mental Maths assessments, for example, we observed considerable differences between students participating in the same program.

Some could solve only a few calculations within the available time, while others answered many more correctly.

These results showed different starting points.

Nevertheless, the children could participate in shared learning experiences organised around a common goal.

This led me to distinguish between two aspects:

The individual starting point: the capabilities each child can already perform independently.

The group starting point: an accessible initial activity that allows children with different capabilities to participate in a shared learning experience.

Both are important.

In the Langford Method, we use the principle n+1 to understand learning progression.

n represents a capability that a child can already perform independently.

n+1 represents the next challenge the child is learning to perform.

During this process, the child may need guidance and practice. When they can perform the new capability independently and with sufficient consistency, it becomes their new starting point.

Within a group, what one child has already mastered may still represent a new challenge for another.

Therefore, children do not need to have the same individual starting point to learn together.

We need to organise experiences that allow the group to participate while recognising that each child can progress from their own capabilities.

4. When More Adults Do Not Solve the Problem

In some schools, I observed classrooms where several adults provided individual support to students.

Despite having this assistance, it was sometimes still difficult to organise learning for the whole group.

Having more adults present did not necessarily make activities clearer or help children participate more independently.

At times, simultaneous individual explanations, constant reminders and multiple conversations could interrupt the group’s attention.

In addition, when adults continually directed every step, some children had fewer opportunities to attempt activities on their own.

Meanwhile, the teacher needed to continue teaching while coordinating the different interventions.

This led me to wonder whether, in certain situations, the way adult support was organised could also contribute to difficulties within the classroom.

I was not questioning the commitment or professional preparation of those involved.

I was questioning whether adding more individual assistance, without reviewing how the group’s learning experience was organised, was always the best response.

How Many Adults Does a Classroom Need?

I do not believe there is a single answer that applies to every situation.

The number of adults required depends on the number of students, their ages, the activities being undertaken and their support needs.

For example, a classroom of 25 to 30 children might organise some shared activities with one teacher and one or two support adults, provided the students’ needs allow it.

This is only an example of classroom organisation, not an ideal ratio or a limit that should be applied to every classroom.

Some groups require more professionals to ensure that students can participate, access learning and remain safe.

However, I believe it is important to distinguish between two situations:

Having several adults present in the classroom.

And:

Having several adults giving individual instructions at the same time.

These are not the same.

We can have different professionals in a classroom without everyone needing to intervene simultaneously.

While the teacher leads a shared learning experience, other adults may observe, support children who need assistance, prepare materials or provide specific forms of support.

Coordination is essential.

But we also need to ask what capabilities children are developing through these interventions.

Because an adult can help a child complete an activity without the child necessarily developing the capability to complete it independently.

5. Helping Does Not Always Mean Developing Independence

When a child experiences difficulty, our natural response is often to help.

We repeat the instruction, demonstrate how to solve the exercise, remind them what to do or intervene to prevent them from making a mistake.

These forms of assistance can be necessary and valuable.

But we also need to observe what happens when adult intervention continues without change.

If an adult must direct every step, what opportunities does the child have to learn to complete the activity independently?

This question changed my understanding of assistance.

I began distinguishing between two objectives:

Helping a child complete an activity.

And helping the child develop the capability needed to complete it independently.

Both objectives can be important, but they are not equivalent.

Imagine a child learning to solve a mathematical calculation.

Initially, they may need someone to demonstrate the procedure.

After practising, they may be able to continue with a brief reminder.

Later, they may remember the procedure and solve the calculation without help.

The initial guidance has contributed to learning.

But the purpose was not to maintain that guidance indefinitely. It was to help the child develop a new capability.

This does not mean that all assistance should disappear.

Some students need accessibility supports, adapted materials, assistive technology or specialised assistance to participate.

These supports may be essential and are compatible with genuine independence.

The distinction lies in understanding whether the support allows the child to use their own capabilities or whether an adult is continually performing the actions we want the child to learn.

Independence does not mean leaving a child on their own. It means helping them develop capabilities they can use themselves, with the support they need.

6. Organising Activities So Children Can Act Independently

During my early years of work, many of my educational decisions depended on my direct involvement.

I observed children’s responses, modified instructions, provided demonstrations and adjusted the difficulty of activities.

However, when other people began implementing these experiences in schools, I discovered that they could not always reproduce the decisions I was making.

This helped me understand that some of the guidance needed to become part of the learning materials themselves.

I began developing materials that offered clear instructions, demonstrations, organised activities and opportunities to respond and practise.

For example, a video could demonstrate what to do, while a workbook allowed children to complete activities individually.

The intention was not to replace the teacher.

It was to organise the learning experience more effectively so that children did not depend on constant individual explanations.

Through this process, I identified three important moments:

Understanding: observing a demonstration or receiving an explanation when necessary.

Action: receiving a clear instruction and having enough time to attempt the activity.

Response and practice: observing the result, receiving feedback and having further opportunities to improve.

These moments can be repeated and adapted according to children’s needs.

A well-organised activity does not guarantee that everyone will learn in the same way.

But it can help more children understand what is expected of them and provide opportunities to participate with increasing independence.

This can also help the teacher maintain a shared learning experience while continuing to support those who need additional guidance.

7. The Six Habits and Their Relationship with Group Learning

During my work in schools, some teachers began telling me about changes they were observing in children.

They were not always referring to academic results.

They mentioned that children were listening more attentively, following instructions, beginning activities with fewer reminders and showing greater willingness to continue working.

These observations led me to pay closer attention to the capabilities that allow children to participate in learning.

In Langford, we work with six habits:

• Following Instructions: understanding what is requested and responding appropriately.
• Self-Control: regulating one’s responses and actions.
• Independence: using acquired capabilities without depending on constant instructions.
• Calmness: maintaining or regaining the calm needed to participate.
• Willingness to Act: beginning and attempting an activity.
• Practice: returning to activities to develop and strengthen capabilities.

These habits can be practised within academic activities.

For example, during a mental maths session, a child may learn a calculation while also practising how to listen, respond, wait, attempt and continue.

What matters is understanding that these habits do not benefit only the student who develops them.

They can also contribute to how the group functions.

When more children understand what to do, begin activities and can continue practising, the teacher has greater opportunities to organise shared learning.

Individual habits can help create the conditions needed for a group to learn together.

This is one of the reasons I consider developing habits during childhood so important.

It is not simply about improving classroom behaviour.

It is about developing capabilities that allow children to learn, participate and relate to others.

8. Independence Also Develops Through Learning with Others

So far, I have explained why independence contributes to group learning.

But there is another relationship that I consider equally important.

Learning in a group also provides opportunities to develop independence.

Children need to learn how to participate in shared experiences.

Listening when someone else is speaking, waiting their turn, cooperating, respecting differences and recognising that their actions can affect others are important forms of learning.

These capabilities are not developed only through individual exercises.

Being part of a group provides opportunities to practise them.

A child may learn to wait while classmates finish an activity.

Another may discover how to continue working without interrupting those who still need to concentrate.

Children can also learn to ask for help when they genuinely need it and to offer assistance respectfully.

For this reason, group learning should not be regarded simply as a practical way of organising teaching.

It has educational value in its own right.

Children do not only need to develop academic knowledge.

They also need to learn how to participate in a community.

And that shared experience can contribute to their sense of responsibility, independence and consideration for others.

9. Learning Together Also Means Including Everyone

Recognising the importance of independence does not mean expecting every child to achieve the same level of independence.

Some children will need ongoing support to communicate, move around, access materials or complete certain activities.

Others may develop greater independence in some areas while continuing to need guidance in others.

These differences are part of classroom life.

Inclusion requires recognising them and organising the necessary support so that everyone has meaningful opportunities to participate.

We must also accept that some activities need to take place individually or in small groups.

Not all learning has to occur with the whole class.

What matters is that individual support and shared learning experiences can complement one another.

The objective is not for every child to work without help, but for each child to develop their capabilities and participate in the life of the group with the support they need.

An inclusive classroom should provide opportunities for individual progress and a sense of belonging to the group.

We should not have to choose between the two.

10. Questions for Organising Group Learning More Effectively

After these experiences, I began paying greater attention to the conditions that allow groups to learn together.

When a classroom has difficulty working as a group, I believe we can ask ourselves:

• What capabilities can the children already perform independently?
• Are the instructions clear and understandable?
• Does the activity’s starting point allow children with different capabilities to participate?
• Are the difficulty and amount of work appropriate?
• What habits do the children need to develop to participate with greater independence?
• Are adults helping children develop capabilities, or do they need to direct every step continuously?
• How can we better coordinate the interventions of different professionals?
• What adaptations or specific supports do some students need to participate?
• Are we providing opportunities for individual learning within a shared experience?

These questions do not have simple answers.

The number of students, available resources and individual needs also influence classroom organisation.

But I believe we should not respond to every difficulty by adding more individual assistance without first examining the learning conditions.

We need to understand what is happening and what we can change to support both each child’s development and the group’s participation.

Conclusion: Developing Independence to Learn Together

For many years, my work focused on understanding individual difficulties and helping children overcome them.

Over time, I began to recognise that schools face a different challenge.

It is not enough to help each child separately.

We also need to create conditions that allow many children to learn together.

And to achieve this, developing individual independence is fundamental.

When children understand instructions, begin activities, regulate their responses and can use the capabilities they have developed, they contribute to the group’s ability to learn.

At the same time, participating in a shared experience provides opportunities to develop habits, responsibility and respect for others.

This does not eliminate the need for individual support.

Nor does it mean that everyone must learn at the same pace or achieve the same level of independence.

It means that we need to organise teaching to develop capabilities, provide necessary support and encourage the participation of the whole group.

Individual independence helps make group learning possible. And group learning also provides opportunities to develop that independence.

This is why I believe a classroom is much more than a collection of children learning individually.

It is a community in which each child can develop their own capabilities while learning to participate, live alongside others and move forward together.