IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT ORGANIZING CHILDREN FOR LEARNING, A SURVEY OF THE RESEARCH AND LITERATURE ON GROUPING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE U. S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION. AFTER MANY RELEVANT STUDIES WERE EXAMINED, THE AUTHORS CONCLUDED THAT--(1) LEARNING RESULTS FROM MEMBERSHIP IN MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS, (2) ACHIEVEMENT GAINS MADE BY PUPILS IN CLASSROOMS REPRESENTING MORE THAN A NORMAL SPREAD OF DIFFERENCES AMONG CHILDREN WERE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE GAINS MADE BY PUPILS IN ABILITY-GROUPED CLASSROOMS, (3) FACTORS OTHER THAN THE PARTICULAR GROUPING METHODS USED ACCOUNT FOR DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT GAINS, (4) SUCCESS IN ORGANIZING CHILDREN ACCORDING TO ABILITY IS PROBABLY AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION, AND (5) AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR FLEXIBILITY IN GROUPING CHILDREN IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SEEMS ESSENTIAL TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEETING CHANGING NEEDS OF CHILDREN. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE AS FS 5.220--20089 FOR 40 CENTS FROM SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., 20402. (SF)