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Teaching in/Managing
Multi-level Classrooms
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What are Multi-level Classrooms?
Most teachers teach multi-level classes in some form,whether it be due to class size or other factors. Theactual classroom may be a combination of two or moredifferent types.
Combined classes of different year levels Classes of mixed proficiency levels Native-speakers or learners with an extensive
background in the target language along withlearners of an immersion program
Classes of mixed motivation levels
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Reasons for Establishing Multi-level
classrooms
Pedagogical philosophies in favor of multi-levelclassrooms i.e. a continuum of learning across a two
year span
Low student populations Availability of space/facultyi.e. no space/faculty
available for special programs
Regardless of pedagogical or demographic reasons,multi-level classrooms can provide quality learning.
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Advantages of Multi-level
Classrooms
Students are able to learn at their own pace(within reason)
Students learn to work well in groups
Students become independent learners,modeling future occupational workenvironments
Students become partners in learning
Students become partners in learning
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Disadvantages of Multi-level
Classrooms
Finding appropriate resources and teachingmaterials
Organizing appropriate groupings within the
class, especially when personalities clash Building and effective self-access center in class
Determining the individual needs of each
student Ensuring that all students remain challenged and
interested
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Advantages and Challenges of Multi-
level Classrooms for the teacher:
The PROs
A more rewarding teaching experience as youreally get to practice your craft
Learn more about the way a student learnswhether that is auditory, visual, or kinestheticlearning
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Advantages and Challenges of Multi-
level Classrooms for the teacher:
The CONs More preparation time
Not knowing where to begin as the year starts
More demanding in-class activity for the teacher
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Types of Multi-level classrooms
Multiple Grade Levels
Multiple curriculaAs much as a 3 year difference in age
Potential for a very wide stretch of material neededto be offered for remedial/accelerated students in
both grades
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Types of Multi-level classrooms
Multiple Proficiencies in Class
Even in classes as small as 7 or 8 students, it wouldbe highly unusual to have a class that is completelyhomogenous in ability
Be prepared for differences and be proactive about
finding solutions that best fit a childs educationalneeds
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level
classrooms
Identifying late developers, grade-leveldevelopers, accelerated developers, and gifteddevelopers.
In lieu of full-time remedial or TAG/GATEprograms, each class has to be a self-containedlearning environment accommodating all
learners.
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The Standard Normal Distribution
Curve (Bell Curve)
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Standard Normal Distribution Curve
Sample: IQ
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Reading Percentiles
A percentile number denotes what % of the test
population scored lower than that particular student ona particular test.
For example, a student who scores in the 90th percentileon a math test scored higher than 90% of the students
who took that same test and scored lower than 10% ofthe population who took the same test. The percentile
tells you NOTHING about the raw score.
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Student Reading Raw Score Math Raw ScoreXXXXXXX 76% 40/50 81% 39/50YYYYYYY 68% 38/50 92% 45/50
Sample Percentile Scores
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level
classrooms
Techniques for identifying both late developingand gifted students
There are multiple age-appropriate tools, usuallysegmented into Pre-K (for 4 year olds), K-2nd, 3rd-8th, 9th and up (almost exclusively for non-native
language speakers
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
It is easier to identify an older gifted student since there arerecords of academic achievements although they may not tell theentire story
There are both intellectual and emotional clues that may, but notdefinitely confirm, a gifted student.
Intellectual signs: has a high verbal ability relative to age, readsearlier than average, often remembers large volumes ofinformation or specific details, has a longer attention span at an
earlier age, learns concepts and tasks quickly, ask plenty of whatif questions, makes unusual connections at an early age, enjoys
intellectual activities/games, can problem solve.
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
Emotional qualities: responds well to thecompany of older people, is compassionate atan early age and displays many fears, has anunusual sensitivity to the feelings andexpectations of others, is a perfectionist,expects early success and gets frustrated by
failure, can spot inconsistencies, has a highlydeveloped sense of humor at a young age.
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
There are many different definitions of gifted students, butmost programs and educational organizations considerstudents who score 3 standard deviations away from themean on cognitive, aptitude or skills tests to be gifted.
Most TAG or GATE programs accept students who scorein the 90th+ %tiles on reading and math tests.
We currently have 16 different students who would qualify
for one or more TAG or GATE program
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
Remember, there are multiple intelligences: visual/spatial,verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, interpersonal, andintrapersonal. Its difficult to create a program for all of
these types of intelligences.
Being identified as gifted does NOT necessarily produceresults. The Potential is identified, not the actualproduction.
Harvard School of Education experiment: you, you, you,you, and you.
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying late developing
students (especially younger students)
Intellectual signs: has a low verbal ability relative to age andfinds it hard to articulate thoughts, reads later than average, finds
it difficult to recall facts and information, has a shorter attentionspan at an earlier age, learns concepts and tasks arduously andthrough many repetitions if at all, finds it difficult to makeconnections between concepts, learns the alphabet later than
average, finds it difficult to correctly write the alphabet in bothcases after much repetition and time, finds it difficult to ordernumbers, finds it difficult to conceptual size and amount.
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted and late
developing young students
Tools for identifying ability in younger students i.e. grades K-2
10 recommend tests as per Washington, Oregon, Texas, andother departments of education
The Auditory Analysis test, Decoding Skills tests,Degree of Reading Power test, the Observation Survey,Qualitative Reading Inventory, the Roswell-Challdiagnostic reading test, Slosson Oral Reading Test(SORT), the Test of Phonological Awareness, The
Texas (or California) Primary Reading Inventory, TheYopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted and late
developing older students
Identifying raw ability in older students i.e.grades 3 and up is much the same as it is with
younger students, but it is easier to measureactual performance due to a body of work thestudent has produced i.e. writing samples, tests,standardized tests, etc.
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Number
Correct
RIT Score Number
Correct
RIT Score
1 164.6 13 204.6
2 172.4 14 206.5
3 177.6 15 208.6
4 181.6 16 210.65 185.0 17 212.4
6 187.5 18 215.0**
7 190.0 19 218.3
8 193.5 20 221.5
9 195.3 21 225.7
10 197.4 22 230.3
11 199.8 23 237.8
12 201.9* 24 245.1
*Likely to meet standards**Likely to exceed standards
Sample Reading Test Evaluation with
Corresponding RIT scores
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Grade Level
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th10th
191 - 200
200 - 207
208 - 214
215221
222 - 226
227 - 230
231 - 233233 and above
RIT interpretation
http://www.nwea.org/support/details.aspx?content=532
M lti le el Classrooms ith a mi of
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Multi-level Classrooms with a mix of
native and non-native English
speakersAlthough there are a many differences, our
classes have taken the approach that this is a
variable of the multi-proficiency multi-levelclassroom.
Since there is no official ESL program at the
school, currently non-native speakers gothrough a de facto immersion program
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom The very first thing that a teacher of a multi-level classroom
should do is assess the students ability as soon as possible. For older students, past records, achievement/standardized test
scores, writing samples should be checked to see where thestudent excels, where they need help.
The teacher should ask the questions: Is the student late indeveloping? Is the student accelerated? Is the student trulygifted?
For younger students who have no records, teacher observationsshould be cross-referenced with age appropriate milestones. Ifthe teacher observes unusually slow development or unusuallyhigh ability, one or more of the available tests should beadministered to get a better idea of what will best stimulate thechilds learning
Strategies for the multi level
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: selection of texts and
materials Selecting a core text is of vital importance. Most texts
offer challenge problems/activities/passages for theaccelerated learner and remedial support for the latedeveloping learner,
Multiple texts can and should be used when feasible.For a language class, multiple level books can be usedto create reading groups to let students learn at theirown pace.
Math classes can use application texts along withconcept texts. Concept texts challenge the student tothink logically and not just copy/follow the examplesshown.
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: self-access materials
Make sure everything is well labeled and organized.
The materials should reflect the needs and interests of thestudents in your class. Self-Access materials can be intimidating
for students if you just have a shelf full of textbooks. It is best to photocopy many copies of worksheets and exercises.
You can provide a lot of these materials via the myteacherwebpages.
Have puzzles, intellectual games available for the student whoroutinely finishes early and needs stimulation. Get to know thisstudents habits and see what works well in intellectuallystimulating him/her.
Crosswords, suduku, other puzzles
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: groups and pairings
Successful pairings and groupings are key to a successful multi-level classroom
Sometimes the most obvious pairings or groupings i.e. by ability,reading level, etc. dont work due to clashing personalities orother issues
Cross-ability pairings along with like-ability pairings should berotated throughout the year to keep things fresh.
Some students might also spend time by themselves depending
upon their ability with a special assignment. It is up to theteacher to continually find projects to keep this type of studentstimulated. The internet has hundreds of ideas.
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: groups and pairings
Start with a warm-up that involves the whole group.
Break part of the class off into one type of grouping(i.e. pairs) and work with part of the class on a lesson,grammar point, or activity.
Break off the class into another type of grouping (i.e.small groups) and have the other students use self-
access materials. Bring the class back together for a whole group
activity/game.
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Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: other ideas
Isolate students within the class who are interested in peertutoring.
This doesn't always have to be the student with the highest level
of English/Math/Etc. Your students who fall somewhere in themiddle may in fact be the most valuable to you, as they strive toattain a level of competency comparable to the most advancedstudents. Remind your students that the best way to practice andimprove a new language/skill/concept is to teach it to someone
else. Consider enlisting a volunteer Teaching a multi-level classroom will be exhausting for even the
most energtic of teachers so getting a volunteer to help with someof the non-pedagogical task i.e. copying, collating, organizing, etc.may be helpful.
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Strategies for the Multi-level
Classroom: know your limits
It may be that you have tried everything in
your power to help a student learn and they
simply have not for one reason or another. If this is the case, simply continuing on with
failed strategies (given that a reasonable
amount of time and effort has been put inplace) is not beneficial for anyone
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Conclusion
Multi-level teaching is difficult and timeconsuming
However, it leads to a rich curriculum forstudents
In lieu of an official ESL, TAG, GATE, orremedial program, multi-level teaching is the
ONLY way to ensure that each student gets aneducation that is intellectually stimulating.
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Conclusion
Multi-level teaching is difficult and timeconsuming
However, it leads to a rich curriculum forstudents
In lieu of an official ESL, TAG, GATE, orremedial program, multi-level teaching is the
ONLY way to ensure that each student gets aneducation that is intellectually stimulating.
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Conclusion
The teacher if he is indeed wise does not teach you to enter thehouse of wisdom but leads you to the threshold of your ownmind. - Kahlil Gilbran
I have lived some thirty years on this planet, and I have yet tohear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my
seniors. - Henry David Thoreau The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The
superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires -William Arthur Ward
To know yet to think that one does not know is best;Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.- Lao-Tzu
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