EED 117 – ELECTIVE: TEACHING

MULTI-GRADE CLASSES
INSTRUCTOR: MR. LEO S. CASTRO

What is multigrade teaching?

• ‘Multi’ means plenty, many, or more than one.The word ‘grade’ means level.
Multigrade,therefore, means many grades.
• Multigrade teaching is a situation in which one teacher has to teach many grades, all at the
same time. It happens in all schools where there are more grades than teachers.
• Some multigrade teachers may teach two grades, but some teach three or four grades. In very
small schools, teachers may teach six or seven grades at the same time under one roof. In the
traditional single-grade teaching, or monograde as it is sometimes called, the teacher teaches
only one grade.
• The learners in each grade are usually of the same age but may differ in abilities

MODULE 1 - MULTI-GRADE TEACHING

• Learning includes all activities that stimulate student’s physical, mental, spiritual and
personality.
• Multi grade teaching is practised not only in the country but also in different parts of the
world.
It is not viable to appoint teachers for each class, where the admission is between 50 & 60
students in a school. In this type of situation, it becomes essential for a teacher to handle more
grades at the same time.
• So, in these schools, the students completely depend on the teachers. If students are involved
in their learning process, they can learn on their own. The teacher has to create Learning
climate for individual learning and group learning. The teacher can assist the students in the
learning activities at regular intervals. Multigrade teaching environment is prevalent in most of
the schools in our country. So, when a teacher handles many grades, Activity based learning,
peer learning & class room learning must take place for effective learning in the classroom. The
teacher has to adapt all the techniques available for a natural and involved learning.
• The important duty of a teacher is to make every learner involve in learning activities without
wasting students’ time. With the help of the gifted children, the other students are made to
involve in their learning activities. Multi grade teaching, involves Objectives of Multigrade
Teaching
• Teaching two grades or more than two grades at the same time by teacher in a class room, is
known as multi grade teaching. The Multi grade teaching is not a new concept in our system of
education. Even today, this multi grade teaching is being practiced in many schools. learning
activities, production of teaching learning materials, planning and organ etc,.

Objectives of Multigrade Teaching

• Teaching two grades or more than two grades at the same time by teacher in a class room, is
known as multi grade teaching. The Multi grade teaching is not a new concept in our system of
education. Even today, this multi grade teaching is being practiced in many schools.
• The absence of a teacher should not diminish the students learning achievements. The
teacher has to adapt many techniques and approaches to help the learners of different grades
in a same class room. This is the main objective of multi grade teaching.

Meaning of Multigrade Teaching

• Teaching more than one grade at the same time in a class room by a teacher is called multi
grade teaching.

Necessity of Multigrade Teaching

• The achievement level of the students differs in each standard and in each section in a
primary
school. For example, in a school all the fourth standard students do not attain the same level of
skills in the contents. Some may be in the third standard level and very few may possess the
second standard level. Some other students may be in the higher level like fifth standard.
• These skill variations pose a great problem for the teacher in a new classroom situation. In
this context, the multi grade teaching need not be considered as a burden, hindrance or
difficulty to the teachers. On the other hand, it is the over crowded class causes a serious
concern. Therefore, it is clear that most of the classes are to be treated as Multi graded
teaching classes.

Teachers' problems in Multigrade Teaching

1. Handling of different classes simultaneously in a same room.
2. Preparation of Teaching Learning Materials for all subjects and for all classes.
3. To pay individual attention to the slow learners.
4. To provide sufficient reading practice and supervise the students.
5. In a two teacher school, attending all work in the absence of one teacher.
6. To act according to the individual differences of the learners.
7. Implementing Active Based Learning (ABL), Play way method and Learning by doing method
in the classroom.
8. Supervising of activities and assignments in the class.
9. More attention to the gifted learners.
10. Identify student’s difficult portion and teach them.
11. To concentrate in group activities.
12. To concentrate in Evaluation.
13. To concentrate in the allotment of activities.
14. Sufficient time preparation is to be made for proper assessment of all students.

Existence of Multi-Grade Teaching in the country

• Although schools with one teacher handling more than one grade have been common in the
Philippines since at least the 1920s, the formal

Multigrade Program in Philippine Education

(MPPE) was launched in 1993. MPPE has the objective of improving access to primary education
by providing complete grade levels in all public elementary schools through the organization of
multigrade classes.
• It also aims to improve quality by increasing teachers' abilities to work with more than one
grade simultaneously through training and instructional materials.
• It is legitimized multigrade teaching as a national strategy to improve access to and quality of
school in all areas of the country (Miguel and Barsage, 1997). It works in five areas: curriculum
and materials development; staff development; physical facilities; community support; and
research, monitoring and evaluation.
• It has developed a guide minimum learning competencies for multigrade classes, a budget of
work and lesson plan for multigrade teachers to follow, a handbook for teachers and example
lessons, as well as materials to be used at different grade levels within the same classroom and
other instructional materials such as a 100-book library, drill cards and other teacher-made
materials. Some effort has also gone into preschool training in the form of a handbook for
preschool teachers and a workbook for preschool pupils.
1. Multigrade classes were organized as a matter of necessity for remote barangays where the
number of children enrolled could not meet the required number tonorganize a single grade
class and and assign the necessary teacher for each class.
• 2. Distance of the barrio and small number of students for each class.
• 3. Shortage of funds teachers and school buildings.

Factors Contributing to the establishment of Multigrade Teaching.

• Cultural factors
• Socio-economic factors
• Benefits of multigrade teaching
• Richer learning environment
• Greater community involvement.
• Development of health competition
• Greater understanding between learners and educators.

Teacher support for Multigrade Teaching

• Self-directed professional growth or development should be encouraged by providing
distance education material at resource centers.
• Materials should be given to small schools. Education officers should visit these small schools
regularly, not to inspect but to advise.
• Teachers who have taught at multigrade schools should be considered for promotion.
Community Support
• The school is part of the community and theschool is established to serve the children of the
community. Some parents in the community may not have had much schooling, but they have
experience, and many have skills that can be relevant to the school curriculum.
• Organize parent-teacher meetings (PTM)
• Discuss with the community when and how it can help.
• Establish good relationships and be willing to cooperate with parents and the entire
community.
• Ask the community to identify the parents who are capable and willing to help. Recognize
that parents have their own work. Do not always expect them to be available when you need
them. Plan ahead. Develop a good communication system. Remind those who promised to
help.
• Always make arrangements in advance if you need the community’s help.
• Allow parents to have access to the school facilities. For example, they may want to use the
school for a meeting or to hold church services.
• Show appreciation and encouragement. Always thank parents for their help.

Resources
• a Aequate classroom space,
• b. portable chalkboard,
• c. printed materials,
• d. classroom library or reading corner,
• e. electronic resources, and
• f. other instructional resources.

Space
• Multigrade teaching requires spacious classrooms so that learners can move and interact
freely without disturbing one another. The classroom should be protected from wind and rain.
When the weather is suitable, learners can also be taught outside the classroom.