Multiage

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Multiage
By Debbie

Hi Kristen,
Having taught 1/2 and now 3/4, the decision in our district on numbers is half what each grade level class count should be (because whenever we go with a multi age, there has to be two teachers to share the
groups-it's a choice to be multi age). So this year I have 13 youngers and 14 olders (we're a little short on the olders...we could go to 16, I believe) The other 3/4 teacher has 13 and 15. In 1/2, the split is usually based on 26 kids for both grade levels. Between us we should make two classes that mirror the third and fourth grade averages...
On the curriculum, we started by copying

all the state (district) standards in science and social studies one sided, then cut them apart so they were easier to categorize. Once we did that, we pasted them on a piece of butcher paper divided into quarters for the year. (Actually, because the state stuff in 4th was so involved, we ended up deciding to do it for the first semester; but once we're done with that, there will be LOTS of time for individual and small group research and projects.) Teach the stuff you absolutely have to for the olders first. We're taking the Language Arts and Math standards and using the Science and Social Studies topics to frame what we're doing in those areas...In Math and Science, several of the strategy games are taken from Native American cultures, the experiments are focused on water (a necessary commodity in AZ!) and I'll be working on memoirs shortly which takes us into biography of NA people who lived in the Southwest. If you'd like more help, please post or email...I love multi age for many reasons, and hope I have that option available for a long time. ;-D Best of luck!