Noting that multiage education continues to receive a great deal of interest as educators, legislators, and parents seek to find ways to improve educational experiences for all children, this book takes readers by the hand and guides them as they move from exploring the concept of multiage to the actual stages of implementation. As is consistent…

This paper explores the characteristics of teachers and their roles at Celebration School, an elementary/secondary school in which the high profile, innovative curriculum, team structure, guiding principles of learner-centered instruction, and high expectations for students create a demanding environment for teachers. Data were collected through…

Students (n=46) in a graduate gerontology course, ranged in age from 23-77; 32 were aged 36-55. They were positive about age diversity and its contributions to learning. None of those under 36 would apply age restrictions to admission; 13 of 38 older students would. A sizeable minority would discriminate against older students in awarding…

Evaluated effects of a nine-month project that paired fourth graders with elderly volunteers for a number of shared interdisciplinary activities. The Children's Perception of Aging and Elderly inventory posttest scores indicated the experimental group had significantly more positive attitudes toward the elderly than the control group. Results held…

Lists Internet websites related to articles in this issue. Topics include multiage classrooms, writing projects, and students learning English as a Second Language. (AA)

Noting the relationship between educational philosophy and the cultural context in which it is implemented, discusses what American Montessori elementary teachers must do to create a classroom environment responsive to the Montessori notions of child-centeredness, multiage grouping, and community building, while meeting minimum performance…

A three-day experiment set up by an early childhood teacher explored Piaget's view that children younger than age eight lack ability to take another's point of view. The experiment focused on a bear, the class mascot, and observations of children's empathetic behavior toward its "injury." Age-related differences in the children's…

Examines how an understanding of the meaning of bilingual code-switching can be achieved and how speakers with very different abilities in (and attitudes toward) the languages communicate with each other in close and informal encounters. Particular attention is given to the marking of preference organization in bilingual cross-generational family…

Recently, numerous larger schools have tried to capture the potential advantages of a wide age range in their classrooms. The nongraded organizational system recognizes and plans for varied student abilities, provides for different rates of progress, and adjusts to individual emotional and social needs. Both advantages and disadvantages are…

Swedish official documents for nursery and compulsory schools suggest that mixed-age groups are beneficial to children's learning and socioemotional development. Early evaluations confirmed these assumptions. However, results from more sophisticated comparative evaluations do not support these assumptions. Instructional recommendations based on…

Describes the open education preschool program of the Child Development Research Institute at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Discusses the facility's play areas, learning centers, and outdoor environment; the program's attempts to foster children's creative expression, autonomy and responsibility, and thinking skills; and the program's use of…

Reports on the first year of a four-year study of disadvantaged children in nongraded primary programs, focusing on how six teachers in four schools implemented the nongraded program with African-American and White urban and rural children. Early results show changes teachers are making to work with mixed-age students in a culturally appropriate…

Research on combination classes, in which students from two or more grades are placed with one teacher for most or all of the school day, is reviewed. Consistent research findings are that combination classes, distinguished from multiage/nongraded classes, have at least a small negative effect on student achievement. (SLD)

Facing an ever-increasing student retention rate, staff at a Washington elementary school implemented a multiage program. Teachers received considerable training but experienced burnout the first year. Four years later, retention is down, test scores and attendance are up, discipline referrals have decreased, teacher turnover is low, and parents…

Presents two American Montessori Society position papers. "Multi-Age Grouping" offers an analysis of eight specific methods and strategies of multiage practice that serve as a useful guide for implementation. "Peace Education" explains the need for, the requirements for, and the benefits of peace education as part of a school's…