The Multi-age Classroom Concept
All Together Now

Education experts tell us that age is a poor predictor of a child’s developmental stage. Some students are already reading at age 4 or 5 while others take much longer to distinguish letters and words. Yet those same “slow readers” may be able to master mathematical equations much quicker than their peers.

The fact is, each student learns and develops at his or her own individual rate.
Yet, in a traditional school system, age is often the determining factor of how and when students move on. If they cannot master all the material and concepts in a particular grade, they are held back or passed through with a “handicap”--making it even less likely they will master the material in the next grade. Sadly, children quickly become very aware of how they are doing compared to others. They know if they are keeping up, and when they don’t, they label themselves as “dumb”--a perception that will have long-lasting, negative consequences.

In a multi-age classroom, age distinctions are greatly reduced. At Evergreen, students are grouped into three levels, which generally correspond to developmental stages: Team 1 comprises students traditionally in kindergarten and grade 1; Team 2 includes students in grades 2 and 3; and Team 3 is made up of students in grades 4 and 5.

Children learn best when they can learn at their own speed. Multi-age classrooms, paired with Evergreen’s educational concepts, allow for flexibility. Not every student is expected to do the same thing at the same time or at the same level. Multi-age classrooms accommodate the developmental continuum of all students—from remedial to advanced. Students are also able to learn from each other--building a sense of community and teamwork. The skills children develop when they learn how to work together stay with them for a lifetime.