Multi-age Teaching and Learning: What it is, how it is different, and why it matters!
The multi-age philosophy is a child-centered approach that accommodates all types of learners in a highly academic setting. The focus is on giving every child the opportunity to find success and become a lifelong learner. Teachers who implement multi-age learning into their educational settings enjoy it because it gives them the flexibility to guide their students’ educational journeys in more meaningful ways. Teachers are able to guide each child’s successful growth on his or her own developmental timetable – even same-age students.
Dr. Cindy Whaley is a professor at MLC. Her elementary teaching experiences were in multigrade settings from grades one through six. She currently teaches curriculum and instruction and reading methods to undergraduates and an assessment course in the master’s program. She serves as the public school placement coordinator, the post-baccalaureate licensure program coordinator, the edTPA coordinator, and the licensure officer.
