Educational Program: Multi-Age Classes

At Spruce Street School students of diverse ages and skills interact to master developmentally appropriate practices at their own pace in small, flexible groups. Our multi-age classrooms usually span three age groups. Children experience an even broader multi-age community in All School Meetings, Electives, Arts Adventure Week, and Buddies.

The research supported assumptions for multi-age classes are:

• Children are inquisitive.
• Each child will have unique strengths and challenges.
• Each child will develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially at different rates.
• Diverse age and skills in a community are established as the norm for children.
• Children at different stages in development are able to work well together.
• Learning is interactive, social, dynamic, and complex.
• Learning involves knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings.
• Learning progresses at individualized rates along a continuum of competency.
• Children benefit through cooperative learning and cross-age tutoring.
• Everyone is a learner and a teacher.
• Student attitudes in multi-age classes tend to be more positive than graded schools.
• Teachers know a child well and provide continuity by working together for multiple years.
• Teachers collaborate to improve chances for each child to be successful.

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