Examined children's developmental trajectories in five domains. Children were assigned to same- or mixed-age child care groups and assessed at 6-month intervals between approximately 32 and 49 months. Children in the two groups differed in their trajectories for communication, cognitive, and motor development but showed similar trajectories for…

The Foxfire core practices are woven into all class activities at a multiage, inclusive K-2 class in Asheville (North Carolina), characterized by active learning, small-group work, and peer teaching. Students are more motivated and have higher self-esteem when they make decisions. All practices met the state's curriculum and testing requirements.…

Compared reading, writing, and mathematics achievement of Title I and non-Title I third graders in comparable multiage and single-age classrooms in three school districts. Found higher achievement among non-Title I students in multiage settings when compared to those in a single-age setting. No setting differences were observed for Title I…

A rural Canadian secondary school developed a cross-age peer-assisted summer program to improve academic achievement and career awareness. Although there was no significant improvement in math grades for female participants, 91 percent of students claimed the program helped them in their present courses. Other outcomes included improved academic…

The use of "recitation" lessons in a rural Nebraska one-room school was investigated. Conservative in its orientation toward knowledge and student learning, the recitation is a functional response to the context of smallness, implicit parental and community expectations, inevitable student transfer to a large graded school, and threats…

Presents the theories of Vygotsky and Bandura that provide the foundation for research on cross-age learning in multiple-age groupings. Discusses the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits children derive from mixed-age groupings. Outlines social learning contexts, such as learning centers and projects, and structural contexts, such as multiage…

Contends that science education researchers should devote more time to creating and studying models of intergenerational and community-based science education. Argues that such inquiries have the potential to provoke new thinking that could expand basic conceptions of what it means to learn and practice science. (WRM)

The researchers examined the communication participation, academic achievement, and social behavior of five Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) students, five DHH students with additional disabilities (DHH-D), and 18 nondisabled, hearing peers in a co-enrolled, Grade 3-4-5 combination classroom. DHH students were not significantly different from their…

Intended for teachers who have asked for information on how to manage a multi-age classroom, this book outlines the ideal classroom as it exists when all of the multi-age components are put in place. Opening sections of the guide discuss creating the multi-age classroom, and the advantages and principles of multi-age instruction. The next sections…

This issue of the OSSC Bulletin explores problems encountered in implementing a closely associated group of educational innovations whose adoption has become increasingly common in recent years. This "family" of organizational and instructional practices includes non-age-graded organization, mixed-age grouping, developmentally appropriate…

A discussion about the meaning of time that took place in a combined grade 3 and 4 classroom in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is described and analyzed. The paper begins by explaining how a failed classroom demonstration of a water clock resulted in an animated class discussion that led to the successful redesign of the clock. Next, recent work in…

Described is a visit to the Fajans School in Falkenberg, Sweden, a single stream elementary school with an integrated nursery and day care center. Serving 220 children, the Fajans school does not grade according to age or ability. The nursery school provides 47 day care places, plus 18 in a part-time day nursery and 30 for children 7-12 years old…

This position paper focuses on issues related to equal education in small, rural schools in Sweden. Specifically, the report analyzes national statistics, reports from the National Agency for Education, and other research regarding the status of education in Sweden. Data indicate that for the 1994-95 school year, two-thirds of the schools in…

Students attending a Minnesota school in a middle-class neighborhood are finding that cooperation, conflict resolution, and civic values are creating a safe haven from the stresses of family and neighborhood life. Students have two innovative programs (Continuous Progress and Discovery) to choose from. Highlands Elementary nurtures its students…

Surveyed reactions of experienced primary teachers to the educational changes mandated by the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and whether these changes affected teacher retirement decisions. Responses indicated concern over the primary school program components of multiage grouping, no retention/no promotion, and increased mainstreaming. KERA…