What it does The focus of multiage groupings of students is a recognition and honoring of individual differences. In these child-centered classrooms students are allowed to learn at their own pace in their own ways. Students move from group to group, classroom to classroom, based on their individual needs and interests. School becomes a fluid environment, where coursework may change weekly, even daily, depending on a student's progress. A multiage or nongraded system holds many advantages for students.
Children have the same teachers for more than one year.
Therefore, they are exempt from the anxiety of starting a new school year with an unknown teacher. In addition, children in these schools are not frustrated by often unproductive attempts to keep up with their peers. They don't agonize over which reading or math group they have been assigned. They simply participate in a group matching their own progress. Authentic or performance-based assessment takes the place of test scores and report cards.