Describes the collaborative literacy activity that occurred in one teacher's sociodramatic play center in a multi-age classroom (K-2) and a kindergarten classroom. Finds the children in the multi-age group engaged in a larger amount and a broader range of collaborative literacy activities than did the kindergartners; and the collaborative…

Differences in cognitive developmental level and reading achievement of elementary school children in multiage programming and traditional classrooms were explored. There is controversy regarding the benefit of multiage classrooms for learning academic subjects. According to previous research (e.g., Almy, Chittenden, & Miller, 1967; Brekke,…

Noting children's limited opportunities for cross-age interaction, this paper discusses the benefits of mixed-aged groupings of preschool and elementary school children for social and intellectual development. The benefits for older children and younger children are considered in turn, and general benefits to both groups and their adult caregivers…

Multiage/multiability grouping is when more than one grade level of students is grouped in a classroom. This report summarizes the research on multiage/multiability grouping in the primary grades. The paper, which is intended for use in Kentucky's educational system, focuses on quantitatively based comparative research syntheses. The text…

This document consists of the two 2001 issues of the newsletter of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE). Each issue contains a feature article and one or more short articles on topics related to early childhood education, calls for papers, announcements about Internet resources, news items about and list…

On the basis of a comprehensive best-evidence synthesis of the literature on the effects of multigrade and multi-age classes, Veenman (1995) concluded that there were no significant differences between multigrade and single-grade classes in cognitive or achievement effects. Subsequently, Mason and Burns (1996) challenged Veenman's conclusion,…

Investigated relationship of preschoolers' helping behaviors and their younger peer-directed internal state language, perspective-taking, and attendance at mixed-age day care. Found that helping behaviors were positively related to frequency of vocal turns to younger peer, perspective-taking ability, and length of day care attendance;…

Examined the class distributional properties of 200 elementary school classes in 2 school districts. Fifty-six classes were combination classes of students from 2 grades. Principals and teachers tended to assign higher ability and more independent students to such classes, and these assignments affected the class distributional properties.…

When older and younger students are paired, motivation, cooperation, friendship, and self-esteem flourish, and extra learning takes place. The article describes how to match students, presents five cross-grade projects, discusses project evaluation, and offers the option of cross-grade tutors. (SM)

The students in a K-1 class at a Washington elementary school built a mock four-seater airplane with some community assistance. They hired a building contractor (promising him red wriggler worms from the class compost bin) to help design the plane, obtained a Boeing certificate for $500 worth of spare parts, and attended an air show as exhibitors.…

Multiage grouping, based on the belief that children benefit from engaging in learning environments that accommodate at least two age groups, allows for marked improvements in children's enthusiasm for learning mathematics. Children are challenged and stimulated by their interactions with multiage peers, and assessment information indicates they…

Examined the ways Canadian provincial and territorial policies address the inclusion of infants in multi-age early childhood education settings and the ways practitioners and licensing personnel interpret these policies. Noted policy patterns that affect the inclusion of infants and older children. Derived recommendations for policymakers and…

This article describes the development of collaborative partnership throughout the first year of a primary grade team including a classroom teacher, a graduate student providing special education services, and a university coordinator. It describes how collaboration allowed team members to meet the individual needs of children with learning…

Critiques the conclusions of S. Veenman (1995) about multigrade classes and suggests that selection bias and lower-quality instruction should be included as part of the explanation for his findings of no difference. Indicates that multigrade classes have at least a small negative effect on achievement and potentially negative effects on teacher…

D. Mason and R. Burns (1996) have concluded that multigrade classes have a slightly negative effect on students' achievement. However, a reanalysis, based on meta-analytic procedures, of the available studies shows the average weighted effect sizes to be essentially zero or close to zero. Contains 51 references. (SLD)