Jumping into

Multiage Classroom

s

Some History Abbotsford Christian School has traditionally

had a three tract system. We have enjoyed the luxury of having three relatively small third grade classes, and three relatively small second grade classes.

But, in accordance with the national trend, enrolment has been dropping.

The teacher/student ratio has been great, but it is no longer financially feasible.

We have had to make some tough decisions.

What to Do?Our dilemma: Because we needed to

down-size, we had to decide . . . Do we go the traditional route of having

one 2/3 split and 2 each of the traditional grade two and three classrooms?

Or is it time to start something completely new to our school system?

What if we had five 2/3 multiaged classrooms?

What would that look like?What would parents say?

The Challenge of Sir Ken Robinson

We still educate children by batches. We put them through the system by age groups.

Why is there the assumption that the most important things kids have in common is how old they are?

If you are interested in the model of learning, you don’t start from this production line mentality.

How do we educate our children to take their place in the economies of the 21st century?

But the big question was? Did we have the courage?

Stop!

What is multiaged learning?

Why is

beneficial?

Opportunities Build a sense of classroom

community Teach to the needs of the

student first, not just the curriculum

Expanded friendship opportunities

Longer and better student to teacher relationship

No 2/3 would need to be an island

Encourage staff collaboration

The opportunity to be innovative and forward thinking

More authentic project based learning

Teacher/staff burnout

Availability and sharing of resources

Parents perceived understanding that multiaged equals split classes

Providing shared learning times for 5 classes

Staff buy in Will this benefit

students?

Fears

Time to Do Some Actual Research

A successful multiage class is formed by placing together a balance of numbers of students of different age groups with a

range of achievement levels. The teacher plans instruction and assessment expecting and celebrating diversity within the class.

Marion Leier www.multiage-education.com

A multiaged classroom is not simply a group of different aged students placed in the same classroom. Instead it is a well organized and thoroughly thought out

program designed to take advantage of the natural diversity created.

www.multiage-education.com © 2006 by Russel Yates

A multiage classroom is one in which the developmental range is wider than of that in a single-grade classroom. . . Children’s developmental diversity is celebrated, valued as part of a natural community of learners, and is harnessed in subtle ways to support learning . . It is not a classroom where a “second-grade” curriculum and a “first-grade curriculum” go on simultaneously. All children may work on the same topic but in different ways or at their own individual speed. Anne Bingham, “Exploring the Multiage Classroom”

One of the main distinctives of our school is our recognition and celebration of each child and their unique gifts and abilities. We want our children to be allowed to be who they really are and to be accepted by one another. Just as God relates to each of us in a unique way, so we strive to discover the way into a particular child’s heart and mind. We endeavour to do this both individually and with each child as part of a larger community. We find this is beautifully expressed in our multiage classroom model.

Westside Christian School, Vancouver, B.C.

What does learning look like in a multiaged classroom?

Ideally, students will:• Acknowledge and engage with each other’s diverse gifts and

abilities through child-initiated and teacher-initiated learning experiences

• With the teacher, become assessors of and responsible for their own learning

• Work on activities independently and in a wide range of groupings

• Build co-operative learning skills• Use project based learning and inquiry based learning to

engage in authentic, applicable learning tasks• Develop community with their classmates and their teacher

over several years• Move seamlessly from one year to the next, without the

adjustment of getting to know the expectations, routines and personality of a different teacher

FlourishingStudents who are flourishing exhibit these traits:

Passion for learning

Desire to serve and make a difference

Ability to see connections

Bloom where they are planted

Think divergently and creatively about

problems/solutions

Ability to demonstrate empathy for others

Desire to act morally and ethically across all aspects of

life

Understand how God has gifted and called them

Demonstrate effective life habits and spiritual

disciplines

Determine to bring joy and hope into the lives of others

What does teaching look like in a multiaged classroom?

Ideally, teachers will:• View learning as an interconnected, ongoing, lifelong

process that is not limited to a rigid prescribed curriculum

• View learning as something that is responsive and dynamic and continual

• Understand the many developmental stages of the learner, and not just what has always been “grade level appropriate.”

• Foster long term relationship with families• View children as capable, inquisitive learners who are able to

construct meanings about their world in partnership with others

• Build connectedness between learning experiences• Be facilitators of learning instead of dispensers of knowledge

and skills• Focus on giving every child the opportunity for success, and

the thrill of becoming a life long learner

Do children get as good an education in a multiage classroom as they do in a

single-grade classroom? Research is showing that students from

multiaged classrooms tend to be more advanced in:o Study habitso Social interactiono Self motivationo Cooperationo Positive attitudes toward to school and

learningo Higher levels of achievement

So what are the challenges?(or imminent hurdles)

◘ Although we firmly believe in this, will we have what it takes to do it well?• Will we get stuck or revert back to the “split”

mentality◘ Will the strategies and structures be in place to

ensure success?◘ Do we have the physical resources (library books,

netbooks, etc. to share with five classes?◘ Assessment:

Will we grade over a two year continuum or will we still use grade level expectations?

Will assessment be for the benefit of the student to foster more learning, or will it still be seen as a way to sort and rank students?

Why the optimism? This new model will enable us to more successfully walk

out the educational part of our vision: All ACS students will achieve maximum potential through a learning process that is appropriate to

the students’ abilities. Each student will feel valued, secure and challenged to explore God, His creation and their place in it. We have excited and experienced teachers who are

willing to think and dream outside of the current “educational box.”

We have supportive administration who firmly believe this is the direction to go.

We have parents who trust us, who will pray for us, and who are willing to be involved in their children’s education.

We can collaborate with another SCSBC school in Nanaimo that is also going this route.

So. . . Let’s jump right in!It will be messy!

We will get wet and possibly immersed in the immensity of our

undertaking!

But the educational ripples (or possibly waves) will be far

reaching in the total development of our

children!

Bibliography

http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/early_middle/ey_lt_multi-age.pdf

http://www.share2learn.com/components.html

http://www.pac.dodea.edu/edservices/educationprograms/Research%20article.pdf

http://multiagemanitoba.org/?page_id=64

http://www.westsidechristian.ca/about/distinctives/

http://www.multiage-education.com/multiagen-b/themulticlass.html

Dan Robinson, Education 501, Dordt College