A sixth-grader at Maeser Elementary School recently overheard a first-grader sobbing on the telephone to a parent. After the call, the older student put a consoling arm around the younger one.
Asked about the kind gesture, the sixth-grader told Principal Kim Langton the behavior was learned in the Maeser Esteem Team classes, a program that mixes first- through sixth-graders. In the class, students of varying ages get together to talk about cooperation, appreciation and ethics, among other things.Langton said the incident gave him a taste of what multi-age grouping of students can do. Maeser and Grandview ele-men-ta-ries have plans for pilot programs that blur the line between grades.
Maeser will abandon the traditional separation into grades by age for some students next year. Rather it will mix first- and second-graders, second- and third-graders, and third- and fourth-graders in five classrooms.
The program is part of an effort to rethink elementary school education.
"We're trying to make the school fit the child rather than the child fit the school," he said.
The intent is to teach children to learn. Multi-age classrooms can be more child-centered. They focus on cooperative learning and thematic instruction. Teachers encourage students to help each other, make their own decisions and develop independent thinking skills and strong work habits.
Langton said the program would benefit children socially. It's more like the real world where age doesn't matter so much.
"We're taking away barriers," he said.
Grandview Elementary also intends to offer multi-age classes.
"It's a real kid-friendly approach. It's a softening of the educational boundaries," said Principal Doug Gardner.
Learning becomes individualized and provides students more time with a single teacher, he said. "The teachers are really the key to making it go," he said.
One of the dangers of the program, Langton said, is that teachers could become too dependent on older children to teach younger ones.
"They still have their own learning to do and we can't negate that," he said.
Large class size would also be a drawback. Wasatch Elementary attempted the program about 15 years ago but discontinued it when class size swelled. Maeser's multi-age classes will have 25 to 29 students.
Much of what Maeser and Grandview are doing is based on the Edith Bowen Lab School in Logan.