This handbook was written to review current research on multigrade instruction, to identify key issues faced by multigrade classroom teachers, and to offer novice teachers a set of resource guides for improving instructional quality. The first chapter reviews previous research on multigrade instruction. It addresses questions regarding the effect of multigrade instruction on student performance and the training needed to teach in a multigrade classroom. The other chapters of the handbook cover topic areas considered essential for effective multigrade instruction: (1) classroom organization; (2) classroom management and discipline; (3) instructional organization and curriculum; (4) instrucational delivery and grouping; (5) self-directed learning; and (6) planning and using peer tutoring. Each chapter presents background information, basic concepts and principles, sample schedules, classroom layouts, instructional strategies, and further resources for multigrade teaching. Each chapter contains a list of pertinent references, which together amount to approximately 100 entries. (TES)