1. The Benefits and Challenges of the Multi-age Classroom
By Sandy Seipel
Presented: Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals State Conference, March 2017

6. Overview and History One room school house
Direct & indirect instruction
1860s- cities created single grade
classrooms to accommodate large
numbers of children due to immigration
into the country
1900s-Industrial Age, policy makers
wanted efficient “factory assembly
line” method to public education
Mid 1900s, innovators developed child
centered cross-grade grouping
emphasizing individual progress

7. Multiage Philosophy
Multiage classrooms have children of different ages, abilities, and grade levels. These children are intentionally combined in a classroom. At the end of the school year, the older children advance to the next grade and a new group of lower grade students are added. The children are able to spend two years with the same teacher.
When multiage classrooms are created for philosophical rather than monetary reasons that can be successful.
Pedagogical shift
From teacher centered to student centered
From curriculum driven to student driven
From we all do together to choice and collaboration

8. Research

9. System of Education
Universities prepare teachers for single grade classrooms
Federal and state testing is based on single grade classrooms
Grade levels, grade level curriculum, high stakes testing based on grade levels

10. Multi-age Classrooms: Benefits
Mixed ages with varying abilities
Social and emotional skills
Logue (2006) found that in early childhood multiage groupings less disobedience was noted in multiage than single grade; greater language development occurred.
Frosco et al (2004) states that higher cognitive development occurs at a faster rate in multiage than single grade
Community of learners, role models, peer mentors
Relationships and strong sense of continuity
Interventions and gifted education become part of the individualized program

12. Multiage Classrooms: Challenges
Implementation is difficult
Parent understanding
Teacher preparation
Teacher understanding of mixed age grouping, differentiated instruction, individualized planning
Extensive training in multiage grouping is needed
State grade level standards
Fitting multiage classrooms into traditional programs

14. “…multiage education opens up learning for every child, providing an enriched learning environment within a family of mixed-age learners…”
Sandra Stone, Director of the National Multiage Institute and Chairman of the College of Education at Northern Arizona University

15. Resources http://www.multiage-education.com/multiagelinks/index.html
docx.pdf

16. References

17. Final Thoughts and Questions