1. Multi-grade teaching
Practical strategies to promote learning and teaching in the
multi-grade classroom

2. Overview
Strategies to support teaching and learning in the multi-grade classroom
Tutor’s input
Participants’ input

3. Overview of workshop Individual Teacher Planning Timetabling - samples
- curricular objectives
Timetabling - samples
Promoting the Independent Learner – linked strategies

4. By the end of the workshop…
What?
A possible whole school practice in the planning of English
Why?
To improve our teaching and learning
How?
CD-ROM: related planning resources

5. Individual Teacher Planning
Ensuring that the objectives of the Primary School Curriculum are at the centre of all learning in the multi-grade class

6. Considerations Awareness of the objective?
Over-reliance on the use of textbooks to address the objectives?
Curricular documents perceived not to be multi-grade friendly?

7. Objectives user-friendly for the MGC
English Curricular Objectives

8. English Objectives – in the context of multi grade
Link with appropriate methodologies
“ If children cannot learn the way we teach, then we must teach the way they learn.”

9. English Whole School Plan - Agreed approaches Long-term plan - English
Short-term planning: Templates

10. Timetabling Sample timetables An alternative approach
Time allocation for every curricular area per week
An alternative approach
A timetable in terms of how things are best learned

11. Independent Learner
The curriculum aims to ensure that the children’s experience of school will be such that they will come to value learning and will develop the ability to learn independently.
Primary School Curriculum (1999 p. 10)

12. WSE (two teacher school)
Pupils with learning difficulties need closer monitoring and work needs to be assigned which is appropriate and allows them work more independently as they moved through the classes.

13. Practical strategies to develop the independent learner
Planning for implementation
Focus on the English Curriculum
Linkage
Integration
Differentiation

14. Promoting the independent learner through…
Oral Language
Language Experience Charts- across the curriculum
Visual Arts - Looking & Responding
Maths- Problem Solving

15. Promoting the independent learner through…
Reading
‘Extra Reading’- USSR, DEAR
Reading Buddies

16. Promoting the independent learner through…
Writing
Writing Process – “My Writing Buddy”

17. CD-ROM contents Folder 1: Individual Teacher Planning
English Multi-grade Objectives
Sample Long-term English Plan
Sample Short-term Templates
Organisational Considerations to support Learning
General Information Small Schools

18. CD-ROM contents Folder 2: Timetabling
Multi-grade Samples
Folder 3: The Independent Learner
Oral Language
Reading
Writing

19. Workshop Discuss the ideas you have just heard.
Agree on 2-3 of these ideas which you feel you would definitely implement in your school
Suggest 2-3 other ideas which you have found useful.

20. Go n-éirí go geal libh go léir