What is Multigrade Classes?

A multi-grade classroom refers to a class that has two or more grade level of children in
one classroom. Multigrade classes also called A Multi- Age Group. Multi-age is a term
commonly used today to describe mixed-age groups. o The meaning of multi-age is “Use multi-
age to mean two or more grade levels that have been intentionally blended together to
improve learning".

Multi-age grouping may be implemented for institutional or pedagogical reasons by the

administration of the school, but the outcome is that students are able to interact across age
groups and have long-term relationships with other students and teachers. In a multiage middle
school program students from more than one grade level learn side by side. The oldest students
eventually move on and are replaced by a new group of younger students each year.

Why Multigrade Class Exists?

1. Multigrade classes were organized as a matter of necessities for remote barangays where the
number of children enrolled could not meet the required number to organize a single grade
class and assign the necessary teacher from each class.

2. Distance of the barrio and the small number of students for each class

3. Shortage of funds teachers and school buildings

Roles of Teacher in MultiGrade Class

 As a teacher
 As a facilitator
 As a planner A
 s an evaluator
 As a material designer
 As an action researcher
 As contact with the community

Advantages and Challenges of Multigrade Teaching

Advantages for LEARNERS:

• Maximum social interaction between peers

• Cooperative learning is predominant

• Will learn to be independent, self-directed learners and can learn to be more resourceful.

• Prepared for real life.

• Can learn to assume leading and supporting role as needed in diff work situations.

• Stigma associated with failure an repetition is removed.

• Girls who are expected to stay home will have more chances to go to school since schools are
located within the community.

• Students can attain higher achievement levels especially in math, science and language.

Challenges for LEARNERS:

• Requires more discipline, greater concentration and more focus in order to benefit from
effective strategies

• Less reliance on direct supervision by teacher

• Requires more initiative and resourceful to function effectively • May receive less individual
attention from a less experienced teacher

Advantages for TEACHERS

• can make the most of inter-age, multilevel situation to facilitate learning process

• Can get to know students more and carefully assess their needs and adopt appropriate
teaching strategies • Can innovate and experiment with different age groups and deal with
curriculum content across subject areas.

• Shares responsibility for facilitating learning with pupils, parents, other community members.

• More opportunities for activity-centered, experience-based approaches rather than whole

group, lecture/drill/rote methods of teaching
Challenges for TEACHERS

• Requires more preparation of curriculum learning materials

• Requires more careful study of learner’s developmental characteristics across the age levels
involved in the class, approaches and strategies that are effective and variable within a
multigrade class.

• More inestment in organization of the classroom as learning environment

• More meticulous and systematic record keeping to keep track of student progress, curriculum
development and implementation is required.

Advantages for Community and School System

• Efficient means of providing educational services to thinly populated areas and remote
communities

• Efficient means of using limited educational resources

• Maintaining small barrio schools help to build and sustain the identity of the community and
the cultural life of the people in the community.

Challenges for COMMUNITY and SCHOOL SYSTEM

• Student achievement maybe poor in programs do not have the required resources and
teachers are not properly trained

• Requires investment in training of teachers, supervisors and administrative personnel to

prepare them for the demands of multigrade teaching and administration of multigrade schools

Basic Principles

1. Children are unique.

2. Children can learn best from experience

3. Children can and do learn well from one another

4. The role of teacher

5. The implementation of the curriculum must consider the varied abilities, levels and interests
within particular group.

6. The evaluation of educational program

7. Inter-aging or the combination of children of different ages is more respectful of individual

needs of learners and reflects real life.