This paper draws on the findings from an international programme of research that has demonstrated the need for teachers in many developing countries to be given more support in adapting monograded curricula to the needs of their multigrade classes. It describes four empirical models of multigrade practice and examines the models of curriculum…

The Small Schools Curriculum Project in Newfoundland aims to develop curricular and pedagogical solutions to the problems identified with multigrade classrooms. Concludes that multigrade classrooms are (1) a prevalent and permanent feature of education in Newfoundland; (2) a unique form of educational organization; and (3) potentially feasible…

This article describes an assignment for a secondary education course in which students compiled curriculum resource guides on ability, class, sexual identity, gender identity, and race/ethnicity. Student groups presented at least twenty resources, with no more than four resources of the same medium. Resources included videos, books, guest…

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…

This description of a curricular adaptation decision-making process focuses on tenets of reflective practice as teachers design instruction for students in heterogeneous classrooms. A case example illustrates how an elementary teaching team transformed lessons to accommodate a wide range of learners in a multiage first- and second-grade classroom.…

This article discusses the project developed by the Southeast Island School District (SISD) to improve their physical education curriculum. The challenge faced by SISD was to determine a way to provide training that had immediate impact. An important aspect of the project was the incorporation of adventure activities--such as using kayaks,…

A school system in Cape Town, South Africa, developed a program called the "Combined Magnet Class" to serve gifted pupils from standards (grades) 3-5 in one classroom. Changes to the standard curriculum were made, and a pupil-determined pace was adopted. The pupils studied English, Afrikaans, and mathematics using a syllabus, for…

An examination of the issues surrounding the concept of change is fundamental to curriculum improvement for elementary and middle schools. New beliefs surround an integrative rather than a separate subject isolation approach to curriculum. This report examines past, current, and future curriculum practice and considerations, focusing on a new…

School restructuring movements have gained a great deal of national attention. This guidebook addresses the multi-age classroom movement, in which a mixed-age group of children stays with a given teacher for a number of years. The work provides a complete design for the mixed-age primary classroom, from philosophy and rationale to sample lesson…