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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1971-10-14, Page 6PAGE 12 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS Non -graded concept in Huron (by Arnold Mathers) Most elementary schools in Huron County are this year using some parts of the open concept and non -graded class program. The following article explain- ing the programs was written by Arnold Mathers of Huron Centennial school at Brucefield. During the last few years, and especially since the Hall - Deals report of 1968, many people in Ontario have been taking an interest in non -graded schools. What is a non -graded? The concept of a non -graded school was popularized in the United States about ten years ago by the authors Goodlad and Anderson. Their book the Non - Graded Elementary School start- ed the search for non -graded schools and programs. It's a futile search because a non - graded school simply doesn't exist. Non-gradedness is an idea. Simply stated it means that the children at one grade level do not all learn the same thing at the same time or in the same room. There are as many pat- terns of non-gradedness as there are schools. Some schools test all pupils in spelling and establish spell- ing groups containing pupils of close to equal ability. Thus, grade four, five, and six child- ren who all spell about the same go to the same room for spelling periods. Other schools keep all the grade five children in the same room for spelling but have groups of children working at various grade levels. The same concept may be applied to math erratics, reading, or creative writing. Another popular pattern is the age -grade organization. Classes are set up on the basis of age and stay together through their eight years of elementary school. The teachers group the children within these classes for reading, mathematics, and spelling, but teach subjects such as social studies and science to the complete class. Schools organized in this way call their groups by age, e.g. the eight year olds, the twelve year olds, etc. A different type of non-grad- edness is called the multi-age group or multi -grade group. Children from grades 4, 5, and 6 are placed in one classroom. The teacher conducts a course of study at each grade level but allows grade fives to work above or below their grade level She also provides material for grade four and six pupils to work above or below their grade level and therefore she is really teaching grade 3-4-5- 6-7 courses. This resembles the organization of a rural school but reduces the age dif- Cacti make ideal houseplants. They are succulents; that is, they store moisture in their tissues and can withstand long periods of drought. The warm, dry air of homes is easily toler- ated, The slow- growing, long -liv- ing cacti propagate from seed or cuttings. Their only require- ments are occasional watering, plenty of light, plus repotting every two or three years. The plant requires more water when flowering than at other times. Overwatering produces a shrivel- ed, unhealthy -looking plant. A good potting mix for cacti combines equal parts of potting soil and sharp sand. Apply a weak liquid fertilizer once .cac- ti are fully grown,/ ference of pupils to three years and lets them range across the grades in various subjects. The unit system is one of the better known non -graded organ- ization. It allows pupils to move through units of work and ne- gates the necessity for repeating a whole year, or going on to the next grade of work before the pupil is ready. It divorces the promotion system from the calendar. A school in Joplin Missouri worked out a system whereby pupils were "streamed" for certain subjects but retained the idea of a homeroom teacher for other subjects. Reading and English skills are streamed for one part of the day, mathemat- ics is streamed differently for another part of the day, and pupils work in their grade placed classroom for the balance of the day. he timetable might look like this: Reading and Language 9 a, m. to 11 a.m. Mathematics - 11 a. m. to noon. liomeroom grades in afternoon Groups or levels are determ- ined as follows: Group 1 compares to grade 3 Group 2 compares to grade 31 Group 3 compares to grade 4 Group 4 compares to grade 4z Group 5 compares to grade 5 Group 6 compares to grade 5i A grade four pupil can be in level 3 reading and language, and level two mathematics. Another grade four pupil from the same class could be in level 3 reading and language, but level five mathematics. Both pupils do the same work in the afternoon but are grouped according to their ability in reading and mathematics. In this case their reading is simi- lar but there is considerable difference in their ability in mathematics, Other various of non-graded- ness in elementary schools which developed later have been called continuous progress, flexible rotary, unit promotion, thematic scheduling, ad infin- i itum. In all cases they are at- tempts to provide a better match between the subject and the child. It really doesn't help a child to take grade six mathematics il he doesn't learn anything, even though he passed into grade six on the strength of his other sub- jects. Most schools agree that the variation in a class is about one greater than the grade level A grade four class may have about a five year variation in any subject i, e. pupils ranging from grade three to grade eight ability, and a grade seven class might have about an eight year variation, (i.e. a grade 5 -11 ability), Conceivably a child might range from a grade five level in spelling to grade ten level in science and grade six level in mathematics. At this time it is probably obvious that no single pattern of non -graded organization is better than any other. We can only say that some form of non- gradedness is likely better than none at all. Non -graded, while yet in its infancy, has been superceded by the open -concept. Openness like non -graded is a complex notion. An open concept school does not mean a large physical area, in fact some open area schools operate a very closed system of education. Openness is a synonym of trust. If refers chiefly to a teaching approach which dis- regards the traditional pupil - teacher methods and the lock step program, The emphasis is directed toward classrooms in which 1. the room is decentral- ized into groups and work areas. 2. the children choose some of their activities, 3. the teacher provides rich learning exper- iences and materials, 4. the teacher works with individuals or small groups - seldom pres- enting a "lesson" to the whole class, while' there are approx- imately 360 open plan school buildings in Ontario, no one would hazard a guess at the number of schools in which open concept education is being init- iated. With the emphasis on trust between the staff arid students libraries are used by any stud- ent at any time of the day, audio visual machines are op erated by my children who have taken basic instructions in their operation, pupils are not tied to one room or one teacher all day every day. It is hoped that the student assumes greater respon- sibility for his education and the by product is heightened motivation. The idea of the open concept school was practiced in Britain after the Second World War. Some excellent films are now available showing children in British Primary Schools which operate under the open concept plan. Undoubtedly this is a gross over simplification of both trends in our elementary educ- ational patterns, however, it may serve to establish the idea that there is no one way to est- ablish ungraded or provide open concept schools. Why bother with these changes? As parents, we sit down today with our seven or THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1971 eight year olds to discuss the kind of worldly knowledge which our parents passed on to us as teenagers. Sesame Street and the cultural and technolig- ical change which it represents , a real challenge to the educat- ional community. Independent Shipper to United Co-operative of Ontario Livestock Dept Toronto Ship Your Livestock with Roy Sotchmer Monday is Shipping Day From Varna Stockyard CALL BAYFIELD 565.2636 By 7:30 a.m. Monday For Prompt S.rvica No Charpas on Piek.up a✓ NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HAY Under the provisions of the Waste Management Act and Regulations, Notice is given that it is intended to apply to the Department of the Environment for Certificate of Approval for a Waste Disposal Site, located at: Lot 13, Cord 9, Township of Hay Wayne Horner, Clerk - Treasurer Township of Hay Make it Your Ontario. VOTE NDP. Paul Carroll for Huron MEET STEPHEN LEWIS — SUNDAY, 3 P.M. = SKY HARBOUR You'll pay less for much more in Your Ontario.