Split Classrooms in Elementary School

I was on split class all my elementary school years (small town, tiny school) and did great. I was best in class when I arrived in middle school.

Before rejecting the idea, I would talk with the teacher and ask him/her how the day is organized and teaching split between grades.

I would give it a try. The experience may be an advantage instead of a problem.

I would see if you can either get her in a full day of class for her and his age or I would put them in a different school. i hope they don't pull that at mine. im not very happy with the school to begin with

This is individual child decision. Some kids would do fine while others would struggle. Don't switch schools, which I've done and seen social struggles that are worse than learning times tables. Think long term not emotionally short term.

I'm not sure how how your school is working this, but my kids go to a charter school, and the whole elementary is split classes. 1st 2nd and 3rd graders are together in classes and 4th, 5th and 6th graders are together in classes. the core classes are split up (math, reading, writing, etc) they "team teach" with 2 other teachers, so that when it is math time one teacher teaches 4th, one 5th and one 6th grade math and the kids go to the appropriate class, not as much based on their grade, but on their competency. so a 4th grader might go to 6th grade math but 4th grade reading. then other subjects are taught as a whole, but with different assignments given to the different grades.
I LOVE it! the older kids jump in and do work WITH the younger kids and they get a sense of pride and a slight feeling of accomplishment and maturity for being able to teach something themselves.

Most split grade classes don't run quite like you're describing. Most of the class day is spent taught together like they would be in any single grade class: writing, experimenting in science, doing social studies units, art, etc. They'll likely have leveled reading and math groups which is ALSO typical of single grade classes. Even in those small groups, there will probably be a mix of 3rd and 4th graders because in ANY class there is a range of skills and abilities.

Yes, there will be times where she is expected to work independently while the teacher instructs other children, but that won't have much to do with being in a 3/4 split, that's part of being in a class.

Lots of schools have multi-aged classrooms and it's really selling point for a lot of people.

You've got to do what you feel comfortable with. If you're anxious, your kids will be as well. However, I'd personally give the split classes a try. If you don't like it this year, make another choice next year.

HTH
T.

My nieces elementary school does (it is a Nationally recognized school and people actually transfer into it) she is now in middle school. The mixed class curriculum is more complex than what you may think. Our niece has always been top in her classes, she loved it and is still the top student in her middle school classes.

They learn independent thinking, responsibility and organization as well as advanced learning and study skills. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

The state (government, or whoever) have established grades so children are with their peers, both mentally and developmentally. I would definitely have both my children in the class designed for THEIR needs, not the needs of the school. The school's staffing issues or lack of classrooms is NOT your fault or problem - it's theirs. All children need some time to work independently to foster independence and a sense of accomplishment, but in an age appropriate environment. It differs with age. HTH - GL!! :)

I LOVE split classes, if they are taught correctly your child will GREATLY benifit from it, think about it, even if she was in a single grade classroom there would be times when the teacher was helping other kids and she would need to work independently, and it isn't like the teacher stands in front of the class and they do all their math problems together, she teaches the method then they do the work........in a split class your daughter will hear her lesson and that of the 3rd graders, "relearning" something helps it stick (I am not suggesting your daughter didn't do well in 3rd), she will also probably have times when she can help the 3rd graders with their work, this will also reenforce the lesson as well as get her to "break it down" to help the other student understand it which helps in all aspects of learning........some of my best years in school were spent in split classrooms, I have friends that teach in split classrooms and parents are on waiting lists to get their children into the program, I wish my children had the oppertunity to be in a split classroom!

The exact same thing happened in my second daughter's school when she was the exact same age. It was a small public alternative magnet school, with one class per grade. Our state has been dealing with chronic education budget cuts for about 20 years, and that particular year, the cut to that school resulted in them deciding to split the 4th grade--moving half into a shared class with the 3rd grade and half into a shared class with the 5th grade. They weren't splitting time like you are describing, but the idea was that the kids would still get the same curriculum in each level. The school arbitrarily made the split, putting my daughter in the 3rd-4th class and all of her 4 other very close friends (this group had been best buddies since kindergarden-3 girls, 2 boys) in the 4th-5th class. It was that, combined with the way I felt that, no matter how hard they tried to make things even, the kids with the higher level co-class would learn more, be pushed more, and develop more than the ones with the lower level co-class. There was no way I was sitting still for that! I called the prinicipal, told her what I felt about the situation, and insisted that my daughter be moved into the other group. They agreed, but reluctantly. It was the best thing I ever did. That 5th grade teacher not only really respected the kids and helped them learn to high standards, the kids respected her and were thrilled to have her for two years!

The group that DID end up having their 4th grade with the 3rd grade class had difficulty and felt separated for awhile when they moved into the same 5th grade class together. They simply had not been pushed and given the higher level of instruction the ones in the 4/5 class had received.

I also drove her across town for that school--though it was a public school, because it was an "alternative" school, the district did not provide transportation. Your child's education is worth anything you have to do. Make them listen to your point of view!

one of my biggest objections to public school is the artificial segregation by age-peers. at no other time in a kid's life will his daily companions be so rigidly divided by age and only age. i'd be delighted that your child is at least getting that dumb paradigm somewhat shaken up.
khairete
S.

D.,

I personally experienced this situation when I was the same age as your daughter. Granted, it was a LONG time ago, but it was probably my best year of elementary school. I was in 4th grade with 10 other "exceptional" 4th graders. The third graders in our class were also the "exceptional" kids for their age. As you described, we were all self-starters. This was the perfect peer group for me, despite a simple one-year age difference with some of my classmates. Our teacher was definitely the BEST teacher, chosen to teach this group of bright kids because of her exceptional teaching skills. I excelled in 4th grade and it set me on a path to be an outstanding student, a leader and an independent thinker.

Also, please keep in mind that in just a few years, your future high schoolers will have many classes with students in different grades. They will be grouped by ability and not segregated by age. Pulling the best and the brightest together to learn in an environment that provides the opportunity for growth beyond basic grade level expectations is a good thing. You should feel proud and happy that your children have been chosen for this unique learning situation. If you embrace it and help your children understand that they possess valuable skills that have been recognized by the school's teachers and principal, I think you'll find that this is a very good thing.

Regards, L.

My son was in a 4th/5th grade split class for 2 years with the same teacher. He liked it. As a 4th grader he was exposed to some of the 5th grade teachings, and the next year he was able to help out some of the 4th graders which helped his self-esteem. A good teacher can make this work and benefit both grades. My son is almost 25 and is still in touch with this same teacher.
D.

It's a new concept to you so you're bound to feel a little unsure. But really, considering what the principal told you, try to muster up pride. Because if your child really is able to work independently, that says something for being a bit above average. Think of the possibilities. If there was a 3rd grader that needed just a little extra help, your child would be right there on hand to help. My son was at the top of his class because the system put him in young 5s and then he had regular kindergarten. Meaning he was a year behind than others the same age. It may not have actually been the case, but.....but it did put him at the top of his class and he was able to sit with some of the others who were having difficulty in an area, and helping them. And that does a lot for kids' self esteem and feeling important and useful.
So really it could be very positive for your child.

I was in a split class when I was little. It was a 1st/2nd split and I was in the 2nd grade. I don't think I was at a detriment, but the 1st graders definitely had an advantage. When the 1st graders were being taught, the 2nd graders were doing self-work....dittos, worksheets, reading, etc. And vice-versa. If we got done with our work early, we listened and watched to what the other group was doing. So if you are in the younger group, it was an advantage to learn what the older class was doing.
As I said, it's a bonus to be in the younger class, but definitely not a detriment for the older class. I graduated high school, went on to college, married and have kids, so I think I turned out okay :) I know schools are put in a tough situation with budgets these days and my daughter is only in kindergarten, so I am not in your shoes (yet). I'm sure the schools are doing their best for the kids and wouldn't put them in a bad situation. Good luck.

D....i know this is a few days late and i see you got a lot of responses but just wanted to let you know i was in the same situation 2 years ago! When if first saw that my son was in a split class (being the older class) i was not happy at all...but went through with everything after talking to the principal. They do actually pick the students who have the best grades and best behavior and who can work independantly which really is a good thing!
My son worked so hard in that class to keep all his A's and the younger kids totally looked up to him which he loved!! It was his best year as far learning and growing so don't think your kids will be held back, honestly. Hopefully you will have a great teacher b/c that does make a difference! His teacher would do things special to make the older grade feel like they were still 4th graders even though they were with 3rd graders. I wish he could have stayed with those same kids b/c they all worked so hard and all wanted to do very well...no trouble makers, no distractions! He is still a very good student and is right where he should be if not ahead! Hope this helped and good luck!

My son was in the split class last year. As far as education wise it was fine and he was up with the other kids his age no problem, but he did not like the social aspect, since he was one of only 8 3rd graders in a 2nd grade class and the classes lunch and recess together so he never got to see his friends. I am not sure how that works at your school or if it would be an issue for your child.

I was in the 4th grade in a 3rd/4th grade split class. It was a long time ago so I don't really remember too much. I was at the top of the class and that didn't change. Actually, the next year I transferred to the school for gifted children. It wasn't that big of a deal. We were taught the same things we would have in a normal class, and we got to socialize with some other children that we wouldn't have otherwise. There are certain things you want to fight for your children for, but I don't think this is one of them. The school has to do this with the resources they have, and they picked out your daughter as one of the students that will work best for it. Just give it a try, I'm sure if anything is not working out, she will let you know.

I know you have a lot of answers already, and I didn't read them all. But I have 2 things to say:
1: If you can homeschool, I highly suggest you do
and
2: Back in the day of 1 room schoolhouses, it was actaully helpful for both the older and younger children to be together. The older children helped the younger, but at the same time reinforced what they knew, and the younger children were able to listen in on the older kids' lessons, thus prepping them for future school years.
Sooo I'd say as far as public school (of even private) this is actually not a bad idea.
I can have strong opinions, so I don't mean to offend anyone!

I was in 2 split classes when I was in elementary school ~ when I was in 3rd grade we were the larger group with 4th graders and then when I was in 5th grade I was in the smaller group with 4th graders. When I was getting ready to start 3rd grade I was very anxious about it. Both times it was a very good experience. The kids are hand picked and are better students both academically and behaviorally. My m-i-l is a retired teacher and taught many split classes and enjoyed teaching the split classes.

I can see why you are torn about this. I don't have any experience with split class but my first reaction is that I would not like. I suppose I can see the advantage for the 3rd graders but can't see if for the higher grade.
The principal says that she can work independently which sounds like some generic explanation because not all the kids in the 4th classroom can work independently (which is not your problem since your child can work alone) . But does this mean that your child will be working indpendently most of the day because now the teacher has to go back and attend to the 4th graders who cannot work indpendently? Is there only one teacher in the class? How many kids are in the classroom would be another big issue.
It sounds like they are just trying not to spend money on another teacher.

While I do not have any experience with split classrooms, either myself or our kids, like other responders, I would think of it more as a positive experience, rather than a negative experience for your daughter. I'd suggest joining with as many of the other parents as possible and volunteering in the classroom. The teacher could give you small groups to work with at a time, or pull a child out one at a time to work on a subject with the parent while the teacher is teaching. Schools all over are having to make changes and parents need to get or stay involved in their child's education. Parent volunteers are what make a good school a great school because the kids see that parents value education enough to take the time to help.

i have heard of these split classrooms but have not have to deal with it. hopefully i never will, but from what i understand it is a situation in which i'd call and request my daughters be put in 4th (in your case) only classroom.
why? well, because i would not want my kids to get bored, distracted, and deal with 'less mature' kids, if that is the case. i would also want them to move forward with learning not be stagnant or move backwards. yes repetition is great, but that's why we have summers off so that we can go through what they learned the previous year. i don't think you have to switch schools, i think you can make the call, make the request, and finish with we are not comfortable and won't go for this, find another family who is all pro split-classrooms. we may be wrong but this is how we feel.
good luck

These split classrooms offer many advantages for both grades involved. Keep an eye on things and, if you feel your kids are missing anything, ask the teacher about it. Can you be a classroom volunteer? That makes a huge difference in the success of your children and your ability to influence what's going on in the classroom - and you will see firsthand what's what. My daughters are able to work their work schedules around a weekly volunteer time in my grandchildren's split classes.

Hi D.,

To answer your question, I myself was put into a 3rd/4th grade split class. It is not so much to create double work for the teacher, we were taught the same lessons as the 4th graders because our second grade teachers felt that we were slightly advanced for 3rd grade work. We were not taught separate lessons. I was actually placed directly in the 5th grade the following year. So the class is more of an experiment for the 3rd graders to see if they are socially ready to skip a grade.

Surprised you don't live in CA, this is common practice here in public schools when budget cuts happen :( I would have no problem with this classroom situation if my child were in the younger class since they could benefit from doing, or even listening to the lessons that the older grade is doing. In your daughters situation though I too would object Mom. When you called the principal did you ask for your daughter to be removed from this class and placed in another? if so what was his /her reaction? I would call again and talk and make this request asap, if he/she says no to your request, tell him/her you will take this concern and request to the school superintendant then make the call to the school district office immediatley. If you request is not honored, I would pull my daughter and private school her this year. We have a bright daughter who works well on her own too and when we moved to CA a few yrs bk she was starting in the 4th grade here. We chose to buy our house in an area known to have the best public schools in this metro area. I even researched school state test results to find the best elementary school in the area; this was our top consideration on where to buy our house b4 moving. I found out soon there were several of these "mixed grade classes" at her new elementary school, thankfully she was not assigned to one in grade school, but if she had been we would have been in the principals office that day to ask she be moved out of that split grade classroom arrangement. It is not in the child's best interest to be in this situation due to state funding cuts in education. Often the well behaved children who work well independently are overlooked in the classroom I feel and this would be doing her a disservice.
You are a good Mom for expressing your concern over your daughters education.Good luck and pls keep us posted.