The strategies used in multiage classrooms have the capacity to shift instruction in all classrooms because the focus is on individual academic growth within an effective classroom community.

Internationally, schools with small numbers of children and constrained funding are not able to group the children in classes based on their age. Rather, the children are combined into larger 'mixed-age' classes. Schools and teachers manage this situation in different ways, for example by teaching the class as two or more separate age-based groups…

A multiage first, second, and third grade classroom includes brothers, sisters, cousins. Two teachers use a developmentally appropriate approach while juggling teaching responsibilities and administering the many tests required by No Child Left Behind. Carter explains their four priorities for children: attendance, responsibility, honesty, and…

The number of multiage educational programs in the United States is relatively small, though they are very popular in many other countries. This paper presents arguments in favor of multiage groupings (e.g., student-teacher continuity, alternatives for special needs students, and viable alternatives to retention), offering advice from the…

Describes how the collaboration of teachers with different educational philosophies and a monthly joint project led to the development of a trial multiage classroom with pre-first and pre-kindergarten students. Maintains that differences in educational philosophies can help provide the means to create a balanced environment for children and…

This article describes a multiage classroom led by three co-teachers who facilitate the education of 42 students ages six through nine years. The classroom is located in a public school district that practices inclusion and subscribes to the principles of whole schooling. A literature review defines the concepts of co-teaching, multiage education,…

Although multiage grouping is part of a greater approach to change in education, classroom problems can result when the approach's rationale is not understood. Three precepts of vertical grouping concern heterogeneity of student groups, individualized materials and activities, and a caring learning community. Factors influencing successful…

Illustrates flexible grouping configurations, discussing how different perspectives and theories of peer learning are required to account for their intended effects. A classroom example is provided to illustrate each context discussed. The article also presents examples of an instructional strategy in one multiage classroom where the teachers…

Examines the social and emotional benefits for children in early childhood multiage classrooms and the strategies teachers implement to promote those developmental domains. Explores findings about the social and emotional advantages for students, and presents advantages and disadvantages from the multiage perspective. Reviews findings on…

In nongraded, multi-age classrooms, children have the opportunity to learn a great deal from their more proficient classmates. Children in multi-age, nongraded programs often learn that children differ, and they learn to assist each other in productive ways. The organizational scheme has the potential to remove much of the competition of…

This paper describes a multiage elementary classroom where students can work, learn, and research together. Students ages 6-9 years collaborate on whole-class research inquiries and individual projects. The paper presents examples of these children's work as ethnographers, emphasizing the importance of honoring students' creative abilities. (SM)

Discusses the organization and operation of multi-age classrooms in an elementary school in Nevada. Describes how teachers working with primary classrooms of first and second graders, and intermediate classrooms of third, fourth, and fifth graders, created an adaptive, flexible, and dynamic curriculum that could serve the needs of their…

A multiyear, multiage experience, combined with what is known about collaborative learning, learning styles, and multiple intelligences, grouping practices, and the success of inclusion in such a setting, promises to give all children a real opportunity for success in the classroom. Many schools have implemented multiage programs successfully, but…

Before 1970, no mixed-age groups existed in Swedish nursery schools. By 1991, 43 percent of children enrolled in nursery school were in mixed-age groups of ages 1 to 6 years, and 37 percent were in groups of children ages 3 to 6 years. Mixed-age groups are assumed to have advantages, including positive influences on learning and social…

Evaluated effectiveness of a multiage learning project in terms of an assessment of classroom quality, and teacher concerns about multiage grouping and computer use in the classroom. Found that participating teachers modified their classrooms to make them more developmentally appropriate, and they increased their use of computers for their own…