A former student reminisces about attending the Organic School in Fairhope, Alabama, in the 1950s. Founded in 1903, the school pioneered child-centered education; had multigraded classes; incorporated dance, pottery, weaving, and art into the curriculum; and was guided generally by the philosophy that education is not preparation for life, but…

Describes an innovative program of multi-age team teaching to provide individualized instruction in both academic and personality development. (AN)

Although multiage grouping is part of a greater approach to change in education, classroom problems can result when the approach's rationale is not understood. Three precepts of vertical grouping concern heterogeneity of student groups, individualized materials and activities, and a caring learning community. Factors influencing successful…

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…

Studies have criticized age-graded schools as creating a barrier to meeting the goals of equity and instructional excellence in schools. This handbook provides research on multiage classroom practices and argues that a multiage system better addresses and meets students' needs. Information is presented on the following topics: educational reform,…