Mixed Grade Classes
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Mixed Grade Classes
Nov 2006
My daughter is in a fourth/fifth grade combination class at a public
school. After the teacher tested the students at the beginning of the
year, they all were assigned to work at the fifth grade level. So
essentially my daughter is skipping the fourth grade although she is
not considered a fifth grader. We are happy that she is finally being
challenged and is proving more than able to handle the work. But I'm
concerned about skipping (or really skimming over) the California
history and science that are part of the fourth grade standards. She
is supposed to learn this in a special session on Mondays which is
scheduled for 30 minutes each week. (She's also studying fifth grade
history and science.) I'm also confused about what will happen next
year. The principal says this year's fourth graders will be offered
an enrichment year in fifth grade although I have no details about
what that means (partly because a new teaching team for this grade
level is starting this year). How have combination classes worked for
others? What advice would you have about making this situation work
at its best? Is thirty minutes sufficient for a bright, focused
student to learn fourth grade history and science? (I have my doubts
about the depth of the curriculum that could be covered in 30
minutes.) Since she's excelling at fifth grade material, should we be
looking into Middle Schools for next year? What are
advantages/disadvantabes about skipping a grade? How do you know if
your child is ready for that? (Skipping a grade isn't my first choice
but a year without academic challange isn't either.) If she stays in
fifth grade enrichment, what should I be advocating for?
Not sure what to do
I just had this experience and my main advice is TALK TO THE
PRINCIPAL IMMEDIATELY and find out what the plan for next year
is!! How exactly does the school plan to deal with these kids
next year? My son was a 4th grader in a 4/5 split last year
and this year he and the other former 4th graders are basically
repeating 5th grade. On the plus side, he was excited and
challenged for the first time in his elementary career last
year and LOVED it, but this year he is really bored and says
every day that he does not want to go to school. I asked last
year what the plan would be for this year and nobody knew. I
was concerned but decided to go with the flow. Then the
principal retired and the new principal had no idea the
situation even existed. She doesn't really know what to do
about it either. So the responsibility for coming up with
something new for these kids has fallen entirely on their 5th
grade teacher, who despite her best efforts, does not have the
time to come up with what would essentially be a 5/6 split
curriculum, especially since the kids from the last split are a
small portion of the class. This has been especially difficult
in math where the kids from the split had been given different
books and then sent to work independently during math time
every day. They now have volunteers who come to work with them
a few days a week, but my son still put ''a math teacher'' on his
Christmas wish list.
Frustrated parent
I would recommend that you suggest that your 4th grade teacher
''loop'' up with the 4th grade class and teaches a straight 5th
grade class next year. Having the same excellent teacher for two
years worked out very well for my son. She knew the specific
strength and weaknesses of 1/2 the kids already and the classroom
culture was already known to half the kids so the first month of
5th grade was MUCH more productive than usual. And, the teacher
was able to really extend out the math and especially writing
skills of the kids who had ''done'' 5th grade as 4th graders. I
felt that having in a way having two years of 5th grade really
helped prepare my son for middle school.
I wouldn't worry that much about missing the 4th grade history
subject content. Really its the skills that are learned in the
upper elementary school grades that are the most important
anonymous
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