Organizing For Learning

Grades are an administrative device to group children according to their

chronological age. In the past, this type of organization was based on the belief
that patterns of development were tightly bound to a child's chronological age.
We know that each child's pattern of development is unique. All nine-year-olds
do not function at the same level and are not ready for the same skills or
concepts to be presented to them.

There is little difference between a so-called 'straight grade' and a 'combined

class'. All the students in a straight grade do not receive the same program; nor
do the students in a combined class. Teachers develop programs according to
the needs of the children in the class. Remove the grade label and all classes
have the traits, traditions and organization of combined classes.

What is a Combined Class?

A 'combined class' is composed of a group of students from two separate grades

who work within one classroom setting. Students are combined into groups
according to their individual needs rather than grade levels, when working on
specific skills. The curriculum is arranged so that students may study the same
or similar materials.

What is the difference between a 'combined class' and a 'split class'?

In a 'split class' part of the class will often do seat work while the other part of the
class is receiving direct instruction. In a 'combined class' instructional groups
may include a combination of the two classes and will be made up on the basis
of individual student needs. Combined classes have operated throughout school
systems for many years.

Why do combined classes exist?

Combined classes are a result of imbalances in student numbers at particular
grade levels. Staff is based on funding guidelines established by Alberta
Education, and student teacher ratios established by our School District.

How are students selected for a 'combined class' placement?

Many factors are taken into consideration when selecting students for a
combined class. The decision is often made by a team of teachers and the
administration. Selection is bases on such factors as: social skill development,
independence in work habits, friendships, leadership skills, self-motivation,
learning styles of the learner, teaching style of the teacher, organizational ability,
and academic achievement.

Are there any benefits to a 'combined class' placement?

There are many socio-emotional benefits to be gained by having students of

various ages together. Peer interactions are often seen to be more positive in
'combined class' setting. There is greater development of social skills and more
cooperation. Students develop a feeling of comfort and security, a positive self-
concept and satisfaction with their achievements.

Are they any disadvantages to a 'combined class'?

No. In all classrooms teachers provide for the individual needs of students.
Teachers constantly use a variety of methods to access the needs of each
student and then the focus for skill development is adjusted accordingly.

Will the teacher have as much time for each child in 'combined classes'?

The amount of time for an individual student is determined by the number of

students in the class, not by the grade structure. Generally, combined classes
are the same size as other classes or smaller.

Will a student miss or repeat curriculum material?

Today the emphasis is on skills, concepts, processes and attitudes rather than
memorizing facts. Because of the rapid changes in science and technology in
our society, it is more important to learn how to learn, to evaluate and judge, to
transfer and apply knowledge, to understand processes and to know how to
access information. The curriculum is the means through which these skills are
learned. Students at many levels study similar subjects. The topic may be the
same, but the depth, focus and evaluation of knowledge are different.

Our experience has been that parents who were anxious about a combined class
placement not only have been satisfied with their child's progress, but have
become positive supporters of this type of classroom organization.
Teaching in a Combined Class
Combined classes are used when the number of the pupils in two grades is
less than 16. One of the characteristics of a combined class is that pupils in
different levels learn in the same classroom simultaneously under the direct or
indirect guidance by the teacher. As the children have to study autonomously
when the other grade is being taught, it is necessary for them to learn how to
learn. I think that teachers should teach how to learn on as many different
occasions as possible from the early stages of school so that pupils will be
disciplined in it.
Another teaching technique in a combined class is where the teacher moves
between the two groups enabling the teacher to give constructive suggestions to
pupils in both groups.
In a combined class, the teacher will often train one pupil as group leader to
help with classroom activities such as reading aloud, individual study, group
discussion, and using the blackboard, video or computers.
When the teacher switches to indirect teaching, clear instructions need to be
given for the following activity, including the content, materials and a flowchart
either on the blackboard or on a handout, so that the pupils will be able to work
unguided until the teacher returns.

Application to the ordinary class teaching

Teaching methods for combined classes can also be used in single grade
classes.
For the last century the Japanese education system has used the doctrine that
every child will understand if teachers teach in such a way. However in an
ordinary class not everyone will learn at the same pace. As a result, many pupils
are being left behind. With this in mind, recent trends in education have called for
teachers to focus on the individual and plan classes for different levels of interest
and learning abilities.
Therefore by applying the principle of a combined class (having two different
learning groups in one classroom), more help for slower pupils or those getting
left behind can be expected. Furthermore, use can be made of individual 痴 ideas
on how to proceed in class when making the teaching plan as would be done in a
combined class. In other words the teaching methods for combined classes are
the basis for those for ordinary classes with pupils of varying abilities, when giving
individual instruction or when carrying out problem solving exercises.

The challenge for the teacher training department

To train teachers who understand the principles of teaching combined classes
courses on the subject need to be introduced. From next semester I will be
incorporating some of my research into combined classes in my lectures and
hopefully we will one day be able to start a fully fledged course.
Combined Class

Possible Questions to Initiate a Discussion

The following questions might be used to initiate a discussion about combined

classes.

Why do schools in Richmond have combined classes?

What do parents whose children who have been in a combined class have to
say?

What do students say about combined classes?

What do teachers say about combined classes?

What are the challenges of a combined class? What are the possibilities?
What are the possible dangers of a combined class? What are the potential
advantages?

How do students in combined classes perform?

Is the answer to these questions the same for students of all ages?

How does your school decide which students to assign to each combined class?

Policy and Regulations

There is no policy, either at the provincial or district level, which directly

addresses combined classes. However, class size maximums in the Collective
Agreement with teachers limit the options available to schools and are often
important in the decision to form combined classes. It should also be noted that
the prescribed learning outcomes mandated in the curriculum (IRPs) are the
same for all students, whatever the configuration of their class. Similarly, all
other policies on instruction, assessment and reporting apply in combined
classes just as they do for straight grades.

Discussion

An overview which presents related ideas and issues is provided below. It might
be useful either as a preparation for or follow-up to discussion activities.

Two thirds of the elementary classes in Richmond are combined classes (two
grade groups in one class, e.g.: grade 4/5, and sometimes three grades), and
they are common across the province. In most cases, combined classes are an
administrative necessity because they allow the greatest number of students to
be educated in the fewest number of classrooms. This organization keeps class
sizes at the maximum level allowable and ensures that they are roughly equal in
size and balanced with respect to student needs. This is necessary in order to
comply with the Collective Agreement with the RTA and to minimize costs.
Sometimes, however, combined classes are established for practical reasons
when it would have been possible to organize at least some single-grade
classes. A school organization with single-grade classes sometimes provides
only one possible placement for a student, which for various reasons (social,
academic, contractual) may not be the ideal classroom for that particular child.
By using combined classes, two, and sometimes several, choices for placement
can be made available. A child can then be placed in the classroom that best
serves his/her social and academic needs.

Sometimes, combined classes are created for pedagogical rather than practical
reasons. For example, the Montessori program is based on combined classes of
three grades. The school-based decision to organize by forming combined
classes throughout the school is supported by a sound educational philosophy,
backed in part by research, and in part by teacher experience.

Dr. Joel Gajadharsingh from the Department of Curriculum Studies from the
University of Saskatchewan completed a Canadian study on the effects of multi-
age grouping or combined classes on student learning in 1991. He found, using
standardized tests, that students in combined classrooms did as well or better in
the following academic areas: Math, Language, Science, Social Studies. Using
teacher-made tests or teacher-determined assessment strategies, he verified
that B.C. students did as well or better in the above mentioned areas. He also
found that students in combined classes performed better than students in single
grade classrooms in the following areas: independence, responsibility, study
habits, and attitude toward school.
Teachers in combined classes, like those in straight grades, follow the curriculum
requirements defined by the Ministry in curriculum guides (Integrated Resource
Packages, IRPs).

Students in a combined class look similar to those in a single grade classroom.

Detailed studies, like John Goodlad’s in 1987 (The Non-graded Elementary
School) have shown that on average a five year span of developmental
difference is typically found in a single grade group. Students in two-grade
groups together combine to span about six years of difference in the various
aspects of their development. Teachers in both combined and straight grades
fully acknowledge that a broad span of individual difference is to be expected.
Diversity is welcomed and accommodated as teachers aim to satisfy the needs
of individual students while delivering the mandated Ministry curriculum.
Teachers are trained to provide instruction to diverse classes of students,
looking at children as individuals, and providing Individual Educational Plans
where warranted for students who are slower or faster to develop. Thus, learning
is enhanced for all.

Combined classes offer enhanced opportunities for all students to demonstrate

confidence, positive self-concept, and a strong sense of belonging. They can
become increasingly thoughtful and helpful as they help other students. They
can form broader and more varied friendships as older students provide role
models for younger students. Sometimes teacher/student relationship can be
enhanced if the same teacher teaches a student for more than one year, leading
to increased feelings of security for returning students and a smoother transition
in September because the teacher already knows their learning styles and needs
well.

Notwithstanding the research and the demonstrable success of combined

classes as shown in the many positive examples across the district, many
parents are not comfortable with this organization and some teachers are also
concerned about it. Parents often say that they think that a child in the “top half
of a split” will be held back by the younger children and may not be taught the full
curriculum. Some teachers find it difficult to teach in very diverse classes.
Teachers of combined classes must work hard to deal effectively with the
diversity in their classes and have the added challenge of combining curriculum
from two grade levels, but it is also true that all teachers must design instruction
to support a very broad range of learning styles and abilities as well as student
backgrounds and personal circumstances.
Parent and teacher concerns seem most often to be based on an understanding
of the curriculum as content to be conveyed to students, rather than a more
holistic view of the curriculum as a set of leaning experiences which is designed
to accommodate a diverse group of learners and help them all to be successful.
Teaching strategies that address diversity, meet individual needs, and satisfy
Ministry requirements with respect to content and processes of learning work well
in both combined and single grade classrooms. In fact, they are necessary with
any group of students, but they are also complex and require sophisticated
understandings of both teaching and learning. The following two examples
illustrate the type of instruction that works well with diverse groups of learners,
whether in a combined or straight-grade class.

The Thematic Approach : Teachers often use themes to address Science or

Social Studies goals with possibilities for integrating work in other content areas
like Math, Language Arts and Fine Arts. (e.g., Exploring the Universe). This
approach enables the teacher to address processes and skills requiring
continuous development. Some in-school coordination is required so that the
necessary topics are addressed over the elementary years and popular themes
are not repeated unintentionally, although different aspects of a theme may be
intentionally addressed in different grades. For example, identification and
special features of dinosaurs fascinate Primary learners, whereas Intermediate
students might study the impact of climatic change on ecosystems using the
same theme. Also, many topics spiral through the curriculum and are taught, or
learned, with different degrees of sophistication at different ages - e.g., fractions,
probability, community and government - and thus some themes may quite
reasonably be explored repeatedly over the years.

Writers’ Workshop: Students draft, revise and publish original pieces of writing
under the teacher’s direction. Curricular expectations are met through whole
class lessons on writing styles, mechanics, and analyzing shared student writing
for strengths. Students’ individual needs are met through regular teacher
conferences where progress is assessed and goals are set. Reinforcement in
specific skills such as individual elements of punctuation or strategies for
organizing thoughts in advance of writing may be provided in small specially
formed ad-hoc groups as necessary.

Students generally do well in combined classes. There is no objective evidence

that they are less desirable educational settings than single-grade classes. In
fact, on the spring 1998 Provincial Learning Assessment Program results for
reading and writing, district results equaled the provincial average for reading at
the Grade 7 level and slightly exceeded the provincial average for writing at
Grade 7 and both reading and writing at Grade 4. At both grade levels the
provincial interpretation panel judged the results to exceed expectations. (Only
10% of students were excused from this assessment due to absence from school
that day or special leaning challenges, including being in the early stages of
learning English as a second language. which made their participation
inappropriate - this despite the high levels of ESL in the district.)

Parents often ask how students are assigned to combined classes and what
reasoning goes into deciding whether a student should be placed with older or
younger students. It is often assumed that the “brighter” students are placed with
older children and those who are less able are placed with younger children.
This is not an effective way to compose classes and should not occur.
Best practice for composing classes involves consideration of a wide range of
relevant characteristics such as abilities and needs, social development,
independence, friendships, and gender in order to create balanced classes which
are uniformly diverse. It is a good practice for schools to inform parents about
this process and also to allow them to contribute information about their children
which might have some bearing on the decision (but this does not include
requesting a specific teacher). Children should also be allowed to contribute
information about their friends so that at least one close relationship can be
maintained.

What do you think about combined classes in elementary?

Question:My daughter (2nd grader) was put into a combined class with 3rd
graders. Im a little concerned about this. I'm looking for others who have had
experience with there kids in this situation. Negitive or positive? Should I try to
have her put into another class? Or is it possible she may benefit from it.

Answers:
I am a teacher (and taught 2nd grade for 5 years) and I do know that usually the
kids that are put in the combo classes are children that are regarded as having
excellent behavior and can work independently, not to mention being able to
work on grade level. So.take it as a compliment. Also, being that she is in the
younger of the grades, she can definitely benefit from having 3rd graders in the
room. She will be exposed to harder material and will be challenged. She will see
some of hte 3rd grade curriculum without actually experiencing it, so that it wil
still be new for her next year. You have the option to switch her if you want.
However, if there is a really good teacher in the room, then leave her there,
especially if she likes a bit of a challenge.

I was in a montessori school and was in combined classes all thru elementary
school. I was in pre-k and k, grades 1-3 were together, and grades 4 and 5 were
together. I never experienced anything bad because of this. I was advanced and
could read material from higher grades this way. Also, when the teacher was
doing lessons for the other grades, we have free time to pursue independent
studies.

I, too was combined with higher grades in school. It is very helpful and will not
bring negatives to your kid. It will only do kid will, I promise.

I was in a 2nd and 3rd grade combo class in elementary school and again when i
was in high school I was in a Spanish 3-4 combo class. In my experience the
people put into combo classes have excelled. I did great in the classes, I was
able to learn so much by listening to the lesson taught to the older grade. With
combo classes there will be a lot of independent work. If daughter can handle
independent work she should be fine and benfit from the experience!

i'm 23 and when i was in fourth grade i was in a split class... there were only 4
girls (in 4th grade) so the teacher had one girl to each table. the boys at my table
picked on me so bad that as a fourth grader i was put in therapy... i blame the
teacher mostly because she would give us work and then teach the younger kids
and that's when i was picked on.. split classes are NOT a good thing and i feel
my education suffered from it not only because i was tormented but because the
teacher wasn't available to help with school work.. see if you can get your
daughter in a different class she's not gonna be better off because of the older
kids in the class... at such a young age she needs a teachers full attention and
that's not what she's gonna get when her teacher is teaching 2 classes!

I would think she would benefit from it, learning material quicker and such. But,
When she is in 3rd grade, would she be taking the same thing over again? Just
make sure that she can keep up and isn't following behind.