Module MG.

3 Teaching in the
Multigrade Classroom

Student Support Material

Teaching in the Multigrade Classroom Module

Objectives
By the end of this module you will be able to:
 Use a number of planning strategies to program for the multigrade class.
 Complete a curriculum scan using scope and sequence charts from subject syllabus
documents.
 Develop a program from a curriculum scan, completed for your particular multigrade
situation
 Develop units of work based around a thematic integrated approach, incorporating
objectives found in the syllabus documents.
 Construct a timetable for a multigrade class
 Demonstrate a range of teaching strategies which could be used in the multigrade
classroom
 Choose appropriate data gathering techniques (assessment tasks) for the multigrade
classroom.
Planning and programming in the Multigrade classroom

Many teachers are worried and confused when asked to teach a multigrade class. They are
not sure how to plan for two, three or more classes at once and so they try to create separate
programs for each of the grades. Trying to do this is extremely difficult to plan and manage. It
would be impossible to cover all the work for each grade level in a number of separate
programs.
The multigrade teacher needs a strategy to help with planning so that
 One program is created for the class, with different objectives and outcomes for
different groups in the class
 Objectives which need to be covered in the syllabus documents are included, and
common elements in the grade programs are identified

In this module, we will look at ways of planning the yearly program to meet the needs of the
students and the requirements of the syllabus documents. In order to plan successfully for the
needs of your students, you need to understand something of the way students learn.

The learning continuum

For many years, curriculum in schools has been prescriptive, inflexible and expected all
students to learn at the same rate. Teachers taught the grade curriculum to everyone, aiming
their lessons at the average student, and sometimes considering the others who were either
bored, or struggling to cope with the work presented. There was a certain amount of content
to be covered, and every student would be required to complete it, whether it was suitable for
their needs or not.

Learning is a developmental process and not all students will be operating at

the same level. As teachers it is important to recognise this. As multigrade
teachers, it is essential that we recognise this.

What’s wrong with this

picture?

What happens when our

teaching ‘doesn’t fit’ the
student?

In the multigrade class, and indeed in any classroom, you may find students operating at any
one of these levels. In your multigrade classroom of Grade 3 /4/ 5, you will have students
working at all these levels and maybe more. There will be Grade 3 students who may be
meeting Grade 4 objectives, Grade 5 students who are working on Grade 3 objectives. The
 learning should be geared to the needs of the student, not necessarily according to the grade
level to which that student belongs.

We don’t need a separate curriculum for each grade in the multigrade

classroom, but a continuum or progression of challenges in our teaching which
will meet the needs of students in our class.

Programming: The Reform Curriculum

There is no one syllabus program for teaching multigrade. A program needs to be developed
using the new syllabus documents for Lower and Upper Primary. The new curriculum gives
the teacher much greater flexibility in providing for the needs of students in their class. The
objectives and suggested content areas are given, but it is up to the teacher to plan and
organise the learning experiences best suited to the students in the class.
The new syllabus is particularly well suited to the multigrade situation. Some teachers are
frightened by the idea of planning for a number of grades, but once a process of programming
is understood by the teacher, it allows the teacher to use the same process for any
combination of grades they may be asked to teach.
As part of your Professional Development studies so far, you have learnt about programming
using themes as a basis for your teaching. From there, you have developed units of work,
weekly and daily plans.
With a multigrade class, the process is the same. For each unit of work or weekly plan, the
whole class will work on the same topic or theme. However, the activities completed by each
student will depend on what you want them to learn, based on the syllabus documents you are
using and the students’ level of development. There are methods and strategies that teachers
can use to assist with their planning for a multigrade class.

The Curriculum Scan

What is a curriculum scan?

A curriculum scan is completed by scanning (or
looking) through all the curriculum documents which
are relevant to the multigrade class you are teaching,
and selecting the relevant sections. After selecting all
the relevant sections from the different syllabus
documents, you will be looking for common elements
and themes from which to build your program. If you
remember that learning is a continuum, or a process of
building on, you will see that the themes in the subject
areas cover a number of grades, with the learning
objectives building on from what has been taught
before.
The following pages outline the steps in completing a
curriculum scan.
Step 1. Identify the grade levels you will be programming for and find the relevant scope and sequence
pages in the syllabus documents.

Make sure you

only use the
overview or
scope and
sequence charts
from each
syllabus.

Environmental
Studies Scope
and Sequence
Chart, showing
Grades 3, 4 and

5 content

If you were teaching a

Grade 3/4/5 multigrade
class, you would need to
use all the scope and
sequence charts. If you
were teaching a Grade 3 /4,
you would only use the
scope and sequence charts
for these grades.
Step 2. Photocopy, cut and paste or write just the parts of the scope and sequence that you will
be teaching. Paste or write these on to a large sheet of paper.

These charts can

have many uses in
your classroom. You
can check off which
topics you have
completed, and see
what you have yet to
teach.

This example is
the start of a
curriculum scan
for a multigrade
3 / 4 class.
Step 3. Look for common topics or themes across the curriculum. Brainstorm some main themes, and try
to fit the topics under a heading.

Groups

Work

My Environment

Customs and
Celebrations

Step 4. Write your main themes on a large piece of paper and list topics underneath

FAMILIES

 My family
 My community
 Relationships
 Helping Others / roles
 Our Neighbours
 Lifestyles
 Healthy Body and Mind
GROUPS
  Types of groups
 Groups to which you belong
 Groups in your community
 Differences in groups
 Population / Counting People
 Migration – Past and Present
 Rules and Regulations
 Our Leaders
 Outstanding People
 Our Government
 Healthy Family and Community
WORK

 Types of work people do

 In the family
 In the community
 In the wider community
 Using things for work
 In the family
 In the community
 In the wider community
 Work in different regions
MEETING NEEDS

 Needs of my family; food, shelter, clothing

 Types of houses in my area
 Housing in other areas
 Types of clothing in my area
 Resources which help us to meet our needs.
Step 5: Set your themes out on a grid

Remember, if you are programming for two grades, your themes will cover two years of work.
If you are programming for three grades, your themes will cover three years of work. It
doesn’t matter in what year your themes are completed, because you will have the same class
for the period of your plan.

Example: Grade 3/4/5 program which will cover three years

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Year 1 Families My Work Celebrations
Environment and Customs
Year 2 Groups Meeting Needs My People and
Environment Resources
Year 3 Looking after People and Work Looking After
my Resources my
Environment Environment

Step 6. Transfer your topics to a term program

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Week 1 My Family My Work: Work in Customs and
Environment: my family practices in my
Plants and community
Animals
Week 2 My Family Plants and Work in my Customs and
Animals family practices in my
community
Week 3 My Family Plants and Work in the Ceremonies
Animals community
Week 4 My Community Land, sea and Work in the Ceremonies
forest community
Week 5 My Community Land, sea and Work in the Ceremonies
forest community
Week 6 Easter
Week 7 Helping Others Land, sea and Using things for Legends and
forest work Stories
Week 8 Helping Others Weather Using things for Legends and
work stories
Week 9 My Neighbours Weather Work in Past and
different present
regions customs
Week 10 My Neighbours Seasons Work in Past and
different present
regions customs

A good way to start is to put one major theme in each term. You will find that you may need
to split some major themes so you might do half the topics in one year, and the other half in the
next year e.g. major theme: My Environment. One year you may complete the topics plants,
 animals, food gathering, the next year, land, sea, forest environments and the use of
things in my environment.
The themes identified in the examples in this booklet are not the only ones you can
have. As long as you are basing your program on content from the syllabus documents,
you may come up with a different set of themes or topics. There are a number of ways
that the content could be arranged by the teacher.

MG:3 Activity 2
In groups complete a part curriculum scan for a Grade 4/5 using the
scope and sequence charts from Community Living, Health and
Environmental Studies. If you have Upper Primary drafts, you could use
those instead. Go through Steps 1 to 5 of the curriculum scan. You don’t
need to use all the syllabus documents and complete all the steps. The
activity is to give you an experience of completing a curriculum scan.

Curriculum scan and themes posters

To help you plan for your multigrade and if there are no syllabus documents available to
you, a poster has been included with this module, which you can assemble and display in
your classroom.
The curriculum scan poster has the whole Lower Primary Syllabus scope and sequence
charts summarised, and assembles into one large poster, showing on one page all the
information that you need to help you with your planning. The instructions for
assembling the poster are included. You should photocopy the pages, or perhaps your
lecturer could organise for them to be photocopied for you.
It is intended to produce an Upper Primary poster when the syllabus drafts
have been completed.
This poster is also useful to assist you in seeing what areas you have covered, and what
you have left to teach. You could mark off content completed as you teach it, and you
will have a clear visual picture of your teaching program for you and the inspector to
see.
A poster showing possible themes developed from the scan of all Lower Primary
syllabus documents is also included. Use this to assist you in your planning if you wish.

What next?
After you have transferred your general themes to your term timetable, you can then
work on objectives and content for your theme or unit of work. You can then look for
more specific objectives that you wish to cover from the syllabus documents. If you
have a Grade 4/5, then you would make sure you have some objectives from both the
Grade 4 and Grade 5 syllabus documents included in your plan.

Planning using a proforma

 Adapted from Murdoch, K., Hornsby D. (1997) Planning Curriculum
Connections; Whole School planning for Integrated Curriculum
Elanor Curtain Publishing Aust.

Trying to plan a theme or unit of work on a blank page is very difficult. If you use some
form of planner, or proforma, it can act as a prompt and a guide as you work through
the process of creating your unit. Using a proforma usually means
 There is greater consistency throughout the school / department if all
teachers are planning together and in the same way
 The planning process itself is made easier by having a written structure to
work through
 Units can be compared and revised more easily, and the form is useful for
evaluation purposes

There are many different ways to present your planning. The Programming Guide for
Lower Primary offers a few ways of planning your thematic programs by using theme
webs etc.
Another example is given on the following page.
Having an English focus and a Maths focus ensures that the skills and topics selected
are presented in context. For example, the genre of report writing could be taught during
this theme and students may be asked to present a factual report on one natural disaster.
Narrative writing could also be included, where students write stories about being caught
in a natural disaster.
There are many areas of measurement across Grades 3, 4 and 5 which could be
included in this theme, e.g. making maps. Grade 3s might make simple maps with grid
coordinates, Grade 4, time line graphs showing when natural disasters have occurred in
PHILS, Grade 5 may work on maps to scale, including measurement and symbols.
Once you have your objectives, sequence of activities and skills to be taught decided
upon, it is then possible to look at differentiating the activities (designing different levels of
difficulty) for the different groups in your classroom.
A blank copy of the proforma has also been included for your use.

Unit Theme: Natural Disasters Host curriculum area: Environmental Studies Main un
Grade Level 3/4/5 can be ca

Philippine

Stage of Unit Objectives Resources, Sequence of activities Grouping

preparation
 Find some stories and Introduce topic with a story or a visitor Whole clas
who can tell a story about a natural
pictures about natural
To investigate disaster. Brainstorm with students to
disasters in books, develop a list of all natural disasters
different types of
magazines, or tell a known to them. Draw a number of
natural disasters and
story. pictures to use in activities.
how they occur e.g., Pairs / gro
What is a volcano? Select a number of natural disasters to
Develop vocabulary list study. Students to research a topic in
Earthquake, flood,
for theme words in groups. 1. classify causes of natural
drought, landslide English and vernacular. disaster by matching pictures e.g..
tsunami, cyclone earth disasters, sea disasters, weather
Prepare materials for disasters. 2. Prepare a poster giving
activities information about a particular natural
To research and
describe natural disaster and how it occurs.
Investigate your area to 3. Make a model of a volcano, wall
disasters in PHILS.
see if there is any story about a landslide etc.
evidence of changes to
the environment from
natural disasters.
How have natural disasters changed
Organise some guest the environment? Compare pictures of Whole clas

speakers; from Rabaul, Aitape, drought areas in 1997. Group wor

To explore the effect Emergency services, List and discuss the changes that Learning C
of natural disasters on police, etc. to discuss occurred after the natural disaster.
the environment and what to do in a natural Develop a disaster plan for your area if
community. disaster. a tsunami was travelling towards your
village.

Write a story about a disaster in your

village
Unit Theme Host curriculum area: Main und
Grade Level

Objectives Resources, Sequence of activities Grouping

preparation

 MG.3 Activity 3
Using the blank proforma and some syllabus documents, plan a unit theme. First
consider the theme, then the main understandings you want the students to have.
Find some objectives from the relevant grade level syllabus documents and plan the
sequence of activities. Consider how you will group and what skills are being taught.

Timetabling in the Multigrade classroom

Block timetables work best in multigrade classrooms. This allows the teacher time to integrate
aspects of the curriculum. Learning is developed in context, rather than broken up into discrete
small sections of content.
The multigrade block timetable operates much the same as it would in a traditional class. Subjects or
thematic time is planned for the whole class, however within that time, groups will be completing
different activities.
The time allocations for Lower Primary and Upper Primary subjects are listed below:

Lower Primary (minutes per week)

Subject Suggested teaching time (minutes/week)
Gr.3 Gr.4 Gr.5
Nationally Prescribed
Assembly / Home room 75 75 75
Language 570 450 405
Mathematics 210 210 210
Environmental Studies 180 210 210
Community Living 150 180 210
Arts and Craft 150 150 150
Health Education 90 90 90
Physical Education 105 135 150
Religious Education 60 60 60
Block Time 60 90 90

TOTAL 1650 1650 1650

Suggested teaching time (grades 6,7 and 8)

Subject
(minutes/week) Periods
Language 180 3
Mathematics 180 3
Life Skills 360 6
Personal Development (including 240 4
Phy. Education)
Science 180 3
Social Science 180 3
Arts 180 3
Religious Education 60 1
Local Courses 90 1

TOTAL 1650 minutes

In the multigrade classroom working with a number of grades and in block thematic teaching
situations, you have to be a little flexible in your time allowance. Some grade levels require more
time per subject than others, but if you average the time, and take into account the subject’s
integration with others, you will find that you are adequately covering the recommended times for
each subject.
Two timetables are shown on the following pages. Timetable 1 shows all subjects entered in blocks,
with an analysis of time included on the right hand side of the page.
Timetable 2 integrates Community Living, Environmental Studies and Arts and Crafts into blocks
labelled Thematic Studies. Sometimes, you may spend an afternoon on thematic work which
includes objectives from Environmental Studies, and some Art and Craft. You would need to make
sure that you indicated somewhere in your planning what the main focus of the session was, but for
the purposes of the timetable, Thematic Studies gives you the opportunity to integrate subjects into a
meaningful context.
GRADE: 3 TIMETABLE 1

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8.00 – 8. 30 Assembly Mathematics Assembly Mathematics Assembly

8.30 – 10.00 Language Language Language Language Language

10.00- 10.30
RECESS
10.30-11.00 Maths Maths Maths Maths Maths

11.00-11.30 Language Language Language Language Language

11.30-12.00 Physical Physical Education Health Health Health

Education

12.00 - 1.00 LUNCH

1.00 - 1.30 Community Environmental Environmental Environmental Physical
Living Studies Studies Studies Education
1.30 - 2.00 Art and Crafts Art and Crafts Art and Crafts Community Living Community
Living
2.00 – 3.00 Environmental Community Living Physical Education CRE Arts and Crafts
Studies
CLASS TEACHER’S COMMENTS SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTS

GRADE: 3 TIMETABLE 2

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8.00 – 8. 30 Assembly Mathematics Assembly Mathematics Assembly

8.30 – 10.00 Language Language Language Language Language

10.00- 10.30
RECESS
10.30-11.00 Maths Maths Maths Maths Maths

11.00-11.30 Language Language Language Language Language

11.30-12.00 Physical Physical Education Health Health Health

Education

12.00 - 1.00 LUNCH

1.00 - 1.30 Thematic Thematic Studies Thematic Studies Thematic Studies Physical
Studies Education
1.30 - 2.00 Thematic
2.00 – 3.00 Physical Education CRE Studies

CLASS TEACHER’S COMMENTS SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTS

Some factors to consider when developing your multigrade

timetable
 Program language and maths activities in the morning where possible, when the
students are fresh and their concentration is better.
 Your timetable should be planned to make sure that you, the teacher, are able to give
 the maximum amount of attention to the different groups in your classroom and that
you are able to teach all the necessary subjects.
 Some subjects may be taught to the whole class, others may be taught in groups and
your timetable should take account of this.
 Your timetable should be displayed clearly and be familiar to the students.
 Make sure you balance your teaching time equally, so sufficient attention is given to all
students.
 Consider the maturity and attention span of the pupils. Young students need to change
their activities frequently, so their lessons must be shorter. They need more physical
activity too, both inside and outside the classroom.

MG:3 Activity 4
Using your unit theme developed in the last activity, and the block timetable
example, complete a one-day program for your theme. Show your subject
focuses in the thematic studies times.
Teaching strategies for the Multigrade classroom

1. Differentiated instruction

2. Peeling off

3. One input many outputs

1. Differentiated instruction
Adapted from PASTEP National Workshop presentation by Dr Steve Pickford.

What is differentiated instruction?

 Differentiated instruction is a STRATEGY used in multigrade classrooms
 Differentiated instruction is a STUDENT CENTRED strategy
 Differentiated instruction provides MULTIPLE approaches to assessment, teaching
and learning processes, and learning outcomes to meet students’ needs and abilities.

How do you prepare for differentiated instruction?

 Shift the teacher focus from teaching to learning
 Explore what each student is capable of doing independently and in groups
 Provide tasks of varying difficulty
 Provide each student with a choice of learning outcomes.

How is differentiated instruction organised?

 Plan to provide different students with different levels or kinds of content, or
 Organise different ways that students can learn, understand and use content, or
 Design different learning outcomes for different students.

Differentiation occurs through adapting lesson content,

teaching and learning processes, and learning outcomes to
meet the differing needs of students.
Differentiating lesson content
Students in different grades can be given different content or the same content but be asked to
use it differently. Bloom’s taxonomy is sometimes used to differentiate lesson content.

Comprehension:

Differentiating teaching and learning processes

This means providing varied activities or strategies to support different students learning. It is
important to give students alternative pathways to understanding ideas, For example, students
may use graphic organisers, maps, diagrams or charts to differently demonstrate their
comprehension of the concepts covered. The following are examples of differentiated teaching
and learning strategies
 Flexible grouping
Students move between independent work, pair, small and large group work
depending on their purpose. Flexible grouping allows students to be appropriately
challenged and supported. Students should not be kept in the same groups all the
time.
 Learning preferences
Students can be assigned tasks according to their learning preferences, e.g.
 Auditory (students who learn best by hearing information)
 Visual (students who learn best through seeing information in charts
or pictures)
 Active (students who learn best by using concrete examples, or
need to move around while learning)
 Putting students in a preferred learning environment quiet or noisy,
sitting at the desk or on the floor, inside or outside the classroom)
 Anchoring activities
These are activities that a student may do at any time. For example, when they
have completed assignments or for a short period at the beginning of each class as
students organise themselves. They may include problems to solve, journals to
write, project work, etc. These activities may also provide the teacher with time to
provide additional specific help and instruction to students.

 Tiered activities
Tiered activities are a series of related activities that increase in difficulty. The
activities are linked to key understandings and skills students need to acquire.
Teachers organise different activities around the same objectives, different ways of
reaching the same goals.
 Adjusting oral and written questions
During large group discussion activities, teachers adjust questions for students with
different needs. In written tests, the teacher may assign specific questions for
different grades or groups of students.
 Learning centres
Learning centres may contain both differentiated and compulsory activities.
However, a learning centre is not differentiated unless the activities take into
account different students’ abilities and level of readiness. It is important that
students understand what is expected of them at the learning centre and
encouraged to manage the use of their time. The degree of structure that is
provided will vary according to student and independent work habits.
 Independent and shared study projects
Independent study projects are research projects where students learn how to
develop skills for independent learning. The degree of help and structure will vary
between students depending on their ability. Shared study projects are where two
or three students work together on a project. All students share the research,
analysis and organization of the information but each student must complete an
individual project to demonstrate learning has taken place.

How to prepare for differentiated instruction

 Shift the focus from teaching to learning

 Explore what students are capable of doing independently
 Provide tasks of varying difficulty
 Encourage learners to work on tasks with a partner
 Help learners to analyse tasks
 Provide the learner with a choices for the outcome of what they
are doing
 Help learners verbalise the strategies they are using, asking
them, “How did you do this?”
 Help students to engage and remain engaged in small group
and whole group situations
 Explore ways of putting learners in control of their learning
 Explore ways of working with individual students in one-to-one
teaching situations and then in small group and whole class
discussions.
A model of differentiation in a multigrade class
Adapted from a presentation by Dr Steve Pickford, 3rd
PASTEP National Workshop, Lae.

Setting: Multigrade 7 –8
Activity: Combining a Grade 7 unit on Location, and a Grade 8 unit on Culture
 Identify and select key objectives and major concepts for both units
 Identify the focus skills for each grade: summarising for Grade 7 and classifying and
comparing for Grade 8.
 Provide opportunities for independent learning in which students engage in developing
concepts, achieving objectives and practising skills for their specific grade level.
 Organise students into flexible groups that combine students from both grades, and
plan projects that integrate learning about location and cultures of the world.

Group #1—Grade 7-8

Major Concepts: Location (Grade 7) and Culture (Grade 8)
Large Group (6 students, both grades)
 Have the group select three different cultures for exploration. These may
include cultures of the neighbouring countries.
 Explain the project and what is expected for both independent and group
learning activities.

Assessment and Evaluation

 Provide opportunities for student self-assessment, and for teacher
assessment of students’ independent and group work.
 Provide students with assessment criteria, based on objectives, prior to
their work
Small Group #1A Small Group #1B
(three grade 7 students) (three grade 8 students)

1. Give this group a project that 1. Give this group a project that
requires them to explore the requires them to explore the
concept of location through the concept of culture through the
three chosen world cultures. three chosen world cultures.
 2. Have students select the parts of 2. Have students select the parts of
the assignment that can be the assignment that can be
done independently and those done independently and those
that can be accomplished best that can be accomplished best
as a small group. as a small group.

3. Provide instruction for students 3. Provide instruction for students

about the five components of about the patterns of culture
geography: location, place, (economics, politics, kinship, art,
region, human-environment religion, education and recreation)
interaction, movement and
communication.

Independent Learning
 Have individual students self-select interest areas through which they
will apply and extend their understandings
 Have individual students from each grade work independently to
gather information and complete their part of the project in
preparation for returning to small groups.
 Provide instructional support for individuals as needed (e.g.. How to
summarise or compare information, how to use resources

Small Group #1A Small Group #1B

Have this group meet to share the Have this group meet to share the
information they have gathered, information they have gathered,
summarise what they have learned and summarise what they have learned and
decide how they will share and connect decide how they will share and connect
this with the information gathered by this with the information gathered by
the other small group the other small group

Large Group
Have both small groups gather to share and learn from each other. Have the
large group combine information into a project that gives a complete picture of
each culture according to its location (including maps) and its patterns of
culture. The students should present information in a variety of ways: oral,
written and visual.

MG.3 Activity 6
.
This activity would be suitable for assessment.
1. Study the model and note the sequence of instruction, the different group
organizations and the various roles for teachers and students
2. Using the model and skills list from the Upper Primary documents,
design a differentiated multigrade unit for Grade 6/7
3. Differentiate any activities using Blooms taxonomy
4. Try to differentiate outcomes and assessment criteria.
5. Present your unit to the group.
2. Peeling off: a strategy for the Multigrade classroom
Peeling Off is a strategy which allows for a common input with ‘layered’ outputs; that is the
whole class begins with a concept being taught by the teacher in a direct teaching method.

After the teacher has completed

the first part of the teaching, one
group ‘peels off’ or leaves the
teacher to complete an activity.
This group will complete an
activity at the simplest level of
outcomes. The activity should be
designed so the group can
complete the task without the
assistance of the teacher.
Direct teaching again takes place
with the students remaining. The
teacher will continue to build on
and extend the outcomes for this
group. When the teacher has
completed teaching to the level
of outcome expected, a second
group will ‘peel off’ and leave
the teacher to complete an
activity which is more challenging
than the first group’s activity.
The teacher will remain with the
last group of students who will
be working on more difficult
concepts or outcomes. After
some direct teaching, this group
will ‘peel off’ to complete
activities at the most difficult
level.
The teacher concludes the lesson by bringing the groups together to share their work and summarise the main teaching points.
The example on the next page is based on a Mathematics lesson developing the concept of area, using the context of gardening. You will see that the first group are required
to explore area using common units, the second group, square metres and the third group square metres and parts of square metres.
2. One input, many activities, shared output
This is a strategy that teachers can use in a multigrade setting. Teachers plan for a shared experience with the whole class, for example, the experience could be shared
reading with a Big book or an excursion to an interesting venue. The experience is used as a springboard to develop different learning activities. The activities are designed to
meet the learning objectives identified by the teacher for the multigrade; ie they will cover more than one grade. Students work in groups on different tasks, which meet
different outcomes. Representatives from each of the groups come together and share their completed work. Each representative talks about the work that has been done and
how it was completed. The unit may be completed by bringing all groups together for a shared output, where students create a ‘class’ piece of work representative of all
groups in the classroom.
A simple example of this strategy could be when a teacher reads a story to the 3/4 class; group one draws a picture from the story, group two writes the story in vernacular,
or in their own words, group three creates a different ending for the story. The level of difficulty and outcomes expected are varied for each group.

Language activity: Grades 3/4

This example uses a shared reading of the story “Hornbill Feathers” found in the PNG School Journal 1, 1998, written by Neville Unduka.

Step 1:
Teacher reads the story to the whole class, discussing features of the language.

Step 2:
Students work in mixed groups assigned by the teacher on a number of different activities. The activities cover a
range of
objectives in Language which the teacher wishes to cover. Examples of these worksheets are shown below.
MG:3 Activity 7
The teacher introduces and discusses the following picture with a 4/5/6 class as part of the theme Customs and Traditions. Write your objectives and
design three activities with different outputs that students in this class could complete. How would allow for sharing of work at the end of the lesson?

Assessment and evaluation in the multigrade classroom

Adapted from Anthony, R., Johnson, T., Mickelson, N, and Preece, A (1992).
Evaluating Literacy: A Perspective for Change Rigby Heinemann Australia


As we understand more about how students learn, many changes have been occurring in the way we teach. It is now known that students must be active in their own learning
and assume responsibility for their own actions and activities. How students learn is equally important as what they learn.
With the move towards integrated, student centred learning comes changes to the way we measure that learning. We have to look at the way we assess students and make
sure the assessment reflects what is actually being learnt.
There are a number of myths that we can discuss which have arisen from traditional practices of assessment and evaluation. Some people think these statements are true, but
they are NOT.
MYTH #1: Assessment and evaluation are separate from instruction.
It is common practice in many classrooms for the teacher to prepare lessons, teach them, and then test the students for knowledge acquired. This is done in a sequential way.
Assessment and evaluation in integrated programs, on the other hand, are part of the instructional process. They are ongoing and are centred both in the classroom and in the
daily activities of the students.
Instead of teachers trying to capture one moment in time, like a snapshot from a camera, they try to capture the student’s shifting patterns of growth and development. As
assessment and evaluation are ongoing, they form the basis of daily instructional decisions.
MYTH #2: Tests tell us what students know
Of course they do not. Tests tell us only what students know about a small sample of knowledge chosen for the test.
MYTH #3: Evaluation is testing
Testing is only one small part of the process of assessment, that is, gathering information for purposes of evaluation. Testing should support the teacher’s judgement and never
define it. What teachers should be doing is gathering a profile of growth and identifying those areas in need of attention.

Information gathering techniques

As teachers, we are looking for data-gathering techniques that reflect our beliefs about curriculum development and learning.
When teachers make assessment and evaluation decisions they need to plan, observe, collect information, analyse, interpret, synthesise, reflect, take action and report.
The multigrade class is no different to any other classroom where student centred learning is taking place. In an integrated student centred classroom, learning is individualised
and meets the needs of each student in the class. So too should the assessment and evaluation procedures take account of the individual’s progress.
There are a number of techniques teachers can use to gather reliable information about their students. This information should form the basis of all evaluative and reporting
procedures.

Observation
Observation is one of the most important and comprehensive means of assessing and evaluating all behaviour and learning in the classroom. By observing students
thoughtfully, sensitively and systematically within the natural setting of the classroom, the teacher:
 Learns about students
 Begins to identify each student’s unique interests, personality, learning style, strengths, differences and learning needs
  Uses this information to plan programs that best meet the needs of every student in the class
As a classroom teacher, your observations of the students are the most valuable source of data on which to make professional judgements and evaluations.

How can you make your observation data most useful?

 Observe and record regularly as part of the classroom routine. Build it into your daily work plans
 Plan for focussed observations of specific students. Choose one or two students per day and decide on what it is you wish to observe about that student
 Choose a variety of settings for the observations (e.g. in the playground, library, during assembly time or group work)
 Record your observations as close to the time they are done as possible.
 Plan time to share your observations with the students.
 Think: What questions do I ask myself when I observe a student, when do I observe and how do I observe?

How do I observe using checklists

Checklists are useful in planning for learning in the classroom, monitoring learning and shaping it. They are also useful for gathering information about students’ learning. They
can be used by the teacher and by students as a means of self-evaluation.
The following example is a checklist developed for oral presentations. The teacher has determined the criteria before the talk, and the students have a copy so they are aware
of what is required. The teacher uses one for each student and indicates the level of achievement as the talk is being presented. This checklist can later be discussed with the
individual student.
Self evaluation
It is also valuable for students to assess their own performances against measured criteria. The teacher is provided with valuable information about what the student sees as
their strengths and weaknesses. Self-assessment checklists also help students develop a sense of responsibility for their own learning.
This self-evaluation measures the student’s perception of performance and can be compared with the teacher’s checklist results.

Sample oral presentation Self-evaluation

Name: Date: Context

Did you speak clearly? Yes No
Did you read your information from a sheet? Yes No
from a card?
Did you use eye contact during your presentation? Yes No
Did you show diagrams or pictures? Yes No
Were you interesting? Yes No
Did you learn anything new from your presentation? Yes No
What did you do well?

What will you work on for next time?

Make sure your checklists:

 Require a simple yes/no response about specific aspects of learning components of the program
 Focus on only one item or aspect at a time
 Are completed as soon as possible

Below is another example of a self-evaluating checklist, this time used by students before they bring their work to the teacher for conferencing. This helps the student make
sure they have done as much as they can first, and saves the teacher time also.
SAMPLE EDITING CHECKLIST

I need to:

1. Read my writing aloud to check it makes sense.

Have I:
 said all I want to say?
 crossed out unwanted words?
 added missing words?
2. Check my punctuation
Have I :
 used a capital letter at the start of every sentence?
 used a .? or At the end of every sentence?
 used a capital letter for special names? (E.g. Ben,
Emerald, Friday)
3. Check my spelling
Have I:
 looked on charts and in books around the room, to
find the correct spelling?
 Circled words I am unsure of?

4. Now I can read my writing aloud to a friend.

5. Make changes to make my writing better.
6. Now I can take my draft, a pencil and my
personal dictionary to an adult for conferencing.
7. Publish my writing

Rating scales
Rating scales are useful for gathering information about students' learning. Rating scales are created according to predetermined criteria. They recognise that learning develops
along a continuum and differentiate between degrees of performance or behaviour.
 Rating scales can be numerical, the lowest number representing the minimum and the highest number the maximum performance. Word, phrase or letter scales can also be
used. Most students will be familiar with ratings of A for high performance through to E or F for failure, or such terms as excellent, very good, good, fair, and limited.
Consistency can also be rated by scales using such terms as always, usually, sometimes, rarely, and never.

Anecdotal notes
An anecdotal note is a descriptive comment made by the teacher about significant student behaviour. The comment usually relates to incidental learning and learning not
covered in the formal evaluation program.
Anecdotal notes might relate to:
 Some aspect of a student's physical development
 An area of interest outside the formal curriculum
 Interest in learning and work habits
 Ability to follow instructions
 Ability to participate in class activities
 Relationships with others in the class.

Anecdotal notes can be organised in a number of ways;

 Use an exercise book with one page allocated for each student, or use filing cards, (one per student)
 On a class list, leave space for notes about each student. You could aim to cover all students in a week, a fortnight, or a month. At particular times you might just
focus on one subject or one group of students.

Work samples
Samples of students' work collected over a period of time can provide a valuable data base for both teacher and student. The best way to do this is to have a file for each
student and add samples of work at regular intervals. The work should be dated for ready identification.
A careful analysis of an example of a student's work, against a set criteria or a number of objectives or outcomes can provide a wealth of information about a student's
progress.
MG.3 Activity 8

Choose a topic to speak about for three minutes to a partner. Design a checklist a self-evaluation form for you. Present your three-minute talk and then self evaluate your talk using your form.

Organising the information

Creating a file or a portfolio of students' work is one way of organising information collected for assessment.
The purpose of a portfolio is to create an accurate picture of a student's growth in learning. Comparing work completed over the year enables the teacher to see the
individual improvements made and areas of learning which require further attention.
 Use a folder, file box or pamphlet file.
 Include a balanced selection of samples covering the processes and products of learning, e.g. some work in draft form, best work examples, typical work completed in
class. (Remember to have a reason or criteria for keeping the work. Don't collect too much or the portfolio will become too unmanageable)
 Date each entry and arrange in chronological order for easy access.
 Involve the student in selection of work for the file.
 Keep anecdotal records in order, in an envelope in the file.

Selecting the samples

 Samples of work collected in the first few days of the year will provide a benchmark for progress. File early samples of writing, maths, checklists for reading or
anecdotal notes.
 Samples should be placed in the portfolio at least monthly, although this can be varied according to needs.
 Where a student is working on a particular skill, more frequent selections will be appropriate.
 Collection will need to coincide with school organisation and reporting procedures. (It's a good idea to set yourself a schedule for collection of samples throughout
the term)
Use the portfolio
 Guard against the portfolio becoming a storage file.
 Review contents frequently
 Share your analysis with students frequently and encourage students to use it to develop self-evaluation skills.
 Use the portfolio to inform teaching and learning and school reporting.

Interpreting the information

 Evaluation of the material collected for assessment falls into three main categories;
 As a starting point to establish a benchmark
 Development markers showing growth
 Markers for success.

Interpretation of the data collected requires teachers to call on their knowledge and professional skills. Evaluation comes from a clear picture of the student's progress,
provided by the evidence in the portfolio.

The more rigorous you are in evaluating the student portfolio, the more
balanced will be the picture of the student's growth and development.