Classroom Environment
Our students learn in a multi-grade classroom. This allows them to work with classmates of similar abilities, regardless of their age or grade in school. Rather than working at a “frustration level”—too fast or too slow—students are able to work at an appropriate instructional level that is not dependent on age or grade. Research indicates that students learn more efficiently in classrooms where children of different ages are learning together. In multi-grade classrooms, students learn from each other. They overhear what others are being taught, which allows them to be introduced to higher concepts before they are expected to master them. Older students become role models for younger students. A strong sense of community is built in the classroom, and life-long relationships are nurtured. Students develop a sense of belonging, caring for each other, respect, and true friendships across grade levels. This will be especially important to our students as they transition to higher grades in Ashton.
Special Education services are provided at Island Park Charter School for students who meet eligibility requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) under one of the thirteen disability categories allowed in the State of Idaho. The school seeks to meet its obligations under the law to provide Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all eligible students and to do this within the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Every student, regardless of disability, has the opportunity to grow and learn in a secure environment where individual needs are assessed and nurtured. Our goal is to provide opportunities for all students to develop skills that foster independence and to help each student reach his or her potential as productive individuals in society.
Special Education Goals:
· To help all students succeed
· To support students, families, and school staff
· To represent the misrepresented
· To provide direct instruction in fundamental skills
· To provide in-class support where appropriate
· To accelerate learning
· To ensure the least restrictive environment
· To function as a team with parents and educators, making socially just decisions
Need more information?
Contact Connie Day
islandparkelementary@gmail.com
208-558-4727
Mastery Education
When a student is learning the foundational subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics, there is a progression of skills that leads to greater understanding and ability. If there are “holes” or gaps in these skills, it is difficult to build on them. For example, a student who does not know the sounds associated with letters will not be able to read or write fluently. Likewise, a student who cannot count will not be able to add or subtract.
In many academic settings, students move to the next lesson, chapter, or grade level whether or not they are ready. A student can fail a test, receive the grade, and move on. Students who pass a test with 75%, or even 85%, can be missing important information or skills. If the teacher does not address these gaps in understanding, it will be difficult for the student to gain what is needed at the next level. But the gaps are often ignored or passed over because it is time to move on to the next thing.
Imagine building a house on a foundation that’s only 75% complete. 75% is a passing grade, but we would expect higher standards for the foundation of a house. By the time the builders built the second floor and a roof, the foundational problems would be apparent.
When students are “pushed through” a curriculum, there can be gaps in their knowledge and skills. In order to progress at higher levels, it is important for the gaps to be filled. Teachers must check for mastery, not just “passing” grades. The concept may need to be explained in a different way. The student may need more time and practice to master the material. Whatever it takes, the teacher and student work together to ensure that there are no gaps in skills or understanding. This enables the student to build on a solid foundation, leading to greater success at higher levels.
Individualized Instruction
Each child learns in different ways and at their own pace. Some children learn to walk before they are a year old. Others don’t walk until after their first birthday. We don’t label them for these differences when they are toddlers. We praise their efforts and know that eventually they will be able to walk. We give them the time and practice they need to master the skill. When a child learns to walk early, we don’t force him or her to keep crawling because other children the same age aren’t ready to walk yet. That would be absurd! We encourage young children to keep developing their skills at their own pace. The same approach should be taken in formal education, especially in the early years. Some children will learn to read and write early. Others will take more time to gain these skills.
We should not prevent the early learners from developing new skills just because some children their age are not ready to move on, and yet this happens all the time. When kindergartners are able to read books, for example, they are often discouraged from doing so! Their classmates are not ready, and the teachers often don’t know what to do to with advanced learners. Sometimes—in some schools—they are sent to participate in reading groups with first or second graders. This puts them with others who read at their level, but it separates them from their classmates and teacher. This is better than insisting that they “mark time” while their classmates catch up, but it is not ideal. Because IPCS is a small school, we are able to focus more on the individual needs of each student, enabling them to learn and grow at a pace that is right for them.
Some children need extra time and practice before moving to higher skills. These children are often given labels such as “slow learners” or even “lazy”. They might be punished for not getting their work done or reprimanded for not staying on task. Worse yet, they learn to label themselves as “dumb” and they lose interest in learning because it is hard for them. Every child deserves to be encouraged. Every success should be celebrated. Can you imagine calling a toddler “dumb” or “lazy” because he or she hasn’t learned to walk yet? Can you imagine putting a child in the “slow group” or taking away privileges if they don’t meet “benchmarks” at the same time as their peers? This is what happens, all too often, in schools. Children are unique individuals, each with a variety of gifts and talents. Part of the job of teachers is to help students discover their gifts and grow in them. When students are treated as individuals, they are able to grow and succeed.
Multi-grade Classroom
“I want to learn divided-by!” One of my first-grade students heard me talking to the third graders about division. When I was finished with their lesson, she came to me and said, “I want to learn divided by!” I ask, “Do you want to learn division?” She said, “No. I want to learn divided by.” So we talked about what “divided by” means and used little plastic bears to model some division problems. When she seemed to understand it, I asked her to teach someone else how to divide. She found a second-grader and taught her some basic concepts of division. By teaching someone else, she was reinforcing her own learning.
Another first-grader was struggling with phonics. She had a hard time blending sounds and reading words. I asked her to help me teach one of the pre-kindergartners. We worked together for a while, and then I left the first grader in charge to practice with her younger classmate. As I worked nearby with another student, I noticed that sometimes the pre-kindergartner was correcting the first grader; but they were both learning, and they seemed to be enjoying the process.
It’s fun and exciting to me to see how children of different ages can teach and learn from each other. In multi-grade classrooms, students can work on curriculum at an appropriate instructional level and then move on to higher levels of instruction when they are ready. Students learn and develop skills on their own timeline and in their own way. A five-year-old who knows how to read should not be held back to standards and goals for typical kindergarten students. A nine-year-old who struggles with phonics should not be expected to independently read typical third grade material. Students should be able to move forward according to their abilities and readiness, rather than according to their age or how much time they have spent in the classroom. Learning in a multi-grade classroom allows for greater flexibility in grouping, while providing stability and security for young students.
When students of different grades study together in one classroom, they learn from each other. Younger students learn by watching their older classmates. They “overhear” instruction that is being given to students with higher skills. They observe expectations in behavior and learn appropriate ways to act in a classroom. They are supported in their learning by classmates who can read to them and help them understand concepts. They see what the advanced students can do, which gives them a better view of what is ahead for them.
The older students also benefit from being in a multi-grade classroom. They develop leadership skills. They are able to learn and review material by reading to their classmates. They are able to solidify their knowledge by explaining things to others. One of the best ways to learn is by teaching someone else. The advanced students also “overhear” what is being taught to younger students, and sometimes this “fills in holes” in their knowledge.
In multi-grade classrooms, students support, encourage, and discover together. By working together across grade levels, students learn from each other and develop a greater sense of community. Students who learn in multi-grade classrooms develop strong relationships with each other that last well-beyond their years in the classroom.
Inclined Plane Model
Several years ago, one of my students drew a picture of a mountain. Usually, when kids draw mountains, they draw pointy triangles with a patch of white snow on top. They are generic pictures of unrecognizable places. But this picture was special. I knew right away what mountain he was drawing. There was a winding road with switchbacks going from the bottom to the top of the mountain, where a large ball was perched. “That’s Sawtelle Peak,” I said. And he told me about his weekend trip to Island Park and a four-wheeler ride to the top of Sawtelle.
Anyone who has been to the top of “our” mountain knows the thrill of standing on what feels like the “top of the world.” High above Island Park, you can see for miles. It’s fun to look back on the road you traveled, whether on a four-wheeler or in another vehicle.
Can you imagine climbing to the top of Sawtelle Peak? I don’t mean walking up the road, although that would certainly take a great deal of effort too; I mean climbing from the bottom straight up to the top. Do you think you could do it? Perhaps some people could, but I’m sure that I am not one of them! It would be impossible, of course, to get to the top of the mountain in a car or truck without the switchbacks. The slope of the road would be too great. Even with the switchbacks, there are places that seem very steep at times, but the long winding road makes it possible to gradually reach the high elevation. A short, straight road to the top would be impossible to travel.
I often think of education as a gradual inclined plane. Learning new skills in a short period of time requires a great deal of effort, much like climbing up a steep slope. When skills and concepts are learned gradually over time, it takes less effort, like hiking up an inclined plane with switchbacks.
Teachers need to take advantage of the time we have in a school year. Students can gain skills and learn concepts over time. We need to see the whole path: where students are going and where they have been. Rather than simply teaching skills in units, we can introduce and play with ideas that we know are ahead on the pathway.
In a recent math lesson with our pre-k and kindergarten students at Island Park Charter School, I asked the students to make four groups with three blocks in each group. The skill of counting objects was being practiced and assessed, but the concept of multiplication (not a kindergarten standard) was also being introduced. The students demonstrated counting how many groups there were and how many blocks were in each group. When I asked how many blocks there were altogether, they counted to find the answer. Some counted by ones, some by twos, and one student touched three blocks at a time and said, “three, six, nine, twelve!”
Most kindergartners don’t know how to count by threes, but we occasionally sing a song called “Super Math” (to the tune of “Super Man”) while pretending to fly. The lyrics are multiples of three. So it didn’t surprise me when a kindergartner counted by threes. To her, it was easy. She had done it many times before, in a playful way that didn’t require mastery. She won’t really need to fluently count by threes for at least a few years, but when we get there it won’t be hard for her.
By singing songs and playing with blocks, a kindergartner can gain a deep understanding of multiplication while she is learning grade-level content. It’s important for teachers to see the “whole path” rather than simply teaching units as building blocks. We are guides on a path that we know well, and we can prepare students for what is ahead while they are working on the steps beneath their feet.
