Lesson 2: Educational Policies in Multi-Grade Teaching

Overview

Multigrade Teaching is defined as teaching two or more grades in one class. As

homeschoolers, teaching children with a range of ages (not to mention grade levels…) is a
challenge that the teachers have to face.

Think and Pause: Do you ever feel, as a mom, that you are a rope in a giant game of tug-
of-war between your Littles and your Bigs?

The young ones are the small but loud, demanding team tugging at your shirt and
hanging on your leg. On the opposite team are the Bigs – they’re not the needy-seeming
ones, and yet it is their schoolwork that is complicated, and they have hearts that need
discussion for character development.

Testimony: As a home educating mom of seven (five now graduated), I often felt
overwhelmed with the younger children who constantly clamored for my attention while I
knew that my older children needed my help in other ways – schoolwork, relationship
dilemmas, character issues. We’re being stretched, not knowing how to give our time and
attention in ways that meet all the needs of both teams! Oiy! What’s a mom to do?!
 Here are five (5) quick ways to end the tug-of-war and get everyone on the same
team!

1. Top of the Hour is Littles Time

Mom’s focused attention is an emotional fill-up to children of all ages. Since little
children deplete more quickly than the older ones, Moms of littles can schedule the top
of every hour as a set time to give your young child an emotional fill-up! This means
to get down on their level, eye-to-eye, with hugs and cuddles and kisses and words of love.
Follow the mom fill-up with a learning activity. I recommend that you have a different type of
activity each hour in a set routine.

Some examples of learning activities are the following:

 Book Basket – they pick out two books from the basket to look at in their special “book spot”
 High Chair Art – tactile things to play with in their high chair
 Playpen Praise – listening to… or learning songs while playing with a few toys

These are just a few of the activities that I recommend as Top of the Hour routine
activities in my book, When Littles are Loud: Maximizing the Moments without Drowning in
Chaos.

A routine brings added peace to your toddler which increases their confidence
and thus their independence as well. Once the Learning Time begins, a timer is set, and
they are to stay with that activity until the timer goes off (gradually increase the length of
time from five minutes up to 20). Then free play the rest of the hour while you can help your
older children with the school, relational, and character needs they have.

2. List and Schedule for the Bigs

Following a schedule and checking off a list are such helpful life skills for your older
children to develop. Each of my students had a clipboard with their DAILY SCHOOL
SCHEDULE on it plus a sticky note with a TO DO LIST on it.
 The schedule has a spot each hour for the student to record what they completed in
that subject as well as the score achieved on the assignment. The TO DO LIST is
something they can add to throughout the day in addition to the chores you have
listed. They might add “finish last four problems in Algebra” or you might write, “load
dishwasher.”

Let the schedule and list be their reminder instead of you! This is teaching them to
take ownership of their day, which helps them be better prepared for college. The
schedule can help them know what to do next when you’re busy with a Little.

Plus, they know that Top of the Hour Littles Time will be over soon, and they’ll be able to
get your assistance with their school subject then!

I did save the most complex subjects that needed mom’s help for the scheduled
naptime of the Littles. With some students they needed most help from me in math while
others it was grammar or writing.

3. Check Together to Save Time

One more detail to add to this section – check work WITH your student. They have
their workbook in front of them; you have the answer key in front of you. They read the
question and say what answer they listed. You say “yes” or “no.”

Then when you’re done checking it together you can see how many “no’s” there were
and decide what should happen next. I believe in mastery at every step, so we go over all
the missed problems and, if necessary, have them rework the assignment.

Mastery means a more solid understanding and is more valuable to me than keeping on a
certain timeline of completion. Better to be solid than quick. Checking work together saves
an enormous amount of your time, provides reinforcement on the material to the child, and
allows their work to be checked much sooner.
 Checking assignments together immediately after completing them means your
student doesn’t keep wrong information in their mind, and it means they’re completely
engaged in finding out what they missed. These are two helpful keys in mastery at each
level.

4. Start Some Subjects TOGETHER

Often, we would all start a session with everyone, and the littles would drift off to play
as they lost interest while the older and I would continue on with the lesson.

Audiobooks have played a big part in our education for this reason – so that multiple ages
are listening and learning while the elders are taking notes and the youngers are keeping
their hands busy with various crafts or toys.

Certainly, it is important for independent textbook study times as well but breaking up a
subject into parts that everyone can participate in and others that are alone or just with mom
helps to bring a fuller academic experience and thus increases retention and understanding
of the subject.

5. Teamwork for the Win

Mom, you can’t do it all! Not only that, but your children NEED to work and clean and
serve and care. It is good for your elders to help your youngers. It is good for all the ages
to chip in on chores. Turn on some fun music and all of you clean together!

Pair them up to work on school extras. For example, an elementary student can quiz
a middle learner on their vocabulary and then the middle learners can quiz the elementary
student on their spelling or math facts. A young reader can read picture books to the baby
for extra reading practice.
Make a list of each child’s weak areas and strengths. Then make paired activities that
work with those lists.

If Tommy is in 5 th grade and struggling with his multiplication facts, pair him up with
Sue who is in 3 rd grade and just learning her times tables. Have Tommy practice Sue’s
flashcards with her which will give him added practice while making him feel like a teacher.

Our pairing time lasted 5-15 minutes per day or a couple times a day. We all learn
more when we’re teaching, right?! Turn those kids into teachers and team them up for the
win!

The Department of Education Memorandum on the Policies and Guidelines in the

Organization and Operation of Multigrade Classes

SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 14, 1997 – DO 96, S. 1997 – POLICIES AND GUIDELINES IN THE

ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF MULTIGRADE (MG) CLASSES

November 14, 1997

DO 96, s. 1997
Policies and Guidelines in the Organization and Operation of Multigrade (MG) Classes

To: Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries

Regional, Bureau, Center, Service Directors
Schools Division Superintendents

1. Pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution that the State shall protect and promote the
rights of all citizens to quality education at all levels and take appropriate steps to make
education accessible to all, it is a declared policy of the DECS to build a school in school-
less barangays where enrolment and population growth trends warrant the establishment
 of new schools and to organize multigrade classes to offer the complete six (6) grade
levels to children in the remote barangays.
2. In support of this program, the following policies and guidelines in the organization and
operation of Multigrade Classes in the country are being issued:
1. Definition. A multigrade class is defined as a class of 2 or more grades under one
teacher in a complete or incomplete elementary school.
2. Organization of Multigrade Classes
Regional Directors and Schools Division Superintendents shall organize
Multigrade classes to provide access to schools for children in far-flung barangays
and to complete incomplete schools. The minimum enrolment of 8 pupils and the
maximum of 35 pupils per class shall be observed. Whenever possible and when
teachers and other facilities warrant, MG classes composed of more than three (3)
grades per class should be converted to at most 3 grades to a class.
3. School Plant, Facilities, and Furniture of Multigrade Classes
Regional Directors and Schools Division Superintendents give priority to
multigrade classes in:
1. allocating 3-room school building to MG classes without standard building
or where the existing building is in need of total rehabilitation. The existing
standards for school buildings shall apply to MG schools.
The classroom layout as well as furniture should facilitate multigrade
teaching and learning. It should allow for: grouping/regrouping of school
children according to age, grade level, ability level or interest; the creation
of learning center or comers; and easy circulation of both teachers and
students. Suggested classroom layout of MG classroom is found in
Enclosure 1 while features of an effective MG classroom/environment arc
found in Enclosure 2.
2. the provision of textbooks and other support instructional materials as
follows:
1. Minimum Multigrade Instructional Package (MIP) for teachers which
shall consist of: 1) Minimum Learning Competencies for MG Classes
(MLC-MG), 2) Budget of Work for MG Classes (BW-MG). 3) Lesson
 Plan for MG Classes (LP- MG), and 4) Multigrade Teachers
Handbook (MG-HB).
2. protect and promote the rights of all citizens to quality education at all
levels consisting of: 1) textbooks in all learning areas on at least 1:2
textbook-pupil ratio or as much as possible on a 1:1 ratio, 2) the
Multilevel Materials (MLMs) on at least 1 set to 3 pupil’s ratio.
3. allocating teacher items and/or assigning teachers
In assigning teacher items, priority should be given to schools with
multigrade classes having an enrolment of more than 35 per class and
classes with more than 3 grades to a class.

4. The Multigrade Curriculum and Program

Multigrade schools/classes shall offer the New Elementary Schools Curriculum
(NESC) and adopt any of the suggested class program. Divisions may use any of
the suggested program options found in Enclosure 3 on a tryout basis and report
on the findings of the experiment after one school year. Full implementation or use
of a program should be based on results of the tryout.
5. Support, Welfare and Incentive Program for Multi Grade Teachers
To attract and retain effective teachers in multigrade schools the following
measures should be implemented:
1. regular monitoring of MG classes to sustain training gains and to provide
them with technical as well as instructional support. In consideration, of the
difficulty in reaching these schools due to distance and poor and/or irregular
transportation facilities, principals or supervisors are authorized to collect
actual transportation expenses incurred during monitoring and/or
supervisory visits.
2. regular training of MG teachers on multigrade teaching in the district,
division and /or regional level should be given priority share from the 5%
INSET funds.
 3. whenever resources/situations permit, at least one (l) classroom should be
designated as lodging place of teacher’s/school administrators whose
residences are considerably far from the school.
4. granting of the Special Hardship Allowance tor MG Teachers (SHA-MG). All
MG teachers qualified to avail of the “Hardship Allowance to Eligible Public
School Teachers” provided for in DECS Order No. 73. s. 1996, shall receive
said incentive under the said scheme. However, MG teachers who shall not
meet the requirements stipulated in the same scheme shall be granted the
“Special Hardship Allowance for MG Teachers” for handling multigrade
classes. Criteria to avail of the Hardship Allowance for multigrade teachers
shall be issued in separate DECS Order on a year to year basis.
3. Provisions of DECS Order 38, s. 1993 not superseded in this Order are deemed still in
effect.
4. This Order shall take effect immediately.
5. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.
 Activity Sheet
Name:_________________________Prog./Yr.&Sec._________Date:_______Rating:____

Preliminary Questions: Answer the following questions.

As you proceed with this module, think about the following questions:
1. What do you think the best strategies in teaching multigrade classes?
2. How will teach multigrade classes
Self-Assessment 1

Instructions: Answer the following questions.

1. What is the concept presented in the DepEd Memo on the teaching of

multigrade classes?
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2. In your locality, interview teachers that have an experience in handling
multigrade classes. Record it here.
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