Editor’s Note: Good afternoon! If you missed our morning post you can find book reviews on salmon learning books HERE. This afternoon we have three experienced teachers Marieke Holtkamp, Michelle Honeysett and Eileen David giving us the scoop on public school multi-grade classrooms. Here they are:

At the end of the summer, that buzz of back-to-school jitters becomes more and more tangible…  But who is more jittery the children or the parents? Thinking back to your own school experiences as a child, you might remember knowing who your teacher would be back in June. Class lists seem to have been set long before September came. So perhaps you puzzle over why we now have to wait until August or even into the first few weeks of school before we know which classes our children will be in.  As parents, perhaps you wonder how classes are created and why there are so many split classes?

What goes into the decision making of class make-up? Do we just draw names from a hat – eenie meenie miney moe? Not quite! The process of creating class lists begins in June, often with a meeting that lasts a whole day. Of course, the class lists are not considered final until September, when student numbers are more certain and staffing is in place.

Although there may be changes in student population over the summer - with children moving in or out of the neighbourhood - the best time for parents to voice any concerns or preferences regarding their child’s placement for September is before the initial class creation time. Often schools will have forms to fill out or some other process to follow.

Whatever this process may be, it is important to remember that requests are best received if they point out the needs of your child rather than naming specific teachers. For example, if you know that your child needs to be in a very structured environment, say that.  If you are concerned about anxiety issues and know that your child will be better with a friend in the classroom, name the friend and say why.  If you know that your child works better with a soft-spoken adult, make sure you state this.

If class changes do need to be made at the beginning of the school year, requests made in June can be revisited. Requests that are proactive in June versus demands that are reactive in September are more likely accomodated.

Class make-up is very carefully thought out by school staff. Even though schools have to work within certain restrictions, each and every child is placed with consideration to the whole child. Likewise, individual needs are also balanced with class dynamics and the needs and compatibility of the group.  Schools must try to balance academic and social needs, as well as parent requests and individual learning and teaching styles.

In early years, social and emotional needs are often considered paramount and the stepping stones to the academic aspect of children’s school experiences.

One of the realities of making up classes each year are split grades.

Split classes are generally created as a result of class size legislation and budgetary constraints.  For example, according to legislation, primary classrooms can have a maximum of 22 students, and of those 22 children, only a certain number can be designated with special needs. This means, if there are 30 grade-one students, there will likely be one full class and a split class. You might ask why can’t there just be two straight grade one classes of 15 students each?

Don’t we wish! This is where budgetary constraints come in.

Districts must meet an average class size that comes as close to the legislated numbers as possible in order to balance the budget.  Numbers and budgets are not the only reasons for creating split classes however. There are many situations where split or multi age classes are the norm or even preferred.

For instance, authentic Montessori programs gather together children of two, three, or more age levels to create a family grouping. These children remain together for several years. The Montessori philosophy suggests that multi-age classrooms offer opportunities to work together. This allows older children to mentor and care for their younger peers, while the younger children gain confidence and skills from interacting with older peers.

Yet, it seems that some of us just don’t want to do the splits! Contrary to popular belief, being in a split class can be very positive for many children.

1. It allows children to work at their own skill levels. Where the child could benefit from enrichment, they acquire the resources to work independently. When extra help is needed, there are opportunities to review curriculum and experienced classmates to help.
2. It offers opportunities to gain independence, leadership and confidence.
3. Friendships across grade levels create a strong sense of community and more friends for students to choose from as they move along through school.

If your child is in a split class try to embrace it!  Try to think about the positive experiences that can come of it.  Remember there is a reason your child has been placed in that class. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well your child can settle in to a class placement that you may be unsure of.

In other words doing the splits now and then isn’t all bad, unless you dislocate something!

Further Reading:

- An article in Today’s Parent on split grades.

- For parents who are interested in another view on education, The Element by Ken Robinson discusses how academics aren’t the be all end all.