" Learning naturally occurs in all human beings. Children do not need to be formally taught and motivated to learn. They are naturally inquisitive. Learning is enhanced when individuals actively interact with their environment. This means learning through a variety of ways that engage all senses: observation, trial and error, building, touching, talking, reflecting, and so forth" (Miller, pg 32).






Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory shows that children learn by constructing and re-constructing knowledge, interacting physically with their world and having meaningful interactions with their peers.

The learning community is very important in a multiage classroom; that community which exists and develops between teacher, students and parents as the learning and teaching progresses throughout the year.

Learning can be focused on one curriculuarcurricular area, but is typically cross-curricular and focuses on developmentally appropriate practices. A multiage classroom utilizes:

• Scaffolding: Based on Vygotskian Theory; instructional approaches or strategies that use a student's prior knowledge of a topic or concept; or a strategy that provides support to the student in his or her achievement of thea learning task.
• Cooperative learning groups: Small groups of learners with varied levels and skills that work together over a period of time to develop a “micro” community of learners in the classroom community. This grouping allows for a wide range of ages and abilities to work and learn together.
• Inquiry-based learning: Since multiage classes have more flexibility in curriculum there are more possibilitiesopportunities exist for students to explore their areas of interest andwithout forbeing tied to a restrictive curriculum. eachEach student tois takeallowed the time necessary and individual time to understand concepts and fully explore ideas, themes and topics in meaningful way.
• Collaboration and Peer Assisted Learning: Students in a multiage class have a wide-range of abilities and skills which can be used in mentoring and leadership roles for students. Studies have shown that students in multiage classrooms develop better social and life skills through working with students of different ages and skills levels.
• Differentiated learning: Multiage classrooms accommodate students of all abilities,abilities; including special-needs students and gifted students. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the student and not the other way around.

Self-initiated learning or learning which "helps students realize their full potential and draws on childrens' unique ability to explore and discover" (Hartjen, pg 3) is also aanother key component in the multiage classroom. Raymond Hartjen in Empowering the Child lists five characteristics which foster self-initiated learning:

• An evironmentenvironment rich in resources, where students can focus and develop concentration and attending skills.
• An environment that allows children the freedom to explore their own interests and ideas.
• Teachers who are trained to act as "coach, giude,guide, model thinker, prodder, therapist, moderator, raiser of questions, issues and alternative perspectives" (pg 25).
• A school which functions as a community of inquiry, where children can practice and develop their social skills on a daily basis.
• Teachers who are willing to allow children to develop and explore their own ideas which may differ from their own.

Math in the Multiage Classroom:

View the video on the left to learn more about math in multiage classroom. To start the video click on the Icon.

For more information on scaffolding learning in math: "Multiage Mathematics: Scaffolding Young Children's Mathematical Learning"

Multiage and Special Education:

I teach a junior high special education class and my class is made up of three grades of students who I teach for three years. When I first started to learn about multiage classrooms, I thought well, it sounds similar to what I teach because I do have multiple ages and typically have a non-graded curriculum. My students leave the class throughout the day to integrate into other classes such as phys-ed, religion and art, but their core academic classes are with me. After learning more about this approach, I though how well my students could do in a "true" multiage class. One of the biggest challenges is finding curriculum which is suitable for my students when they are in other classrooms; I may have a student reading at a grade 2-3 level, but working in a grade 9 class. How do you modify the material when all the other students are supposed to be working at a grade 9 level and how to you accommodate those needs? This is where a multiage class would be ideal, for all students of course, but in particular for including students with special needs.