The Ministry of Education has m

any tools

to help both teachers and parents.

Visit w

ww

.edu

.go

v.on

.caand discover

how you can help your child succeed in school.

Printed on recycled paper06-377

ISBN 978-1-4249-3388-4 (Print)

ISBN 978-1-4249-3390-7 (PD

F)

© Q

ueen’s Printer for Ontario, 2007

Cette publication est disponible en français.

This publication is available on the Ministry of Education’s

website at http://w

ww

.edu.gov.on.ca

AN

INTR

OD

UC

TION

TO

CO

MB

INED

GR

AD

ES

HO

W C

AN

I HELP M

YC

HILD

SUC

CEED

?

Get involved in your child’s school life

Ask about their day – school work,friends,

their teacher.Let them tell you about the best

part of their day,and about what w

as not sogood.This w

ill help you share their successesand uncover any problem

s.

Stay connected with the school

Talk to your child’s teacher.Ask questions.Thiscan be as sim

ple as sending a note to schoolw

ith your child.Or check w

ith the school tosee if you can volunteer to help.

Make learning fun

Learning is not limited to the classroom

.Sim

ple activities can build your child’s skillsand confidence.Talk about prices on a trip tothe grocery store to help older kids w

ithm

ath.Make reading fun for younger ones by

pointing out the words all around you – on

street signs,posters,even cereal boxes!

123

WILL M

Y C

HILD

GET

ENO

UG

H IN

DIV

IDU

AL

ATTEN

TION

?

Every day,in both single-grade classes and com

bined grades,teachers work w

ith large groups,sm

all groups,and individual students.But students in com

bined classrooms also benefit

from a broader support structure.

Younger children can ask students from the higher

grade for help.Older students learn by explaining

problems to their younger peers.In fact,peer

tutoring can help higher achieving and older students reinforce their know

ledge and positivesocial behaviours.

HO

W C

AN

THE TEA

CH

ERTEA

CH

MO

RE TH

AN

ON

EG

RA

DE A

T A TIM

E?

Teachers use many different strategies to teach

students in combined grades.They m

ay:

Introduce a comm

on topic then give eachgrade a different task or problem

.

Break students into groups to study differentproblem

s and report back to the class.Thesegroups can be flexible,including students w

ithvaried interests and skills.

Bring students together for activities likehealth,physical education,and the arts.

The Ministry of Education has developed strategies

that help teachers reach a range of learners.Forexam

ple,teams from

every school in Ontario have

been trained in differentiating instruction.This is astrategy that looks at the individual learning needsand progress of each student.The teacher canthen identify the range of needs in the classroomand plan a program

that meets the needs of all

the students.

> > >

HO

W W

ILL A C

OM

BIN

EDC

LASS A

FFECT M

Y C

HILD

?

ACAD

EMIC ACH

IEVEMEN

T

Several studies have found that students in com

bined classes do just as well as students

in single-grade classes.In fact,some students

actually do better in language and reading.

IMPRO

VED SO

CIAL D

EVELOPM

ENT

Canadian studies show that children in com

binedclasses have m

ore opportunities for emotional

and social growth.The rich social environm

enthelps students:

Learn how to w

ork on their own and as part

of a team

Build leadership abilities as they work

together and help each other

Develop decision-making skills,and becom

em

ore self-motivated and responsible

Learn in an environment that reflects the

real world.The diverse ideas and opinions of

classmates help expand students’ perspectives.

> > > >

WH

AT IS A

CO

MB

INED

CLA

SSRO

OM

?

Combined classes group children from

two or

more consecutive grades in one classroom

.Schoolscom

bine classes for a variety of reasons.Thisincludes organizing classes to m

eet student learningneeds and com

bining grades to balance class size.

All classrooms include students w

ith a range ofskills and abilities.Com

bined classes are neitherbetter nor w

orse than single-grade classes.Theyare sim

ply one of the many w

ays schools meet

students’ academic and social developm

ent needs.

HO

W A

RE STU

DEN

TS C

HO

SEN FO

R C

OM

BIN

EDC

LASSES?

Principals and staff consider a variety of factorsw

hen grouping children into classes,including:

Learning styles

Social skills

Academic needs

And many other factors

All classrooms,w

hether single-grade or combined,

include students performing at a range of achieve-

ment levels.In every case,schools strive to create

a classroom environm

ent that will support the

needs of all students.

> > > >

How

Can the T

eacher T

each More than O

ne G

rade at a Tim

e? T

eachers use many different

strategies to teach students in com

bined grades. They m

ay:

• Introduce a com

mon topic

then give each grade a different task or problem

.

• B

reak students into groups to study different problem

s and report back to the class. T

hese groups can be flexible, including students w

ith varied interests and skills.

• B

ring students together for activities like health, physical education, and the arts.

How

Can I H

elp My

Child Succeed?

1. G

et involved in your child’s school life. A

sk about their day-school w

ork, friends, and their teacher.

2. Stay connected w

ith the school. T

alk to your child’s teacher. A

sk questions.

3. M

ake Learning fun. L

earning is not lim

ited to the classroom

. Simple activities

can build your child’s skills and confidence. M

ake reading fun for younger ones by pointing out the w

ords all around you.

Com

bined

Grades

1504 Cardinal A

ve, Dem

opolis, AL

36732

ww

w.w

acschool.com

West A

labama C

hristian School

An Introduction

To

How

Will A

Com

bined C

lass Affect M

y Child?

Every day, both single-grade

classes and combined grades,

teachers work w

ith large groups, sm

all groups, and individual students. B

ut students in com

bined classrooms also benefit

from a broader support structure.

Younger children can ask

students from the higher grade for

help. Older students learn by

explaining problems to their

younger peers. In fact, peer tutoring can help higher achieving and older students reinforce their know

ledge and positive social behaviors.

WH

AT

IS A C

OM

BIN

ED

C

LA

SSRO

OM

? C

ombined classes group children

from tw

o or more consecutive grades

in one classroom. Schools com

bine classes for a variety of reasons. T

his includes organizing classes to m

eet student learning needs and com

bining grades to balance class size.

All classroom

s include students with a

range of skills and abilities. C

ombined classes are neither better

nor worse than single-grade classes.

They are sim

ply one of many w

ays schools m

eet student’s academic and

social development needs.

AC

AD

EM

IC A

CH

IEV

EM

EN

T

Several studies have found that students in com

bined classes do just as well as students

in single-grade classes. In fact, some students

actually do better in language and reading.

Since teachers are usually required to teach the sam

e class for two years, they becom

e m

ore familiar w

ith the student and their fam

ilies. This results in a strong sense of

continuity. Research also show

s that on the first day of school, both students and teachers felt m

ore relaxed and calm than the students

in single-age classrooms.

Research done w

ith a Kentucky P

ublic School m

ulti-grade classroom show

s that over tim

e students’ academic achievem

ent and teacher’s preparation tim

e increased.

IMP

RO

VE

D SO

CIA

L D

EV

EL

OP

ME

NT

Studies show that children in com

bined classes have m

ore opportunities for

emotion

al and social grow

th. T

he rich social environm

ent helps students:

• L

earn how to w

ork on their own

and as part of a team

• B

uild leadership abilities as they w

ork together and help each other

• D

evelop decision-making skills,

and become m

ore self-motivated

and responsible

• L

earn in an environment that

reflects the real world. T

he diverse ideas and opinions of classm

ates help expand students’ perspectives.

WIL

L M

Y C

HIL

D G

ET

E

NO

UG

H IN

DIV

IDU

AL

A

TT

EN

TIO

N?

How

Your School System

Works

Com

bined C

lasses(often referred to as

Split Classes)

Van

couver Sch

ool Board

September 2

01

0

processes and

skills requiring

continuous developm

ent.

This requires

a sophisticated

approach to

integrating know

ledge and

skills but it can be done in ways that do not

repeat or “miss out” prescribed curriculum

.

I am concerned that m

y child w

ill not do well in a

combined class and w

ill not be ready to m

ove onto the next grade.Detailed studies like John Goodlad’s in 1987 (The non-graded Elem

entary school) have shown

that on average a five year span of development

is typically found in a single grade group and six years in a com

bined class. Additionally, the results of a study published in 1999 by Dr. Joel Gajadharsingh

(University of

Saskatchewan)

found that, using standardized tests, students did as w

ell or better in combined classroom

s in M

ath, Language, Science and Social Studies. H

e also found that students in combined classes

performed better than students in single grade

classrooms in the follow

ing areas: independence, responsibility, study habits and attitude tow

ards school. This is one of the com

pelling reasons that

some

schools such

as Charles

Dickens Elem

entary have gone to multi-age groupings.

How

Can I support m

y child in a com

bined class?Parents can support their children in the sam

e w

ays they would if they w

ere in a single grade class. Staying interested and concerned about school w

ork and activities, monitoring a child’s

homew

ork and keeping in touch with the teacher

and attending the school whenever possible are

ways the parents can support the child’s learning.

If you have concerns about your child’s learning, you

should speak

to the

classroom teacher.

A survey

of literature

on com

bined classes,

published in

2001 and

available on

the internet

(ERIC Identifier

ED 448935)

states:

“Advantages for multi-age students have been

shown to increase the longer students rem

ain in m

ulti-age classrooms. Students in m

ulti-age classroom

s demonstrate m

ore positive attitudes tow

ard school,

greater leadership

skills, greater self-esteem

, and increased pro-social and

fewer

aggressive behaviours,

compared

to peers

in traditional

graded classroom

s. Statistical analysis dem

onstrated that students from

m

ulti-age classroom

s achieved

greater academ

ic outcom

es in

relation to

their abilities

and dem

onstrated greater

increases in

academic

achievement

than students

of the

same

and higher

abilities from

single-

age classrooms w

hen all classrooms em

ployed developm

entally appropriate teaching practices.”

https://ww

w.vsb.bc.ca/sites/default/files/school-files/R

esources/Com

bined%20C

lasses%202010.pdf

What is a com

bined class?A com

bined or split class refers to a class that is m

ade up of students from tw

o or more grades.

Combined

classes occur

most

frequently in

elementary schools and are the com

bination of students in tw

o different grades with one teacher

teaching both curricula. For example, a school

might have a grade 2/grade 3 class com

bination or a grade 6/grade 7 class com

bination. At the secondary schools, com

bined classes may

occur, for example a Spanish 9/10 com

bination or

a Ceram

ics 10/11/12

combination.

It is

important

to know

that

students in

combined

classes are

not held

back to

the level

of the

younger children

nor are

the children in the low

er grade expected to do work

beyond their abilities. The prescribed learning outcom

es are grade appropriate for all students, w

hether or not they are in a combined class.

Why do Schools create

combined classes?

There are several reasons why schools create

these classes. When school staff look to organize

their students, that is to place the students in their classes w

ith teachers, they have to balance the educational needs of their students w

ith the staffing they receive from

Hum

an Resources as w

ell as with legislated contractual considerations.

A school calculates enrolment. This is then

verified by the Hum

an Resources division of the Vancouver Board of Education. Based on this figure, teaching staff (both enrolling and non-enrolling) is allocated. The Principal, w

orking w

ith the Staff Comm

ittee of the school, then constructs classes based on these factors and the educational interests of each student. In m

any instances,

combined

classes result.

How

do Schools decide w

hich students to place in com

bined classes?In

an effort

to ensure

all students

are placed in appropriately balanced classroom

s, school

staff (teachers,

Principals and

Vice-Principals) use such criteria as age, range of ability, special learning needs, gender, social groupings, and support staff recom

mendation.

Also, just as they do when allocating students

to non-com

bined classes,

the Principal

and Vice-Principal w

ork together with the classroom

teachers to best m

atch the learning styles and needs of the student. In m

any schools parents are given the opportunity in June to subm

it their preference for a learning situation for their child

for the next school year. All these factors are considered before allocating classes for students.

Will the teacher teach the

entire curriculum to both

grades?The School Act, w

hich governs British Columbia

schools, stipulates that all teachers, including teachers

of split

classes, m

ust teach

the prescribed curriculum

. Therefore the teacher is

obligated to

teach the

entire curriculum

to

both grades.

Teaching strategies

that address diversity, m

eet individual needs, and satisfy M

inistry requirements w

ith respect to content and processes of learning w

ork well in

both combined and single grade classroom

s.

What are the challenges for

teachers?Teachers need to be fam

iliar with the curriculum

for both grades and the variety of resources available

in the

school and

in the

district. Teachers of students in com

bined classes, like those

in single-grade

classes, em

ploy their

skills and

strategies so

that each

student is

challenged at

the level

at w

hich he/she

can succeed. For example, a teacher m

ight use

a them

atic approach

to teach

a unit.

This approach enables the teacher to address https://w

ww

.vsb.bc.ca/sites/default/files/school-files/Resources/C

ombined%

20Classes%

202010.pdf

A p

aren

t’s gu

ide to

a co

mb

ined

gra

de cla

ssroom

Y

our ch

ild is learn

ing in

a com

bin

ed g

rade classro

om

. This fact sh

eet is desig

ned

to h

elp y

ou u

nderstan

d

how

this ty

pe o

f classroo

m w

ork

s and

answ

er questio

ns y

ou m

ay h

ave.

Sch

ools g

rou

p stu

den

ts from

two

grad

es in o

ne classro

om

to b

alance class size acro

ss the sch

ool an

d to

keep

the n

um

ber o

f stud

ents in

prim

ary classes (k

inderg

arten to

grad

e 3) at o

r belo

w 2

0. C

om

bin

ed g

rade

classes are not n

ew—

they

hav

e alway

s been

a com

mon

part o

f the sch

ool ex

perien

ce. T

each

ers are h

igh

ly tra

ined

to b

ala

nce in

div

idu

al lea

rnin

g n

eeds

Walk

into

any classro

om

, and

yo

u w

ill find ch

ildren

at vario

us stag

es of so

cial, physical an

d in

tellectual

dev

elopm

ent. N

o tw

o ch

ildren

are exactly

the sam

e, even

if they

’re the sam

e age. E

ach ch

ild h

as uniq

ue

learnin

g n

eeds—

strength

s and

areas that n

eed im

pro

vem

ent. L

earnin

g sty

les and p

references are u

niq

ue to

each stu

den

t. Th

at’s true o

f same-g

rade classro

om

s, just lik

e com

bin

ed g

rade g

roups.

Teach

ers are hig

hly

trained

to ad

just th

e learn

ing p

rogram

in th

e classroom

to th

e need

s of each

studen

t’s

indiv

idual learn

ing n

eeds. In

com

bin

ed g

rade classes, teach

ers use th

ese same strateg

ies to teach

the

curricu

lum

for b

oth

grad

es. T

each

ers use a

varie

ty o

f strateg

ies to b

ala

nce th

e need

s of b

oth

gra

des

Stu

den

ts in a co

mb

ined

grad

e class follo

w ex

pectatio

ns fo

r their sp

ecific grad

e. Ju

st as in sam

e-grad

e

classes, teachers in

com

bin

ed g

rades u

se a wid

e range o

f teachin

g strateg

ies to m

ake su

re they

cover all o

f

the cu

rriculu

m ex

pectatio

ns. C

hild

ren in

com

bin

ed g

rade classes w

ill spen

d tim

e learnin

g as a w

hole

class, in sm

all gro

ups an

d in

div

idu

ally. S

om

etimes th

ey w

ill be g

rouped

based

on a sp

ecific task an

d o

ther

times th

e teacher w

ill gro

up th

em b

ased o

n th

eir learnin

g n

eeds.

In m

any areas o

f the O

ntario

curricu

lum

, the o

verall ex

pectatio

ns d

o n

ot ch

ange fro

m o

ne g

rade to

the

nex

t, but stu

den

ts learn th

e skill w

ith a g

reater level o

f com

plex

ity as th

ey p

rogress fro

m g

rade to

grad

e.

In a co

mbin

ed g

rade 3

/4 class, all o

f the stu

den

ts would

spen

d tim

e readin

g to

impro

ve th

eir

com

preh

ensio

n. T

he g

rade 3

studen

ts wo

uld

be learn

ing to

restate importan

t ideas fro

m a tex

t, while th

e

grad

e 4 stu

den

ts wo

uld

be learn

ing to

mak

e an o

utlin

e of a sectio

n o

f readin

g. T

he sam

e studen

ts mig

ht

then

do a w

riting assig

nm

en

t. Th

e grad

e 3s w

ould

be ex

pected

to u

se join

ing w

ord

s to co

mbin

e simple

senten

ces, while th

e grad

e 4s w

ou

ld b

e required

to u

se senten

ces of d

ifferent len

gth

s and co

mplex

ity.

The teach

er may

hav

e the w

ho

le class particip

ate in a co

mm

on activ

ity, fo

llow

ed b

y sm

all gro

up o

r

indiv

idual w

ork

on

grad

e-specific cu

rriculu

m ex

pectatio

ns. F

or ex

ample, in

a grad

e 1/2

com

bin

ed g

rade

class, when

teachin

g th

e life system

s strand o

f science, th

e teacher m

ight start b

y sh

ow

ing a v

ideo

abo

ut a

specific an

imal. T

he g

rade 1

studen

ts wo

uld

do a fo

llow

-up activ

ity to

iden

tify th

e characteristics an

d

need

s of liv

ing th

ings, w

hile th

e grad

e 2 stu

den

ts would

focu

s on g

row

th an

d ch

ange in

anim

als. S

tuden

ts are no

t alway

s learnin

g n

ew in

form

ation o

r concep

ts—th

ey also

need

to rev

iew, co

nso

lidate an

d

refine th

eir learnin

g an

d b

uild

on

prev

iou

s learnin

g to

do a m

ore co

mplex

task. In

a g

rade 5

/6 co

mbin

ed

grad

e math

class, for ex

amp

le, the teach

er mig

ht rev

iew th

e concep

t of p

lace valu

e with

the w

hole class.

Then

the stu

den

ts wou

ld w

ork

on

the g

rade-sp

ecific expectatio

ns. G

rade 5

studen

ts would

be p

racticing

math

pro

blem

s with

place v

alues u

p to

10

0,0

00 an

d d

ecimals to

hundred

ths, w

hile g

rade 6

studen

ts wo

uld

work

on p

roblem

s with

place v

alues u

p to

1,0

00,0

00 an

d d

ecimals to

thousan

dth

s. Or if w

ork

ing o

n

measu

remen

t, the w

ho

le class mig

ht w

ork

on an

activity

requirin

g th

em to

estimate, m

easure an

d reco

rd

perim

eter and

area of v

ariou

s items. T

he g

rade 6

s would

need

to d

emonstrate a g

reater level o

f accuracy

,

based

on th

e curricu

lum

exp

ectation

s, than

the g

rade 5

s. E

ven

in su

bjects, su

ch as so

cial stud

ies and scien

ce, that h

ave d

ifferent to

pics to

cover in

differen

t grad

es,

the cu

rriculu

m ex

pectatio

ns in

each g

rade are n

ot ju

st about th

e facts studen

ts are expected

to learn

. Th

ere

are man

y co

mm

on

skills fo

r stud

ents to

learn, su

ch as research

, scientific in

quiry

, experim

entatio

n an

d

West B

ayfield Public S

chool (Ontario)

http://westbayfield.edublogs.org/files/2013/09/A

-parents-guide-to-a-combined-grade-classroom

-1xc1dk6.pdf

pro

blem

solv

ing. T

he teach

er mig

ht p

resent research

skills to

the w

hole class, an

d th

en assig

n g

rade-

specific research

pro

jects. A

t oth

er times, th

e teacher w

ill presen

t two d

ifferent lesso

ns to

the stu

den

ts, based

on th

e differen

t

curricu

lum

for th

e two

grad

es. While w

ork

ing w

ith o

ne g

rade lev

el of stu

den

ts, the teach

er will h

ave th

e

oth

er studen

ts do

ind

ivid

ual o

r gro

up

pro

jects or w

ork

in learn

ing cen

tres in th

e classroom

. S

tud

ies show

that stu

den

ts in co

mb

ined

gra

de c

lasses lea

rn a

s well a

s oth

er stud

ents

You m

ay b

e con

cerned

abou

t ho

w w

ell yo

ur ch

ild w

ill learn in

a com

bin

ed g

rade class. Y

ears of research

show

that stu

den

ts in co

mb

ined

grad

es do

just as w

ell academ

ically as stu

den

ts in sin

gle-g

rade classes. In

fact, som

e stud

ents actu

ally d

o b

etter in lan

guag

e and read

ing.

You m

ay also

wo

nd

er abo

ut th

e emo

tional im

pact o

n y

our ch

ild—

will y

our ch

ild receiv

e the sam

e

amount o

f ind

ivid

ual atten

tion

from

the teach

er in a co

mbin

ed g

rade as in

a single-g

rade class. It’s

importan

t to u

nd

erstand

that th

e nu

mb

er of stu

den

ts in th

e class, not th

e grad

e structu

re, determ

ines th

e

amount o

f time th

e teacher h

as to sp

end

with

each in

div

idual stu

den

t. S

tuden

ts in co

mb

ined

classes often

do

better em

otio

nally

and so

cially. C

om

bin

ed g

rade classes h

ave b

een

found to

foster g

reater ind

epen

den

ce, better so

cial skills an

d in

creased m

otiv

ation to

learn.

In o

ur ex

perien

ce, paren

ts may b

e con

cerned

when

their ch

ild is first p

laced in

a com

bin

ed g

rade class,

but o

nce th

ey b

ecom

e familiar w

ith th

e concep

t, they

feel more co

mfo

rtable, an

d th

ey’re p

leased w

ith

their ch

ild’s p

rogress an

d sch

oo

l exp

erience as th

e year p

rogresses.

Help

you

r child

succeed

in a

com

bin

ed g

rad

e cla

ss Y

ou’re im

po

rtant to

yo

ur ch

ild's su

ccess—in

a com

bin

ed g

rade, th

e same as a sam

e-g

rade class. T

he m

ore

you k

now

abo

ut y

ou

r child

’s edu

cation

, the m

ore y

ou w

ill be ab

le to h

elp y

our ch

ild learn

and su

cceed.

Here are so

me w

ays y

ou

can su

pp

ort y

ou

r child

’s learnin

g.

B

ecom

e familiar w

ith th

e curricu

lum

for y

our ch

ild’s g

rade. Y

ou can

find it o

n th

e Min

istry o

f

Educatio

n w

ebsite at w

ww

.edu

.go

v.o

n.ca o

r in y

our sch

ool lib

rary.

R

ead in

form

ation

from

yo

ur ch

ild’s teach

er and sch

ool. A

sk y

our ch

ild to

tell yo

u ab

out sch

oolw

ork

that is b

rou

gh

t ho

me. T

alk w

ith y

ou

r child

about h

er school ex

perien

ce.

C

om

mun

icate with

yo

ur ch

ild’s teach

er about h

is indiv

idual learn

ing n

eeds. If y

ou

hav

e questio

ns,

talk to

the teach

er abo

ut th

e strategies th

at are bein

g u

sed to

cov

er the co

mbin

ed g

rade cu

rriculu

m.

C

onnect w

ith th

e scho

ol. A

ttend

paren

t info

rmatio

n n

ights an

d o

ther sch

ool ev

ents. V

olu

nteer at th

e

school if y

ou

hav

e the tim

e. Atten

d a sch

ool co

uncil m

eeting.