Students in multi-age classes perform better, or as well as students in single graded classes on standardized measures.
Multi-age students have greatly enhanced attitudes toward school, toward themselves as learners, and toward positive relationships.
Teachers are responsive to individual differences in developmental stage, ability, and interests. Different levels of ability, development, and learning styles are expected, accepted, respected, and used to design curriculum.
Teachers plan and prepare the environment so children can learn through active involvement with materials and with each other, with adults, and with other children serving as informal tutors.
One of the important variables in school success is a child’s development and readiness. Students do not all learn at the same rate or at the same time. The learning process is more like a roller-coaster. Students can really take off in some subjects while simultaneously be struggling in another.
Students do better when they work together. As part of a learning community, students are able to share their strengths while benefiting from others in areas needing assistance.
School success is ensured when the teacher and the parent work together, over time, to assist the students.
Students benefiting from two teachers and an instructional assistant.
Combination classrooms, split grade classrooms etc wherein one teacher teaches a dual curriculum in response to enrollment imbalances.
Shared teaching where two teachers from different grade levels swap class groups.
Gaustad, Joan. Nongraded Education: Overcoming Obstacles To Implementing The Multiage Classroom. Oregon School Study Council bulletin, special issue, vol. 38, nos. 3 and 4 (November and December 1994). Eugene, Oregon: 84 pages.
Grant, Jim, and Bob Johnson. A Common-Sense Guide To Multiage Practices. Columbus, Ohio: Teacher's Publishing Group, 1994. 124 pages.
Hord, Shirley M., and others. Taking Charge Of Change. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1987. 98 pages.
Miller, Bruce A. Children At The Center: Implementing The Multiage Classroom. Eugene, Oregon: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 1994. 123 pages.
Joan Gaustad, Overcoming Obstacles To Implementing The Multiage Classroom, OSSC Bulletin Series, November/December 1994, 84 pages.