Multiage Education - Recently Updated Pages

Additional Information and Websites

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:21:18 CDT

Please visit these sites for additional information on Multiage Classrooms

Site Name and Comments	Site Address
Multiage-Education: An excellent site with very practical and helpful information from teachers and includes links to other sites.	www.multiage-education.com
Themes and Projects: This site designed by a teacher has numerous different themes and projects she has used with her intermediate multi-age classroom.	www.concentric.net/~Ahenson/
Blog: Mrs.Jones Junior Geniuses writes about multiage learning experiences with her ages 6-9 students (grades 1 and 2).	Mrs. Jones Junior Geniuses
Independent Together: Supporting Multi-level Education: From the Government of Manitoba this site has excellent information, including sample learning logs, websites, resources and suggestions for implementing a multiage program.	Independent Together: Supporting Multi-Level Education
Multiage Classroom Chatboard: A variety of topics and questions are explored from teachers across North America.	Teachers.net
Evaluation and Self-Assessment Tool: This assessment tool can help focus on strengths and address areas for improvement in implementing a multiage program in your school.	Learning Point Associates
Choosing Multiage: Marion Leier has years of experience and knowledge which she shares on her website.	Choosing Multiage

Special Education in the Multiage Classroom

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:15:50 CDT

"The development of positive social relationships and networks is a particularly important and problematic goal for students with moderate and severe disabilities--because this is the group of children who have been most routinely segregated from contact with "typical" children in general education classrooms (Brown et al., 1989; Haring & Breen, 1989; Meyer & Putnam, 1988; Stainback & Stainback, 1987 as cited by Salifsbury "Strategies that promote social relations among elementary student with and without severe disabilities in inclusive schools).

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 found some similarities to how teach because I have multiple ages, typically have a non-graded curriculum, focus on authentic learning and all students have an individualized program plan.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 multiage teaching, I've considered what a benefit it would be for my students to be in a "true" multiage classroom.

One of the 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?

Another challenge is making sure the students are a part of the school community and not isolated because of their differences. Integration and inclusion is so important to the develop of their social skills and especially their self-esteem.

A multiage class would be ideal for including students with special needs by:

presenting students with work which is the same as all the other students, but tailored to meet their ability.
a curriculum which is differentiated so it can accommodate individual student's needs.
giving students much needed leadership roles to help build self-esteem.
providing students with mentors to develop appropriate social and life skills.
high-liting differences in a positive way to the rest of the class and school population.
helping students develop positive peer relationships.
reducing anxiety from transitions each year.
being included in all aspects of the classroom experience.

What About Assessment?

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:48:33 CDT

In any program of study there will always questions relating to how the student will be assessed. In a traditional graded classroom there is more emphasis on summative assessment; assessment which uses grades to measure a student's progress throughout the year.

Multiage classrooms focus on authentic assessment using qualitative tools which are meaningful for both the teacher and student and assessment helps to guide instruction.

In a multiage program educators might ask these questions regarding assessment:

"If students are in an non-graded classroom, how will we know what they have learned and how will it be demonstrated?"

"How will students be assessed without being given a grade on a report card?

In her article, "Assessment in Multiage Primary Classrooms" Dr. Nita Lester explains that "Now, we accept that individuals do learn in different ways and the teaching and learning aspects of the current education system has fully embraced learning differences although assessment in many schools does not reflect the changing understanding of individuals' learning patterns (pg 2)

The assessment process in a multiage classroom is where individual learning differences are reflected not only in a differentiated curriculum, but in the variety of assessment tools used.

Authentic Assessment: Authentic assessment looks at the student as a whole and considers all aspects of the student. "It is any type of assessment that requires students to demonstrate skills and competencies that realistically represent problems and situations likely to be encountered in daily life. Students are required to produce ideas, integrate knowledge, and complete tasks that have real-world applications. Such assessment is ongoing and diagnostic, yielding information on a student's strengths and weaknesses so that the teacher can tailor lessons to the student's specific needs. Authentic assessment considers the child as a whole (socially, emotionally, physically, and academically)" (Anderson & Pavan, 1993, McLoughlin, 1969 as cited by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory). Authentic Assessment includes a variety of methods to assess student learning:

Qualitative assessment tools:

Portfolios: An assessment of students work over a certain amount of time. Portfolios not only high-lite the student's "best" work, but they can show a progression of learning from the beginning of the year to the end and they also show a student's day-to-day work and learning. In addition, students are actively involved in the process of choosing which pieces will be in their portfolio and are an important part of the assessment process.
Presentations
Projects
Student self-assessments
Rubrics
Narrative reports
Interviews and conferencing
Anecdotal notes

This kind of qualitative assessment is not only a way to document the student's growth, but to provides a framework and guide to appropriate instruction for each student based on their needs.

Credits

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:02:26 CDT

Thank you! Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!

Thank you! Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!

Thank you to the following authors, organizations and webpages for information and links which helped to explore and develop this topic:

Gaustad, Joan "Building Support for Multiage Education" Eric Digest, Number 114 Retrieved from FindArticles.com
Hartjen, Raymond, H. 1994 Empowering the Child: Nuturing the Hungry Mind. Alternative Education Press.
Katz, Lillian May 1995 "The Benefits of Mixed-Age Groupings" Eric Digest
Leier, Marion and Education 5843 Multiage Education Course at Acadia University
Lester, Nina C. 2005 "Assessment in Multiage Primary Classrooms" Issues in Educational Research 15(2).
Make Belief Comix www.MakeBeliefComix.com
Manitoba, Province of, website Government of Manitoba
Miller, Bruce 1995 University of Oregon "Children at the Center: Implementing the Multiage Classroom"
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory "Critical Issue: Enhancing Learning Through Multiage Grouping"
Pratt, David 1986 "On the Merits of Multiage Classrooms" Research in Rural Education, Volume 3/3
Seattle Schools "Multiage as a Class Placement Approach"
Teacher Tube
Vizu Polls
Yahoo Images: Images from Yahoo and Google Images.
YouTube

Parental Involvement

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:34:23 CDT

Parental and community involvement is key to a successful multiage program; parents need to not only accept and understand the approach, but to be part of the program; whether this is through their ideas and suggestion, volunteering in the classroom, or through their support with their children's long-going learning and development.

At Thomas L. Reeves Elementary in Mississippi, two teachers completed an exhibit "The Magic of Multiage" on their multiage classroom and have included a section on parent/community support and involvement. Visit their site to view the videos including parents'reflections on the success of the program: The Magic of Multiage

In the article "Building Support for Multiage Education" it states "multiage practices are vulnerable to misunderstanding and can stimulate violent opposition if efforts are not made to explain and build support among parents, the local education community, and the general public" (pg 1). It is suggested to communicate information in as many ways as possible including; newsletters, open houses, classroom observation, copies of published articles, websites, presentations and parent surveys and questionnaires. This way information can reach a wider audience and communicate important information regarding multiage classrooms.

The Government of Manitoba's Education website(see additional information page for address) has given these suggestions on parents role in multiage education:

How parents can benefit and contribute to the multiage learning community?

How parents can benefit and contribute to the multiage learning community?

In a multiage classroom:

trusting relationships develop with the same teacher over two or more years
fewer demands are placed on parents for attending classroom events, volunteering, and communicating with the school when siblings are in the same classroom
comfort levels increase for both you and your child at the beginning of the school year when you know the teacher, the expectations, and the classroom routines

How can parents support the multiage community?

How can parents support the multiage community?

Parents have opportunities to:

volunteer and observe in the multilevel classroom, based on your own time, interest, and comfort level
share your expertise related to a project or inquiry
help with scheduled activities such as book groups
supervise or drive students on field trips
collect and donate materials (such as buttons, bottle caps, jar lids, keys, and so on) to be used as math manipulatives, in learning centres, or for projects

Multiage Classrooms Across Canada

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:31:35 CDT

A multiage approach in education has been used successfully in numerous schools across Canada.These sites will give you a better idea of the research being conducted and experiences using a multiage approach in classrooms. I've included links below to explore more of what each province/territory is doing. I realize there may be classrooms and research I haven't included, and not for every province/territory, please feel free to add any additional websites in the thread at the bottom of the page and I will add them in. Thanks!

British Columbia: B.C. Teachers Federation Research Report
Alberta: Olympic Heights School
Saskatchewan: Westmount Community School
Manitoba: Winnipeg School Division: Alternative Education Program
Ontario: Ontario College of Teachers
Quebec:
Nova Scotia: Port Williams Elementary School
New Brunswick: Keswick Ridge School
Prince Edward Island: Englewood School
NewFoundland: Gander Academy
Yukon:
Northwest Territories:
Nunavut:

British Columbia:
B.C. Teachers Federation Research Report

Alberta:
Olympic Heights School

Saskatchewan:
Westmount Community School

Manitoba:
Winnipeg School Division: Alternative Education Program

Ontario:
Ontario College of Teachers

Quebec:

Nova Scotia:
Port Williams Elementary School

New Brunswick:
Keswick Ridge School

Prince Edward Island:
Englewood School

NewFoundland:
Gander Academy

Yukon:

Northwest Territories:

Nunavut:

Alberta Bound Multiage Webquest

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:13:27 CDT

Alberta Bound

Alberta Bound

A Multiage Webquest for Educational Support Grades 4-6

Designed by: Karen Stetski

Introduction:

Alberta is province with an abundance of natural beauty, big cities, small towns, and many interesting tourist attractions. Thousands of tourists visit Alberta each year and find it helpful to have their trip planned out for each day of the holiday to make the most of their time here. A group of 15 grade 4,5 and 6 students from Nova Scotia are coming to visit Alberta for the first time and you will responsible for planning the trip as well as being their tour guides.

Task:

You are going to research Alberta's tourist sites and then prepare a detailed itinerary for a tour of attractions in Alberta.

This will be for a group of students the same ages as you. These are the conditions to consider:

The tour will take place in February 2009.
They only have five days for the tour (they don’t want to miss too much school!)
They want to see at least four different attractions and want to see as much of Alberta as they can, but the students cannot travel further north than Edmonton on this trip.
They have a budget of $500 per student for attractions, entertainment and food.
Hotel and bus/air transportation is already budgeted and paid for.

You will prepare and present your itinerary for the students’ trip which should include:

A 2--3 paragraph written description of each attraction and why it will appeal to the students.
A map of Alberta showing the route the students will travel.
Where each group will be each day, including location and start and end times.
Colour photos, music, props, websites and anything else you think would be of interest to the students and would help prepare them for their trip.

Process: To help you with your planning, the students have given a list of some of their interests and activities they like:

Playing and watching sports of all kinds.
Amusement parks
Shopping
Movies, especially westerns and science fiction.

Their teacher also wanted to make sure the students kept up on their school work. They will be studying pre-historic life in Science and Canada’s early Aboriginal communities in Social Studies. When you are planning try to find one or two attractions which might incorporate their studies. Also, keep in mind that as their tour guide you will be expected to know about each tourist site you take them to. You will need to prepare a short written information sheet (2-3 paragraphs) for each attraction in case they have any questions.

Step 1: Individually, research possible attractions you may want to visit and record at least 5-6 on a list. Start with the following websites:

Step 2: In your assigned group of four go through your lists and as a group decide which four attractions you think would be best for your tour. Keep in mind what would be most appealing to the students.

Travel Alberta

Destination Canada

Discover Alberta

Step 3: Decide where your tour will start and end. Consider things like travel distance and convenience to other locations.

Step 4: Each student is responsible for researching one tourist site/attraction.

Record your information and make sure you save everything on your computer.

Step 5: In a MS Word document type up your 2-3 paragraph summary of your attraction. Use descriptive language to make sure each attraction sounds interesting and appealing. Remember to also check your spelling and grammar.

Step 6: As a group compile all your information to finalize and prepare your itinerary. Don't forget to include any costs, opening/closing times, and any other special information like what type of clothes/equipment will be needed (snowboard rentals, warm boots etc). Make sure you also show where your tour will visit and the route they will take on your map of Alberta.

Step 7: On your poster boards, display all your information and get ready to present your itinerary to the class.

Evaluation: You will receive constructive comments by your teacher through the whole project, from your fellow classmates and a self-assessment on your group work, effort, actual itinerary and on your presentation.

Areas of Evaluation	Excellent	Accomplished	Room for Improvement
Worked cooperatively and collaborated with group members. Followed directions.
Researched at least two sites and made "jot" notes of research.
Completed the 2-3 paragraph summaries for each attraction.Took into account the students' time lines and interests.
Prepared a chart of expenses and kept within the students' budget.
Created a visually interesting presentation board and included additional information
Presented project as group with each member participating in the presentation.

Conclusion:

By the end of this activity you will have learned more about the province you live in; the geography, historical sites, natural beauty, what some of the popular tourist attractions are in Alberta, and where to take visitors when they come to visit. You will also have researched and planned a trip in detail and created an interesting presentation of your work. Remember, these places are available to everyone, not just to visitors. If you haven’t been to some of these attractions maybe you should visit them yourself. Explore the province you live in and don't stop there; Canada has a wealth of wonderful places to visit!

Have Fun!!

Teacher Information: This Webquest focuses on numerous life and social skills like organization, pre-planning, cooperative group work and learning, in addition to the curricular areas of language arts, science, math and social studies. It can also be modified to suit the different grade levels of reading and writing in the Educational Support Program.

Credits: Thanks to www.webquest.org for their wonderful websites which has great samples, suggestions, and design templates for teachers to use. I highly recommend this site to help you get started with your WebQuest.

Alberta clip art and photo found on Yahoo Images.

Back to Lesson Plan

Multiage Lesson Plan

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:12:00 CDT

This is a lesson plan I would use with my educational support class which has three different ages/grades of students, but this lesson would also be ideal for a "true" multiage class where special education students would be fully integrated into the class. Another benefit of multiage classrooms!

Multiage Lesson Plan

Title: Alberta Bound

Author: Karen Stetski

Grade Level: Grades 4, 5, 6 Educational Support I

Overview: A multiage lesson using a Webquest to research information about Albert tourist attractions, summarize and write descriptive paragraphs, prepare and calculate a budget as part of planning a tour of Alberta for a group of students. It can be modified to meet a variety of learners and ages.

Purpose: The Webquest includes activities using technology which encourages creative thinking, problem-solving, descriptive writing, group work and collaboration, geography, math skills, development of research skills, and preparing and presenting information. Learning is scaffolded through the breakdown of various steps of the project, templates and the collaboration of group members.

Objectives:
1.) Students will research information from various sites on the Internet.
2.) Students will problem solve and meet specific criteria of the assigned task.
3.) Students will learn to write descriptively about places they could visit.
4.) Students will work collaboratively in their group to review what they have researched and put together a tour and presentation.
5.) Students will plan and calculate daily costs and make a budget.5.) Students will expand on their knowledge of summarizing information.
6.) Students will expand on different styles of writing, what the purpose of this writing is and writing for a particular audience.
7.) Students will increase social skills and confidence in presenting their project as a group.

Resources:
Poster paper
Markers
Alberta Bound Webquest (click to view webquest)
Budget Worksheet/TemplateRubric

Activities:
1.) With students discuss any trips/holidays they have taken; How did they decide to visit a certain place and did they research where they were going? What made them decide to visit one place over another?

2.) Students and teacher share examples of travel brochures, booklets and maps. Read some of the descriptions of places. Ask them if the descriptions make the place sound interesting and unique and why this might be important. Give examples of boring descriptions versus exciting descriptions using a place the students are all familiar with in the school, for example, the library, or an upcoming dance.

3.) Discuss the reasons for planning and pre-planning activities and how this impacts the activity? Does it run smoother, is it more
enjoyable? Then discuss this aspect when planning any kind of trip, use field trips as examples, and talk about how we plan our field trips. Ask students how they have planned a vacation and what was important about the planning process. Is it better to plan ahead or not? What was the cost of attractions? How did they keep track of expenses?

4.) Explain the task and review the Alberta Bound WebQuest with the students. Review researching information and how to take “jot” notes (this is the term I use with students for when we want to write down possibly important information and we don’t need to write a full sentence, or worry too much about spelling, grammar etc. It is more important to get the information).

5.) Review the process of keeping track of expenses; recording the information in the chart and totaling up the days costs. Students with stronger math skills will be grouped with students who need more assistance with higher level math.

6.) For Educational Support I this would be an activity which would be done over a two- week period, again it can be modified to suit the different learning needs of the students depending on the students’ progress, skills and level of one-on-one assistance needed, for example planning a trip traveling across Canada instead of through one province and adding in different components to either make it more simple or challenging.

Follow-Up: After students have presented their work and done a self-evaluation, other groups will also have a chance to give some constructive comments, ask questions and compare which attractions each group chose and why? Students can also evaluate their projects by asking if they would enjoy the planned trip, would it be a trip they would take and what would make it better or more enjoyable. These are excellent ways to have the students reflect on what they have learned and also to learn from their classmates.

Curriculum in the Multiage Classroom

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:08:49 CDT

" 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 curricular 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 a 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 more opportunities exist for students to explore their areas of interest without being tied to a restrictive curriculum. Each student is allowed the 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; 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 another key component in the multiage classroom. Raymond Hartjen in Empowering the Child lists five characteristics which foster self-initiated learning:

An environment 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, 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:

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.

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:

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.

Classroom Layout

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:01:50 CDT

Due to the dynamic nature of multiage learning, a multiage classroom moves away from the traditional set up of students sitting in rows of desks facing the teacher at the front of the classroom.The set-up of a classroom and the effective use of space plays an integral in the way a multiage classroom is organized as the set-up of the classroom conveys the expectations of the class; there needs to be areas for students to engage in whole-class instruction, small group activities and projects, room for students to move from one activity to another, areas to work quietly or independently, areas for technology such as computers, spaces for students to organize and be responsible for their belongings and areas to keep shared learning resources (books, math manipulatives, writing/art supplies) which both the teachers and students can easily access.

This is an example of how a multiage classroom could be organized and there could be different configurations depending on the space and size of class, but the common theme is the classroom needs to be a multi-functional environment to accommodate all the different aspects of learning which will take place.

(Diagram retrieved from Multiage.com)

Back to Typical Day page.

Multiage in Practice: A Typical Day

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:59:16 CDT

"Learning is a process of continuously constructing meaning through interaction with the environment. Learners develop attitudes towards themselves, others, and learning based on the meaning they derive from their interactions with the environment (for example setting, people, activities and so forth). Thus a learners disposition towards school, teachers, peers and so forth grows from the quality of those interactions" (Miller, pg 7).

What would a "typical" day look like in a multiage classroom? These are two sample schedules; one for younger students: ages 5-8 and one for older students: ages 9-13. These show how classrooms could work, but there are certainly alternate possibilities for scheduling which would suit other multiage classrooms. The important consideration is a schedule which allows some flexibility within the structure and opportunities for students for make responsible choices about their own learning.

Sample Multiage Schedule: Ages 5-8:

8:30 Self-selected or buddy reading: After making a lunch choice, taking care of backpacks, and turning in purple folders, children choose books from the book bins to read independently or with a “study buddy”. (homeroom class)

8:45 – 9:15 Monday: assembly
8:45 – 9:15 Tuesday - Friday: music or gym (homeroom class)

9:15 – 10:15 Monday: Library (second graders)

10:15 – 11:15 Monday: Library (first graders)

9:15 Calendar routine: Includes many math and oral language skills. (together )

9:30 Class meetings: This will be time to compliment one another on the good things going on in our class and to problem solve issues as they arise. Also, a time to discuss class and school themes. (together)

9:45 Math (Multiple learning groups )

10:45 Recess

11:00 Shared and independent writing: Children will observe modeled writing lessons, mini skill lessons, and engage in independent writing. (together and homeroom)

12:00 Lunch

12:30 Read Aloud We will read stories to the whole class based on topics we are learning about or several stories by one author to study that author’s style or genre. (together)

12:45 - 1:15 Working with words. The children will practice phonics skills, spelling, sight words, word families, and grammar. (grade level)

1:15– 2:15 Literacy centers and guided reading groups. Title One teachers will be in our classrooms to work with small groups of children on reading and writing skills. We will use this time to pull children to read from books at their own level while students rotate through literacy based centers. (together)

2:15 Recess 2:30

Science or Social Studies (together)

3:00 Oral Language The kids will play games and participate in activities designed to improve their speaking skills and increase their confidence when speaking in front of the class. (together)

3:18 Dismissal

Sample Multiage Schedule for ages 9 - 13: (from Concordia Lutheran School)

8:30 Christian religion instruction

9:00 Directed reading instruction and reading time
9:40 Recess
10:00 Direct Math instruction, independent work, and practice
11:00 Language Arts (English, Writing, Spelling)
11:45 Lunch and Recess
12:40 Accelerated reading and independent reading
1:30 Natural Science or Social Studies topic: instruction and activity
2:00 Recess
2:15 Natural Science or Social Studies work
3:00 Dismiss
On specific days, Physical Education, Art, and Music will take the place of one of the subject areas.

Split Class vs. Multiage

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:57:16 CDT

There is a lot of different terminology used to describe classes with multiple ages and multiple grades; split classes, family groupings, combined classes, but not all terms mean the same teaching philosophy. A commonly asked question is what is the difference between a split class and a multiage class?

	Split Class	Multiage Class
Student Placement	Student placement is solely by grade level and their social maturity and academic are not taken into account to create a balanced classroom. Students may be in a split grade one year and then moved to a single-grade class the next year. There is no continuity.	Students are placed within one to two grades of each other, but work in a non-graded environment. They are placed with students of both differing and similar abilities, different ages and different social skills so they can learn from each other.
Curriculum Design	Curriculum is determined by the school board and there is little room for adaptation.Each grade must complete the set curriculum for their grade in that year.Deviation from the curriculum is not encouraged.	Curriculum is designed through collaboration with students and teachers taking into account the students' needs and interests. Curriculum goals can be achieved over several years and can accommodate a wide range of learners.
Daily Assignments	Students are given daily homework assignments based on where they should be in the curriculum, not necessarily based on their learning needs. Assignments are meant to achieve curricular goals, not student learning goals.	Students work on assignments and projects over a period of time and work is given to suit the students' abilities not based on what they "should be" working on for that grade. Assignments are based on students; progress and knowledge so the assignments meet the learners' needs and not the other way around.
Grouping	Students are often seated with one grade on each side of the room and are treated as two separate groups sharing the same space. They do not share activities and resources at the same time.	Students grouped together to include differing skill levels where some students can take on mentoring roles and students can learn from each other. Instruction is given to groups of students and individual one-on-one instruction if more is needed.
Classroom Environment	Older students are not put in a mentoring roles for younger students. Sharing and collaborative learning is not encouraged. Students have little freedom to determine their own schedule, it is determined by the teacher to accommodate separate grades. Students do not share their learning materials between grades.	Classroom is like a family where students and teachers get to know to each other over a longer period of time and develop a better relationship built on trust and respect. Students have more freedom to make choices about what they will be doing are are given opportunities to display maturity and responsibility.
Assessment and Evaluation	Students receive a letter or numerical grade. Students may be evaluated by provincial exam standards and ranked among each other. Students do not evaluate each others work.	Students are assessed not by a numerical or a letter grade, but are given well-defined rubrics of expectations for the assignment or project. They are given various suggestions and criteria for completing their work, but there is more self-evaluation and continuous feedback on student progress.
Student Attitudes	Divided by grades and unwilling to interact with students outside their grade. More competition for grades and teachers attention. Lack of leadership skills. Intolerant of differences and more self-involved.	Caring, compassionate and willing to help others. Willing to learn from each other and help others learn. Tolerant of differences and open to new experiences. Have leadership skills, mature social skills and confidence.

Advantages of Multiage

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:56:23 CDT

There are numerous benefits to students in a multiage classroom. "Mixed-age classrooms do not negatively affect student achievement, and students in these classrooms have significantly more positive attitudes toward school, themselves, and others" (Stone, 1998; Veenman, 1996 as cited in "Multiage as a Class Placement Approach").

These are some of the advantages to learners:

Students receive work for their individual achievement level regardless of their grade level.

Students can progress at their own level because it is recognized that not all children learn and develop at the same rate.

There is less student competition; students learn to work together cooperatively, share and help others.

Teachers use differentiated instruction to meet more diverse learning needs.

Fewer transitions; moving to a new grade/class each year can create stress and anxiety for both students and parents.

More continuity; teachers get to know their students very well and can map their development and progress over two or three years.

Older children benefit by taking on leadership and mentoring roles with younger children.

Student’s self-esteem is boosted because of a non-graded approach: students are not pressured or evaluated by their grades allowing for more authentic learning to take place.

Students who have very specific learning needs can be accommodated without being singled-out: for example students who have an IPP.

Students have more personal choice in what they are being taught which results in students being more engaged in what they are learning. Also it gives the teacher more freedom to pursue what students are interested in as opposed to following a rigid curriculum.

Students can increase their social skills and are given more support if they need to develop certain skills. They also have the opportunity to learn social skills from their peers.

The teacher can set up goals and work on curriculum planning over several years as opposed to getting everything done in one year: more time spent on areas students need more help with and can measure progress more effectively to modify curriculum where needed.

From "Multiage as a Class-Placement Approach"

Children have almost an extra month of teaching time, because the teacher does not have to spend the early weeks in the school year getting to know each child. Less review of prior instruction is needed before proceeding with new content.

Children are more likely to cooperate than compete. The spirit of cooperation and caring makes it possible for children to help each other as individuals, not see each other as competitors.

Children are invited to take charge of their learning, by making choices at centers and with project work. This sense of "ownership" and self-direction is the foundation for lifelong learning.

Reasons For Educators to Implement a Multiage Program

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:55:30 CDT

As much as there might be reasons teachers and administrators are hesitant to implement a multiage program for example thinking it's too difficult to change from the traditional method, parents may not be supportive, teachers will find it to be more work; there are still many more compelling reasons why a multiage program should be implemented. In "Children at the Center: Implementing the Multiage Classroom" Bruce Miller surveyed teachers and administrators across the United States for their reasons in implementing a multiage program in their school. Some of the top reasons were how multiage programs benefit children and encourage developmentally appropriate practices. Miller wrote that one of the key-factors for success of a multiage program is that belief in a "learner-centered environment" (Miller, pg 8).

Why Not a Single-Grade Classroom?

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:53:12 CDT

The single-grade class comprised of one grade of students who progress through a set-curriculum is a traditional model of classroom seen in many schools. There have been numerous studies done on the advantages for children in a multiage classroom compared to a single-age classroom.

In the article " On the Merits of Multiage" David Pratt examined the social and academic benefits of a multiage approach over a single-grade approach. In reference to the traditional classrooms, he said, "They must be questioned if they stimulate rivalry,aggression, and isolation, for no apparent advantage" (pg 4).

Lillian Katz wrote that "Single- age groups seem to create enormous normative pressures on the children and the teacher to expect all the children to possess the same knowledge and skills.There is no evidence to show that a group of children who are all within a twelve-month age range can be expected to learn the same things, in the same way, on the same day, at the same time" ("The Benefits of Mixed-Age Groupings").

Even with all the research which indicates that students in a multiage classroom do as well or better academically and even better socially,there are many questions regarding whether a multiage class can truly work better than a single-age grouping; it is hard to get away from a method used in so many classrooms for so many years.

View the video to the right to learn more about the positive aspects of social skill-building and friendship building which exists in a multiage environment.

Rationale for the Website

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:49:41 CDT

What is multiage education?? Where do we begin?? Who is it best for?? What will be taught??

This website or Wiki is being created as part of a graduate course in Multiage Education. A "wiki" is "a page or collection of collaborative web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to modify or contribute content" (Wikipedia, also one of the best-known wikis).
I view this site as a work in progress; l am still learning about multiage classrooms and want to share what I have learned, but more importantly I also hope to learn from others' experiences and knowledge. This website will also be a helpful in explaining aspects of multiage classrooms for someone completely new to the multiage concept. This is a place to find out more about what multiage education means, what it could look like in your own school and to share ideas, thoughts and experiences.

It is my hope that this website or wiki will provide some useful information on multiage classrooms to educators by:

answering some questions about multiage education.
sharing a multiage lesson plan, a sample classroom layout and a typical day in a multiage class.
providing links to other useful sites.
forum for further discussion.

Also, please take a moment to answer the questions in the multiage poll; this will help me get a better idea of where to go next with this site and also what our different experiences and perspectives are.

My Wetpaint Multiage site is open to anyone to view and add comments. If you want to become an editor on the site, you need to join Wetpaint first (which is really easy to do) and then you can add your own information to this site.

Thanks! I hope you find this site informative and helpful!

I look forward to your input and assistance.

An Educator's Forum

Karenstets — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:28:39 CDT

This is a place for all educators; teachers, teaching assistants, parents, and anyone else involved with students who are interested in or teach multiage classes, to share their ideas, experiences and thoughts. We can all learn so much from each other.

I am going to start the thread with a question/comment relating to Multiage Classrooms; please free free to respond or add your own comments, or begin a new thread with one of your own comments/questions.

I look forward to your comments and discussion!

Multiage Education

Karenstets — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:35:34 CDT

A multiage classroom has two to three age groups of students learning together, but without specific grade level distinctions. It celebrates and embraces diversity with the belief that all children have the potential to learn, but all learn at different rates. Multiage classrooms are learner centered and meet multiple and diverse learning needs where students learn at their own pace and their own academic level. Students support and learn from each other in a collaborative environment which encourages leadership and mentoring roles.Teachers use a dynamic curriculum which is based on both student interests and learning goals. Students stay with one teacher for at least two years which allows for a more continuous program, as well as fostering a sense of community between teachers, parents and students.

-The Power of Multiage Education to Meet Learner's Needs-

View the
video on the right where teachers talk about how all students benefit from a multiage approach.

Questions and Ideas Which Will be Explored in this Website

What are the benefits to learners in multiage classrooms?
What is the difference between a multiage class and a split class?
How do teachers adapt and program for multiple ages?
What does a "typical" day look like in a multiage class?
Why does a multiage approach accommodate different learning styles better than a single-grade class?
How a multiage class can benefit those with special needs.
Sample Lesson plans for a multiage class.

Multiage Polls

Karenstets — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:56:01 CDT

Please take a minute to fill out the two polls below. Your information will help me to add material and further develop this site.

Thanks for your Input!