In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies key issues…

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

A remedial math program was devised for a rural school with a total population of 110 students housed in split grades. Volunteers implemented the program, which combined metacognition strategies and behavioral reinforcement. Students made slow, consistent gains, The average number of computation facts mastered per month per student was six. (JHZ)

To be financially viable, Catholic elementary schools with enrollments of under 100 students need to recognize their smallness and seek structures and methods appropriate to their size. This book addresses the needs of very small schools with current or potential multigrade classrooms, and describes organizational and instructional approaches…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

This training guide provides guidelines and sample strategies for using the 1989 publication, "The Multigrade Resource Handbook," in a variety of professional settings ranging from teacher training programs to school and district inservice. This guide has been developed primarily for preservice teacher educators working with prospective…

In this collection, nine master teachers with extensive experience in small, rural Alaska schools describe classroom management techniques that have proven effective in their multigraded classrooms. Over half the document consists of one paper, the last in the volume, entitled "More like a School Family than Just a Teacher and His or Her…

Questionnaires completed by 374 teachers were used to determine differences in the instructional and noninstructional responsibilities of elementary teachers in very small, small, and medium school districts in Montana. Questions about instructional duties related to number of courses and grade levels taught, pupil/teacher ratio, teacher role in…

In Australia, many teachers begin their careers in rural schools, a posting for which they are often ill-prepared. This book addresses the concerns of beginning teachers or other teachers about to take up rural appointments. The first chapter examines the context of rural schools, differentiates between "rural education" (education…

Examines two of the most common arguments for closing elementary schools--program and economy. Suggests that there are few program or instructional reasons for closing and that reduction of teaching staff is the most significant economic gain from closing. (LFL)

Written for use in small primary schools where children of varying ages and abilities are under the guidance of one teacher and where art is frequently neglected because of teacher workloads, these lessons form a comprehensive art program. The curriculum is divided into five categories according to medium: painting and drawing, modelling, collage…

This handbook addresses the provision of an equitable basic education in rural areas, particularly in developing countries, by means of small schools located close to the pupils' homes. It is based on beliefs that small schools can be good schools; the appropriate place for a small school and its teachers is within the community; and small schools…

An innovative, flexible scheduling technique for advanced levels of a foreign language program is described. The technique, predicated on individualized pacing and continuous progress, is generalizable to all elective programs, and offers a workable solution to satisfy the enrollment "numbers game" and to lend breadth and depth to the curricula of…

This curriculum unit on oceans for grades K-8 contains lesson plans, vocabulary lists, core activities, resource lists, and a student evaluation worksheet developed by rural Gallatin County, Montana, teachers as part of an inservice Rural Schools Integrated Curriculum Project administered by the Montana State University College of Education. The…

The thematic, integrated subject curriculum presented in this comprehensive teacher's guide is based on a study of Gallatin County's local history and is intended to enrich students' perceptions of their rural Montana culture, heritage, and environment, and provide them with a knowledge base for decision making about the future. Introductory…