Teaching Multiple Ages: What Can I Combine?

Are you teaching multiple grades or ages? In my classes, in general I find that there are certain subjects in any curriculum that are easily integrated. Here are some quick ideas:

1. Storytelling is easily integrated with the two ages. Fairytales are appropriate for both of these ages – so are saint stories. Although they both have other stories that are ideal for their lessons they do have some common ground and can listen to a work on some of the same stories – just in different ways. They can also do some of the “acting out” of the stories together.
2. Crafting and handiwork can be combined at this age – the older child can even help the younger child. My knitting classes always have ages 5-13 in them. While the older ones are creating patterns and working on more complex projects the younger ones can be working on something more simple. Some of the older ones can even teach the younger ones or help them with getting started.
3. Math – it is often good review and practice to have the 12-year-old lead the younger one in some of their math recitations and games and it does not hurt them at all to listen to some of those multiplication stories again! This is an area in everyone’s life where you can constantly review and it will never hurt.

In general there is always a way to make most lessons fit both ages. As long as you have a plan, a goal, a goal chart, an idea of what you want each age to accomplish, then you can do many tasks and lessons together and just have them work on different aspects of the lesson. Like in cooking. When I cook with a combined class, the little ones can do the mixing, the middle ones can do the pouring and the oldest ones can measure and calculate any doubling of the recipes.

To see more tips on teaching multiple ages together click HERE for all of our articles on “Teaching Multiple Ages Together”.