Earlier practices in the teaching of literature offered one standard of success and one method of lesson delivery for everyone. This did not make it possible for students to reach their individual potentials. The resulting idea of attending to the individual formed the basis for ability grouping. However, placement into lower groups resulted in seriously limiting, rather than enhancing, opportunities to learn and it was discovered that assignment to an ability group predicts educational and social outcomes with alarming accuracy. Flexible grouping is a system of temporary grouping that can better answer student needs. Each student reads and writes in groups with classmates, but the members of the groups will continually change. This system insures in part that low-achieving students will engage in a greater variety of intellectually stimulating activities and be exposed to a greater variety of literature. It enables all students to achieve without creating an "at-risk" group. Students will have an opportunity to work in each type of group: read/listen; shared/support; and partner/collaborative. Skill and strategy development can be accomplished with flexible grouping. This system of grouping will enable teachers to help all their students reach their full academic potential. (Contains four references.) (CR)