EDUC 336 – 11/SP

We conducted two surveys and consulted existing research in order to answer this question. Surveys Teachers: Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Utah, Minnesota, California & others Parents: Parents’ data matched teachers’ data with very few differences.

This slideshow has been planned in such a way that it is our proposed training. This slideshow would be ideal for teachers or administrators to use in order to educate the community about the advantages of a multi-grade education.

 “There are indicators, however, that in some cases the level of academic achievement in multi-grade classrooms is higher than might be expected when compared to single-grade classrooms.” Pawluk

 Mass Production › Single-grade classrooms became popular in 1848 in Massachusetts  Educate more children for less money › Shift was not based on research, but on economic planning.

“Kind of a family feeling... Less peer pressure.” - Teacher

Younger StudentsOlder Students Build confidenceLearn patience & understanding More challenge to work beyond grade level Learn to take initiative to help others Students work in zone of proximal development Learn to take responsibility for the needs of others Less opportunity for discouragement Learn by teaching Students learn to work independently. Therapeutic for socially immature or awkward students. Katz, Lillian “More diversity [in ages] means less peer pressure.” - Parent

 “Multi-age grouping builds strong relationships among teachers, students and families.”  “Multi-age classes are sometimes called family groupings; just as family gains strength from the range of talents and interests of its members, the multi-age class is enriched.” Cross of Glory Lutheran Church

“Students learn and retain more when they help others.” “Other students can be used as a teaching tool.”

“In a socially constructed classroom, the teacher and students mutually create the learning environment.” Teacher-assisted instruction occurs when the teacher provides the structure, but the children provide the information. When students work with slightly older peers, they work within their zone of proximal development. Scaffolding also occurs as various levels collaborate to reach goals. Gnadinger, Cindy: Peer-Mediated Instruction

 Explicit Instruction: modeling followed by guided practice, then independent practice – scaffolding  Co-operative Learning: peer tutoring  Subject Integration: vertical/horizontal integration › Vertical: One subject; multiple levels › Horizontal: Multiple subjects; one level Latalle-Démoré

“ITBS scores are not a good measure of student learning.” - Teacher

 Students who attended two previous years with the same teacher scored higher on benchmark tests than students new to the classroom.  Students who are enrolled in a multi-grade classroom score just as high as those in single-grade rooms.  Standardized tests are quantitative rather than qualitative assessments. 1 Carter, Paula 2 Higgins 3 Cross of Glory

 Task: › Write a story about the first Thanksgiving.  Roles: › Fifth graders – brainstorm [research] › Second graders – write/proofread › Kindergarteners – illustrate the story Note vertical & horizontal teaching strategies. “Content can easily be taught across levels, but it takes extra planning.” - Teacher

 “The caring, compassion, and family atmosphere in the multi-grade classroom has no measure. I cannot imagine being in any other setting.”  “Multi-grade classrooms are a lot more work for the teacher, but very good for the students. It is easier for the teacher to place students in more advanced work or in remedial work if needed.”  “One room schools require tons of time. However, in my opinion, it is absolutely the best way to educate children. If a student begins 1st grade with you and attends until they finish 8th grade, you will have spent over 10,000 hours with that student. Teachers become very close to those students. I still hear from students whom I taught in a multi- grade school.”

 Gnadinger, C. (2008). Peer-mediated instruction: assisted performance in the primary classroom. Teachers & Teaching, 14(2), doi: /  Smith, K. A. (1993). Attitudes toward Multiple Aged Classrooms of Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade Students. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.  Carter, P. (2005). The Modern Multi-Age Classroom. Educational Leadership, 63(1), Retrieved from EBSCOhost.  Higgins, Dave. Myth: Multi-grade Classrooms are Detrimental. Canadian Union Messenger, p. 6. Retrieved from  Katz, Lillian G. (1995). The Benefits of Mixed-Age Grouping. ERIC Digest, 73, Retrieved May 19,  Lataille-Démoré, Diane. (2007). Combined Grade Classrooms. The Literacy Numeracy Secretariat, 9, Retrieved May 19,  Pawluk, Steve. (1993). A Comparison of the Academic Achievement in Multigrade and Single-grade Elementary Church-school Classrooms. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 2,  Pratt, David. (1986). On the Merits of Multiage Classrooms. Research in Rural Education, 3, Retrieved May 19,  The Advantages of a Multi-grade Classroom. (2003). Cross of Glory Lutheran Church. Retrieved May 19, 2011.