Describes one multi-age classroom that includes children from 6-11 years of age (traditionally grades 1-5). Explains how this unique learning community began; how student groupings were established to promote social interaction and peer collaboration among a wide age span of children; what the class looked like in actual practice; and what the…

Describes Choice, an alternative elementary school program that features combination classrooms (K-1, 2-3, and 4-5), an open classroom format, and strong parental involvement. Discusses widely held misconceptions about the program and attributes these to the conservative, working class nature of the community (Somerville, Massachusetts). (GC)

Attempts to find a middle ground between the extremes of direct instruction and discovery learning by creating a process that helps young children acquire beginning writing and spelling skills without the "drudgery" associated with drill and practice and the anxiety associated with spelling quizzes. Describes the "Share and Compare" process that…

Describes integrated approach to teaching the arts which can be utilized in single or multi-grade classrooms in rural settings by teachers who may not have a background in any art form. Addresses problems of time, preparation, and resources that hinder curriculum development by rural educators. (NEC)

Illustrates the benefits and challenges of team-teaching in a multi-age classroom by describing one school's efforts at implementing language arts instruction within an interdisciplinary approach. Discusses initiating multi-age grouping and the advantages and challenges of multi-age classrooms. Offers recommendations. (SR)

Presents a qualitative study of an Amish elementary school where classroom management and teaching methods prepare children to cope with their everyday lifestyle. Religious values are reinforced with reading lessons and Bible study. The article concludes with a brief description of Amish culture and lifestyle. (SM)

For her sabbatical a professor of teacher education at Emporia State University returned to the elementary classroom after a 20-year absence to teach in a third/fourth combination classroom in the Emporia, Kansas Public Schools. The return to elementary classroom teaching provided the professor with the opportunity to utilize some of the social…

Discusses the use of an optional computer graphics laboratory that has been successful with at-risk elementary school students. The role of art with at-risk students is discussed, laboratory facilities are described, the interaction of students from different grade levels is discussed, and program effectiveness is assessed. (three references) (LRW)

Having never embraced behaviorism and its emphasis on fragmented knowledge, direct instruction, and reinforcement contingencies, German schools have fostered a constructivist learning perspective for quite some time. German students are helped to make connections that develop and strengthen their internal knowledge structures and build their…

A questionnaire surveyed 72 combination classroom (CC) teachers in 28 rural schools of North Carolina to determine their needs. The major conclusions of the study based on teachers' perceptions were: (1) all CC teachers should have an aide and a pay bonus to teach a CC; (2) colleges and school districts have not provided special training on how to…

One approach to managing cross-graded classrooms is to reconceptualize the structure of the classroom and the curriculum to take advantage of student variability. In the "Basic" program described in this paper, grades one, two, and three were combined to help alleviate some of the problems of a small rural school in Nevada. The program is based on…

One of the twelve exemplary programs summarized in the Introduction to Right to Read's "Effective Reading Programs: Summaries of 222 Selected Programs" (CS001934), this program is designed to accommodate all types of learners in the same multigraded classroom. Reading skills study each day begins with a planning circle, where each…

This study is concerned with the organization of education in rural areas and the advantages of a strategy based on multigrade classes, i.e. classes having a single teacher but pupils of several grade levels studying different curricula. This strategy made a substantial contribution to the achievement of universal primary education at reasonable…

Described is the development of the Self-Schedule System, which aims at optimizing instructional time by teaching students to manage their own time and tasks. Program components for training students and for providing structural and ecological supports for flexible usage of school resources are outlined and research findings discussed. (SJL)

Describes the development of an integrated approach to using computer technology in a multiaged classroom with grades four and five that emphasizes the role of the teacher. The use of LOGO is discussed, and changing from a lecture format to helping small groups of students who are working independently is described. (LRW)