For a great portion of the history of the American education system, multiage education was the norm in one-room schoolhouses throughout the nation. The current graded, curriculum-centered approach in the U.S. appeared during the mid-nineteenth century with the rapid economic development and massive immigration into the country. Concurrently, some…

A former principal of a nongraded elementary school discusses the nongraded, multiage philosophy, effects of multiage grouping, prevalent misconceptions, and suggestions from practice. Critics often mistakenly characterize multiage classrooms as homogeneous, unstructured, and team-taught; appropriate for kindergarten and primary children only;…

Although bound by tradition and physical location to elementary schooling, the primary grades are also considered the capstone experience of early childhood education. Primary grade teachers are required to bridge these two disparate worlds, constantly mediating, negotiating, translating, and compromising. This paper describes the experience of…

This reference guide describes the implementation and use of mixed-age classrooms in Oregon. Those schools that wished to be included provided information on a prepared form. Responses from 94 elementary schools from 23 counties are presented. Each school's profile includes information on school statistics, a description of the program, how the…

A confusing variety of terms is used in discussions of age grouping practices. This digest examines terms that have important implications for teaching and the curriculum. The terms "nongraded" and "ungraded" typically refer to grouping children in classes without grade-level designations and with more than a 1-year age span.…

This book reports on a three-part qualitative research study examining multiage classrooms from different perspectives. Part 1 of the book describes the activities of a K-3 multiage classroom, based on 40 days of observation and participation. The four chapters in this part offer a description of a typical day in the observed classroom; a brief…

Multi-age education is most similar to the one-room schoolhouse approach. The teacher creates an environment for students of different ages to learn and prosper. The students, working independently and collectively to learn topics of relevance and interest, have increased self-esteem and a more positive attitude toward school. This volume looks at…

This resource book contains a variety of information on multiage practice, and instruction in mixed-age and grade-level classrooms. The first two parts of the book contain 24 reprinted articles: (1) "Ready To Learn: A Seven-Step Strategy"; (2) "On Tracking and Individual Differences: A Conversation with Jeannie Oakes"; (3)…

Under the Kentucky Education Reform Act, public schools in Kentucky were required to restructure the traditional kindergarten through third-grade classes into a multi-age and multi-ability level, ungraded primary program during the 1993-1994 school year. Classrooms that once contained children at relatively the same age have been replaced with…

This sourcebook contains articles, resources, and sample teaching materials to assist practitioners implementing developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom. The first six parts of the sourcebook contain reprints of more than 40 journal articles, topical bibliographies and resource lists, and sample teaching materials. The topics of…

Traces the theoretical basis for vertical integration in early school years. Contrasts transmission-based pedagogy with a higher level of teacher control, and acquirer-based pedagogy with a higher level of student control. Suggests that early childhood pedagogy will be maintained when teachers are able to articulate their pedagogical knowledge and…

In June 1990, the state of Kentucky passed its innovative Education Reform Act, which totally restructured the finance, governance, and curriculum of its public schools. One of the major provisions of the act was the mandate for Kentucky's primary schools to change from the traditional placement of children of the same age in kindergarten, first,…

Based on the experiences of teachers, principals, and parents involved in the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), this book is a collection of accounts and reflections by teachers or administrators who have engaged in developing and implementing nongraded primary education programs. The articles in this book are: (1) "Reforming the…

Examined teachers' beliefs on what constitutes developmentally appropriate literacy instruction. Three teachers were interviewed, observed during planning and instruction time, and asked to reflect on their beliefs and practicing. Through practice, they came to believe that appropriate literacy instruction involves a variety of instructional…

This study examined the implementation of the seven critical attributes of the primary school curriculum mandated by the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in a single multi-age primary classroom. The study used a case-study approach over a 16-month period. The seven attributes observed are: (1) developmentally appropriate practices; (2)…