As KMS teachers, we work with the parents and each other to determine how much and how soon to introduce educational milestones. And since children learn more quickly when they are ready, their self-esteem grows with success, and they learn that taking risks has it’s rewards in greater and greater self-confidence.
In multi-age classrooms, gone is the fear of being retained in school. Children have more time to gain mastery in areas of difficulty for them. Gone also is the issue of being labeled according to one’s ability. In same-grade classrooms, a child may be labeled "below grade lever" or "low". These children may stop trying while those labeled "above grade level" or "high" may not feel challenged.
Furthermore, spending several years with the same teacher allows the teacher to develop a deeper understanding of a child’s strengths and needs, and puts them in a better position to support the child’s learning. Without the need to have all children be at the same place at the same time without regard for ability, teachers can focus on regarding each child as a unique individual that they are. By working with the same children over several years, less time is required at the beginning of each school year getting up to speed with each child’s uniqueness.
Integrating students with challenges with those without, erases any stigma and enables all students relate to and accept each other. Those who are stronger in one subject may assist others and then be on the receiving end of support in another area. Such opportunities in the classroom result in students learning and excelling in THEIR area of excellence along with creating students that have more empathy for one another? a trait that carries over to their daily social lives. (See Socialization)
