Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
A Mixed-Age Classroom in Kindergarten | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My five-year-old son seems very socially and academically mature for his age and is planning to go to kindergarten in September. The closest school is a two-room school that has kindergarten through third grade in one classroom with one teacher. I have concerns regarding the level of education he will receive at this school. I do not see how a teacher can spend sufficient time with all the students to allow my son to meet his potential. Do you have any opinions on this type of school environment? Thank you.— Wendy in Tracy, California | | | ANSWER |
July 23, 2001 | | | Dear Wendy,
Some educators believe that mixed-age classrooms offer advantages to children. The younger children have more opportunities to learn from the older ones, and the older children have more opportunities to teach the younger ones. A mixed-age class may offer particular advantages for a bright and mature child since it will be easier for him to find peers at his developmental level, who may be older chronologically.
In a mixed-age classroom, teachers may be forced to provide more individualized teaching, because many teaching activities can't be done with the whole group together (for example, reading instruction for the third-graders probably won't make sense to the first graders). A key issue is the level of experience, skill, and enthusiasm of the teacher, and also whether there are sufficient assistant teachers or other adult helpers on hand.
My personal sense, then, is that what counts is not the mixed-age nature of the class, but rather the quality of teaching and the curriculum. If you haven't already, why not talk with the principal or head teacher and arrange to visit the school? By asking questions and watching the class in action, you'll have a much better sense of whether you think your child will fit in and benefit from the school.
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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