Glossary of Terms

Experiential, Progressive Education
Progressive education is the term used to describe an educational philosophy that uses student’s actual experiences to develop comprehension a step beyond simple rote memory. Teaching and curriculum is designed by taking into account the unique differences between each student.

The ideas and practices associated with progressive education are based on respect for the student. This philosophy evolved in reaction to the assembly line graded schools the developed in the late 1800s.

Multiage Classrooms
A multiage classroom is designed to include students in a broad range of ages. The organization of the multiage classroom is based upon the philosophy of respect for the individual. Each child's learning rate and style is honored and supported.

Un-Graded Structure
Each child in the multiage classroom is respected as an individual and supported with the opportunity for continuous learning then grade labels are unnecessary. In the multiage classroom, the focus shifts from getting every child to the same level of performance to encouraging each child's individual development at his/her own rate and pace.

Heterogeneous Groupings
Multiage classrooms should strike a heterogeneous balance of gender and ability within each age level.

Family Unit
When students have an extended experience in a multiage grouping, school reflects the child’s first learning community, the family. The multiage classroom allows the class to develop into a true community of learners. Students have opportunities to take different roles in the classroom. The family unit supports and nurtures each of its members. It includes the teacher, the children, and the parents as well.

Multiple Years With the Same Teacher
In the multiage classroom, the same group of children stays together for at least two or three years with the same teacher. This time span offers a greater opportunity for establishing the group as a "family" of learners and gives each child a time for development.

Teachers get to know their students and families during the first year. The second year, everything gets off to a fast start. The student knows the teacher, the class, and the class routines. The teacher knows each student's academic, social, emotional, and physical strengths and is therefore able to offer the greatest support. He knows how to work best with each child. The teacher and parents have already established a bond. In traditional classrooms, it may take six weeks or more before real learning takes place.

Family Partnership
In the multiage classroom, teachers and parents have more time to get to know one another and become effective partners in their children's education. In the multiage classroom, parents become an integral part of the classroom community.

Mentoring/Leadership
Mentoring is another cross-age learning dynamic that occurs in the multiage classroom, where older children sometimes take the initiative to "teach" their younger classmates. For instance, an older student might decide to conference with younger children during journal writing just as the teacher would. After completing her own writing, the older child invites the younger children to conference with her. Such peer mentoring is an exciting experience for both the younger and older children. Eventually, every child in a multiage classroom has the opportunity to be both "pupil" and "mentor," since younger children get their opportunity to mentor as they mature.

Mentoring directly benefits the mentors as well. For example, an older, insecure reader who mentors a younger nonreader boosts her own self-esteem. This could not occur in a same-age classroom where the insecure student would be labeled a poor reader by classmates and denied the opportunity to be someone of importance.

As social mentors, older children in multiage classrooms escort younger children to the cafeteria or the nurse's office and create learning and play groups. Mixed-age groups of children offer all older children the opportunity to play esteem-building leadership roles academically and socially. The social and emotional benefits of mentoring for younger and older children cannot be overstated.

Child-Centered Learning
In a child-centered classroom, teachers take their cue from the students rather than trying to fit the student to a predetermined curriculum or instructional style. This means that the teacher must learn a great deal about and from each of their students. Child-centered learning is responsive to the needs of each learner. Multiage education offers child-centered, not curriculum-centered learning. Because learning is a personal construction of knowledge, multiage curriculum goals and plans are selected based on individual needs, strengths, and interests. Teachers develop a child-centered curriculum rather than insisting that every child master a predetermined curriculum regardless of their needs.

Developmentally Appropriate
Each child’s physical growth follows a natural developmental path. Just as crawling precedes walking, children naturally progress through developmental markers in their own time and place. Because we believe that there is also a natural progression in learning, we choose experiences that are appropriate for the child, regardless of age. Asking a student to do a task that is either too hard is setting the child up for failure.

Focus on Success
In the multiage classroom, each child's progress is viewed in terms of success rather than failure. The multiage philosophy rejects a "deficit model" that focuses on what a child doesn't know, rather than on what she does know. This focus on success keeps the child engaged in the learning processes. Because the teacher knows the child's strengths, he can support her and challenge her appropriately. The child is able to say, "I can do this! I can read this book. I can solve this problem. I can play this game." The multiage classroom provides repeated success for all children in the classroom no matter where they are on their continuum of learning.

Multiage classrooms embrace a structure and philosophy that creates a positive learning environment for supporting children's achievement and self-esteem. Children are free to learn at their own pace and to take risks that include learning from mistakes. Multiage opportunities for social interactions and cross-age learning enable children to learn in an emotionally secure environment. With the focus on success rather than failure, children see themselves as capable individuals. Children should enjoy learning, and in a multiage classroom they come to know it as a labor of discovery, exploration, play, excitement, and joy. Learning does not just mean getting ready for the next grade. To become lifelong learners, children must see their work as rewarding, meaningful, and absolutely enjoyable.

Constructivist Learning
We believe that each student constructs their own understanding of the world based on their own experiences. Therefore, our children are actively involved in many different learning experiences. Learning experiences take place inside and out of the classroom.

Real Life Experiences
Some of the most powerful learning takes place in real life situations. Students are able to see the importance of knowledge and skills in a meaningful context. For example, rather than rely on a textbook, each class studies plants by growing their own garden.

Continuous Progress
Multiage classrooms do not depend on retention or promotion. Continuous learning and success for each child is the focus. Students work on the academic continuum at their own pace without reference to their age or grade. Class placements are made to place the student where he or she will learn best. Retention is a byproduct of traditional classrooms where the expectations are the same for all children; yet, we know that all children do not learn at the same rate.

Authentic Assessment
In multiage classrooms, teachers use qualitative reporting tools such as portfolios, anecdotal records, observations, journals, and videotapes. Some multiage-teachers record each child's growth on a developmental continuum or use narrative report cards. Qualitative assessment documents the growth of each student and supports and guides appropriate instruction based on their needs. Assessment interacts with instruction. Authentic assessment focuses on each child's successes rather than deficits and considers all areas of development, evaluating the child based on her own past achievements and potential, not by comparison to group standards. Traditional standardized and teacher-made tests may also provide information about student learning, but they do not tell the whole story. Any test is only a snapshot of that time and place.

Learning at the Ann Arbor Learning Community
The Ann Arbor Learning Community views learning as the demonstration of the ability to apply new knowledge or skills in a meaningful context.

Life-Long Learning
At the Ann Arbor Learning Community, our focus is on developing students’ love of learning and their natural curiosity. We believe that when students develop confidence in them as learners, when they hone their inquiry skills, and develop the ability to analyze information and to form logical conclusions they will have the foundations for a lifetime of learning.

Self-Directed Learners
The multiage classroom is designed to develop self-directed learners. The structure of multiage classrooms invites children to participate in their own learning and offers them numerous opportunities for choices. As independent learners, children do not have to wait for the teacher to tell them what to do. Children become active and enthusiastic participants in their own learning, enjoying their "ownership" of the processes of learning to read, write, and solve problems.

Encouraging the development of self-directed individuals lays an important foundation for becoming a life-long learner. Among self-directed learners, the teacher can become a true facilitator. He is free to work with small groups and individuals, to conference with children about their learning progress, and to mentor and guide the children in his care.

Cross-Age Learning
One basic multiage premise holds that in mixed-age groupings, younger students benefit from collaborating with older children who model more sophisticated approaches to learning. And older children benefit by modeling teachers in the roles as mentors to younger children. In the context of social interactions, adults or more capable peers can encourage children to use more sophisticated approaches to tasks through the process of "scaffolding"

Flexible Groupings
In a multiage classroom, groups are flexible and based on need, interest, or topic. The teacher or students can create groups, and the multiage teacher facilitates the groups to meet the collective needs of the children. When the needs are met, a group is disbanded. The "group" may number from one child to many children.

Flexible groupings also offer children ample occasions to interact with older and younger classmates. All groups, whether convened by teacher or students, or whether based on need, interest, or topic, comprise mixed ages. Grouping in multiage classrooms solely by age or grade level.

Learning Partnerships
The Ann Arbor Learning Community recognizes parents as an integral part of the learning process. Parent-teacher partnerships are important and strongly encouraged. The keystone of the partnership is a circle of communication where information, ideas and concerns are freely shared. The multiage classroom also supports collaboration among colleagues in self-contained classes or among teachers in team-taught classes.