Curriculum compacting demands time and energy on the part of both teachers and students. Yet, over the years, we've discovered that it saves teachers precious hours, once they're familiar with the process. Most educators who now compact effectively say that it takes no longer than normal teaching practices. More importantly, they tell us that the benefits to all students certainly make the effort worthwhile. We have included a short section on commonly asked questions on curriculum compacting, see if you know how to respond.

Questions and Answers

Q1. What is required before you start compacting?     Answer

Q2. Can classroom teachers compact curriculum without the help of teachers who work with gifted children?     Answer

Q3. What should I tell my students about compacting?     Answer

Q4. What are the least difficult subject areas to compact?     Answer

Q5. Am I correct in assuming that if I teach process writing or the "whole language" approach, compacting is unnecessary?     Answer

Q6. Is it better to compact by time period (every marking period, for instance) or by instructional unit?     Answer

Q7. Do you recommend compacting an entire semester, leaving the last two months free for student self-selected projects, or compacting 2 1/2 days a week, leaving the rest of the time for alternative work?     Answer

Q8. If I compact for my high ability students, and let them leave the class for alternative activities, won't the quality of my classroom discussions suffer?     Answer

Q9. How do I grade when I compact curriculum?     Answer

Q10. Is there a way to physically reorganize my classroom space to make compacting easier?     Answer

Q11. What advice do teachers who have successfully used compacting give to other teachers?     Answer