Combined Grades Making Them Work Fall 2007

Building Classes of Combined Grades “In successful schools, classrooms are organized to meet the learning needs of students…Teachers create a culture of learning in the classroom that values each member of the learning community.” - Literacy for Learning, 2004, p. 96

What’s in a name? “Combined grade classrooms have many names. They are alternatively called split grades, multi-age classrooms, family groupings, looping classrooms…The selected terminology often reflects a person’s opinion about combined grades.” OECTA 1999

Why combined grades? Philosophical choice to optimize learning in multi-age or ‘family grouping’ Combine grades to balance class size Organize classes to meet learning needs in small schools where there are too few students for a single grade

Achievement Range All classrooms, whether single grade or combined, include students performing at a range of achievement levels. Combined grades allow for flexible groupings to enhance learning for students across the continuum.

Combined Grade Classes – Discussion Item Identify two challenges and two positive outcomes of combined grade classrooms.

Factors to Consider in Organizing Classes Number of students Number of boys and girls in the class Social skills of the students (e.g., ability to cooperate or take the initiative) Relationships with peers (e.g., ability to maintain friendships and to build new friendships) Level of achievement in literacy and numeracy

Factors to Consider in Organizing Classes Students’ strengths (e.g., degree of independence, ability in problem solving) Students’ needs (e.g., need to support in learning English, special education needs) Students’ interests

Strategies for Combined Grade Classes These suggestions are a starting point for teachers addressing the unique demands of teaching more than one grade Build a community of learners (e.g.Tribes). Stress the things that they can do together

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade Introduce a common topic then give each grade a different task or problem

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade Develop interpersonal and cooperative learning skills Build strong routines for independent and group work Provide opportunities to preview and review curriculum of adjacent grades

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade Use volunteers (e.g. parents, faculty students, and/or educational assistants) to provide a topic or a specific skill (e.g. microscope use, making a motor) to part of a class and/or series of small groups from the same grade level

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade Take a common out of school excursion –Direct study for each grade toward particular grade expectations e.g. the farm visit looks at seasonal change (grade 1) and growth and changes in animals (grade 2) Invite students from other classes (or schools) to present connecting work from their own program to a class (or part of a class) studying a similar topic

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade PLANNING INSTRUCTION

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade “The revised language curriculum for Ontario provides opportunities for teaching language in classes of combined grades by emphasizing similarities between grades. The overall expectations remain constant from Grades 1 to 8. The specific expectations indicate increases from grade to grade in the breadth and depth of students’ knowledge and understanding.” – Combined Grades 2007

Overall Expectation - Reading Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning Identify a few reading comprehensi on strategies and use them before, during and after reading o understand texts, initially with support and direction Identify several reading comprehen sion strategies and use them before, during and after reading to understand texts Teaching Common Skills in A Combined Grade Grade One Specific Expectation Grade Two Specific Expectation

PLANNING INSTRUCTION Long-Range Plans –Curriculum documents are the starting point for planning the content –Ensure that curriculum expectations are addressed –Align various grade-specific topics covered in social studies and in science and technology in a class of combined grades for the whole school year

Common -Themes -Big Ideas -Skills -Processes -Strategies -Products Teaching Common Skills in A Combined Grade Grade specific content

Common Theme Characteristics of Civilizations: A Comparison Grade 4 Topic -Medieval Times Grade 5 Topic - Early Civilizations Teaching Common Skills in A Combined Grade Grade specific content

Strategies for Teaching A Combined Grade Use a learning centres approach appropriate to each grade level –Create separate learning centres for student investigation specific to each grade strand. The methods of science and technology (inquiry, the design process, and communication) would provide the whole class focus

Planning Student Programs Steps in Unit Planning Define the purpose “What do I hope my students will learn by the end of this strand/theme/unit?” Read the overview(s) for the strand(s) Skim through all the overall expectations for the strand(s) you want to plan Skim through all the specific expectations for the strand(s) you want to plan Identify common words or concepts

Planning Student Programs Steps in Unit Planning Highlight these common words/concepts using different colours Cut out your different coloured expectations and cluster them Give each cluster of expectations a “name” These clusters or “enduring understandings” are the focus of your planning

Assessment & Evaluation The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Assessment, evaluation and reporting have the greatest potential to improve learning when used as an integral part of planning all classroom activities.

Assessment Strategies Assessment and evaluation should be related to the criteria in Achievement charts Assessment should reflect a balance of pencil and paper, process/portfolio and performance based tasks

Assessment Strategies Assessment data/evidence/samples collected should demonstrate a range of student abilities, skills and knowledge. 4teacher observation checklists 4skill specific/task specific rubrics 4anecdotal observations 4rating scales 4student self-evaluation using rubrics or checklists

Learning Tasks and Instructional Strategies Design/select learning tasks using a variety of appropriate instructional strategies for each cluster of expectations Focus the learning on the enduring understandings that were identified as a result of the clustering activity

Support Available for Teachers of Combined Grades Combined Grades – Strategies to Reach a Range of Learners in Kindergarten to Grade 6 Combined Grade conference on TEL Order science and tech kits for both grades from science and tech loan centre Social studies planning guides for combined grades Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner (OCUP) units and support documents

Professional Learning Communities Supportive and shared leadership Collective creativity Shared values and vision Supportive Conditions Shared Personal Practice

Q and A