Meeting The Challenges of The Multi-Grade Classroom

Meeting the Challenges of
the Multi-grade
Classroom
Norlette Leslie Yeard’e
June 1, 2012
BACKGROUND
CHALLENGES, ADVANTAGES OF MULTIGRADING;
REQUIRED SKILLS
 Multi-gradeteaching refers to the
teaching of students of different
ages, grades and abilities in the
same group (Little, 1995)
 Necessity
(de facto) vs. choice
(pedagogical)
Multi-grade Teaching Defined

 Burkina Faso, West Africa, 2000:
36%
of schools and 20% of classes were
multi-grade
 England, 2000, 25.4 per cent of all

classes in primary education were
classified as mixed year
Extent of Multi-Grade Education

 In New Brunswick, Canada, 2003–
04: 13.9% of all classes in
elementary schools combined
grades.
 In France in 2000, 34% of public

schools had “combined” classes

 30% of classrooms worldwide are
multi-grade
 30% of Jamaican Primary and All

Age schools are multi grade schools
(Holness, 2008)

 A pedagogic approach to increase
access and retention, while improving
quality education.
 Expansion of access
 A strategy to address teacher

shortages, particularly in small and
remote schools.
(Juvane, 2007)
 Teachers develop a wide range of

organisational and teaching skills
Advantages of Multi-Grade
 Students are better prepared for self
learning after school
 Contributes greatly to the mastery of

basic skills
 Study indicates that children in multigrade

perform no better and no worse compared
to children in monograde (Veenman,
1995; Miller, 1991; Mason and Burns,
1997)
Advantages
 Allowsfor continuity in learning
especially for low achieving students.
 Younger
and older children benefit
from multi-grade:
◦ Younger ones grasp concepts more
quickly
◦ Older children gain confidence in
assisting younger ones
Advantages
 Personal and Social learning effects:
◦ Positive effects on self esteem
◦ Good work ethics
◦ Sense of responsibility
◦ Learners help each other
◦ Learners work together
◦ Peer tutoring learning strategies
◦ Learning appropriate behaviours
Advantages
 11 participants face challenges with
facilitating different levels
 4 persons cited inadequate resources
 2 cited class size
 4 persons cited time
 2 cited lesson delivery
Participants’ Challenges
 The structure of the National
Curriculum: expectations of
curriculum coverage
 Range of abilities
 Pressureto prepare one group within

a multi-grade for
external/standardised assessments
Challenges
 Unpreparedness of teachers to teach
in a multi-grade classroom
 Insufficient
educational materials to
support learning.
 Teachers’
negative attitude to multi-
grade teaching
Challenges
 The ‘burden’ of lesson planning
 Time: to teach
◦ To address specific needs of
students
 Ensuring quality of teaching and

learning: engaging all
Challenges
 Feelingof isolation: little opportunity
to share with other teachers
 Limitedparental or community
involvement
Challenges
 Curriculum organization: a skill that
one has to develop
 Materials design and development:

stimulating, differentiated, challenging
materials
 Organizing pupils effectively: discreet

grades, interest, ability, learning styles
Skills of a Multi-Grade teacher

 Monitoringthe Learning
Achievement: keeping track of
students’ achievements
 Organizing Classroom Space:

flexibility with classroom space.
Sectioning room might prove useful.
 Managing time effectively: Sharing
Skills of a Multi-Grade teacher

 Theteacher as the manager of the
learning process
 Teacher must experience shift of

position in the classroom: guide
versus sage on the stage
Skills of a Multi-Grade Teacher

Session 1
METHODS OF TEACHING
 Creating multiple paths so that students
of different abilities, interest or learning
needs experience equally appropriate
ways to absorb, use, develop and
present concepts as a part of the daily
learning process.
 Variations to meet the needs of learners
Differentiated Instructions
 Differentiating the content: assess to
determine who needs direct instructions
 Differentiating the process/activities: varying

activities
 Differentiating the product: varying

expectations
 Differentiating by manipulating the

environment
Differentiated Instructions: 4
Ways
 Variety of assessments: targeting
readiness and different abilities.
Moving throughout groups
 Adjusting questions: targeted towards

students’ ability
 Compacting curriculum: assessment to

provide alternative activities to those
who have mastered
Differentiating Strategies
 Tieredassignments: related tasks
varying in complexity all of which
relating to key skills students need
to develop
 Acceleration/deceleration:
accelerating or decelerating the pace
with which students move through
the curriculum
 Flexible Grouping: allow movement
between groups. Students readiness
varies based on interest, subject etc.
Ability is not static
 Peer Teaching: to develop expertise.
 Learning profiles/styles: used to

determine appropriate activities,
strategies, adjusting environment
 Student Interest: An interest survey;
start with students’ interest, then
interest them in finding out more.
 Reading buddies: Pairing students

with different reading abilities. One
child helps the other.
 Learningcontract: A written
agreement between teacher and
student aimed at students working
independently.
◦ Helps students to develop learning goals

◦ Develop management skills.
Learning Centres: activities with varied

level of complexity.
 Anchoring activities: a wide range of
activities that students can chose
from once they are through with
their assigned task.
Five key elements (Johnson et al, 2006):
1. Positive interdependence: sink or
swim together
2. Individual Accountability: students

learn together but perform alone
3. Face-to-face (promotive) interaction:

promoting each others learning.
Develops commitment.
Interactive Teaching Strategies:

Cooperative Learning
 Interpersonal and small group social
skills: groups skills (team work).
Role for everyone.
 GroupProcessing: Analyzing group’s

success and measures for
improvement
Interactive Teaching Strategies:

Cooperative Learning
 Round Robin  Tea Party
 Think-Pair-Share
 Round Table
 Three-Step interview
 Numbered Heads
Together  Three minute review
 Jigsaw  Team-Pair-Solo
 Partners
 Circle the Sage
Cooperative Learning Strategies

 Considerations:
 Rates of development/Stages of
development
 Interests
 Student centred versus teacher centred
 Meaningful learning versus rote

memorization
 Facilitators versus keepers of knowledge

Lesson Planning
 Flexible lesson plans
 Catering to differences among learners
 Active versus passive learners
 Materials and resources
 Multiple Intelligences
 Learning Styles
Lesson Planning
Multiple Intelligence and
Learning Style
Inventories
QUESTION AND
ANSWER
SESSION 2
CLASSROOM LOGISTICS
 Use of shifts: shorter school day for
children
 Grade 1 in the morning, grade 2 in

the afternoon
 Abandonment: Divide the school day

by the number of grades expected to
teach
Classroom Logistics: Timetabling

 Quasi-monograde: organising a
multigrade class as if it were a
monograde.
◦ Organise the class into separate spaces and

grade groups. Students work in their age
group
◦ Integrate concepts across curriculum
◦ Whole class approach: one lesson to all

 Differentiation: Whole class
approach with differentiated
activities; different expected
learning outcomes
 Graded learning materials

 Common timetable option: same subject
in a given period but each grade group
follows its own work
 The subject stagger option: subjects are

staggered on the timetable so that grade
groups learn different subjects in the
same period. Subjects which require high
teacher pupil contact are matched with
those requiring little
Timetabling Options
 Thesubject grouping option:
subjects are presented to all grade
groups together at the same time.
 Some subjects eg. Music, Art,

Religious Knowledge and Social
Studies lend themselves well to this
option.

 Cooperative learning and grouping:
 Mixed abilities, mixed sexes

 Size: 4-5
 Specified roles:
◦ Resource Manager - Recorder
◦ Spokesperson - Facilitator
◦ Time Keeper
Classroom Logistics: Grouping

 Varied grouping arrangements:
◦ Working in pairs
◦ Working in groups: effective with
activities the entire class can enjoy
◦ Whole group
◦ By grade
◦ Mixed grade
◦ Individual
Classroom Logistics: Grouping and

Management
 Organisinggroups: location of
independent workers versus those
working in groups
 Planfor flexibility: assigned seating

is not ideal
 Allow for movement between different
working groups
Classroom Logistics: Grouping and

Management
 Traditional versus Alternative Assessment
 Diagnostic, Formative, Summative

assessment
 Evaluation versus assessment
 The role of data in improving teaching and

learning
 Use of peer and self assessment
Classroom Logistics: Record

Keeping
Question and Answer
Practical
Demonstration
Question and Answer

Meeting The Challenges of The Multi-Grade Classroom

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Meeting the Challenges of

Multi-grade Teaching Defined

 England, 2000, 25.4 per cent of all

Extent of Multi-Grade Education

 In France in 2000, 34% of public

Extent of Multi-Grade Education

 30% of Jamaican Primary and All

Extent of Multi-Grade Education

 A strategy to address teacher

 Teachers develop a wide range of

 Contributes greatly to the mastery of

 Study indicates that children in multigrade

 4 persons cited inadequate resources

 2 cited class size

 4 persons cited time

 2 cited lesson delivery

 Pressureto prepare one group within

 Ensuring quality of teaching and

 Materials design and development:

 Organizing pupils effectively: discreet

Skills of a Multi-Grade teacher

 Organizing Classroom Space:

 Managing time effectively: Sharing

Skills of a Multi-Grade teacher

 Teacher must experience shift of

Skills of a Multi-Grade Teacher

 Variations to meet the needs of learners

 Differentiating the process/activities: varying

 Differentiating the product: varying

 Differentiating by manipulating the

 Adjusting questions: targeted towards

 Compacting curriculum: assessment to

 Peer Teaching: to develop expertise.

 Learning profiles/styles: used to

 Reading buddies: Pairing students

◦ Helps students to develop learning goals

Learning Centres: activities with varied

2. Individual Accountability: students

3. Face-to-face (promotive) interaction:

Interactive Teaching Strategies:

 GroupProcessing: Analyzing group’s

Interactive Teaching Strategies:

Cooperative Learning Strategies

 Student centred versus teacher centred

 Meaningful learning versus rote

 Facilitators versus keepers of knowledge

 Grade 1 in the morning, grade 2 in

 Abandonment: Divide the school day

Classroom Logistics: Timetabling

◦ Organise the class into separate spaces and

◦ Integrate concepts across curriculum

◦ Whole class approach: one lesson to all

Classroom Logistics: Timetabling

 Graded learning materials

Classroom Logistics: Timetabling

 The subject stagger option: subjects are

 Some subjects eg. Music, Art,

Classroom Logistics: Timetabling