Five in a Row: One Room School -- Teaching Multiple Ages Simultaneously

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"One Room School --
Teaching Multiple Ages Simultaneously"
Febuary 1997
PHS Chat held on AOL

Steve and Jane Lambert: Thanks so much for inviting us and thanks so much for all of you being willing to spend a part of your afternoon with us. Briefly, Five in a Row is for ages 4-8...while the soon to be released Before FIAR is for ages 3-4 and Beyond FIAR is for ages 8-12. Let's try to hold our questions for a bit while we introduce some concepts and ideas.
Let's begin by talking about the fallacy of age segregation. Many of you have heard this before but let's review it very briefly. In short: Nowhere else in our society or culture do we segregate people by age other than school. The idea that only those born within 12 months of one another should study together is foreign indeed. In reality, if I have a 13 year old who is struggling with important life issues I really would prefer that they NOT get 100% of their input from 27 other 13 year olds!!
The entire concept of curriculum divided down into grade levels is equally bizarre in our experience as well. What is appropriate for one child at 5 may not be appropriate for another before age 8, etc. All of this conceptually suggests that teaching children together is a workable idea that both saves teacher's time and teacher's money!!
If I were to ask you "What age should a student be for us to teach him about weather?" What would you say?? Obviously that's a silly question! We teach 3-year-olds that those things are called clouds and this stuff is called snow. We also teach college earth-science students about the isobaric bars, the jetstream, etc. Every age is appropriate to learn about weather- the only difference is one of degrees of difficulty. Most subjects are appropriate for every age: Science, history, geography, art, music, creative writing, etc. There are a few subjects that are not: Mathematics, foreign language, reading skill, playing a musical instrument, etc.
So.... Having laid that groundwork, let's consider that certain subjects such as reading and math must be handled individually with each child, but that most other subjects we can combine children and teach simultaneously a wide diversity of ages. We can combine a pre-schooler and a high schooler if we have to but in most cases the spread of ages is much narrower. If we have children ages 4, 6, 8 and 11, for instance, we can easily combine their teaching in all the subjects we've discussed above.
There are unique opportunities available only in one-room-schoolhouse situations...opportunities that are both special and valuable. There is the chance for the younger children to "eavesdrop" on their older siblings for instance. Have you ever noticed that when you're telling your "older" student something the younger ones LEAN in to be sure to hear what's being said?? Interestingly...children often learn best the things we're not teaching directly. What they hear intended for older siblings is often what they best recall. Likewise, older siblings can help teach younger siblings.
Have you ever noticed how much more you learn when you begin teaching someone else? It's the same for children as well... If your 6th grader helps your 2nd grader in a subject it's a wonderful review and learning experience for the older of the two. Most subjects, as we discussed, are appropriate for all ages. We just vary the degree of difficulty. Let me give you a quick example. Suppose we're studying Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. I'll teach...you ladies be the students.
Did you notice how the steam shovel had a name children? Yes..that's right...Mary Anne...that's what the book said, isn't it? And did you notice she had feelings? Yes..the book said she was very sad, didn't it? Did you know that a machine could have feelings? Or a name? Or gender?? Isn't that funny? When an author gives human chaacteristics to inanimate objects we call that personification. It's a literary technique.
(turning to the 4 year old) I have an idea!! Let's write a story about your bicycle, shall we? You dictate...I'll write. What would your bicycle's name be? Would it be a boy or a girl bicycle? Would it be shy or outspoken? Athletic or artistic? What would your bicycle do?
(Turning to a 7th grader nearby) I'd like YOU to write a short story using personification as well. I want it to be 500 words and the first draft is due on Friday afternoon. You'll be graded on technique, content, spelling and penmanship. Now if you'll get started on your first draft, I'm going to write down your little brother's story.
The same is true of most subjects... age only suggests a difference of degree of difficulty.
Let's also look at one other aspect...there are LOTS of subjects where children can combine their studies in very age-appropriate ways. For example...suppose you've chosen to study your state's history. Perhaps you have a 4-year-old boy who loves art. Ask him to draw the state tree, flower, bird, etc. Perhaps your 7-year-old daughter is musical. Invite her to study the state song and play it on the piano, to study famous musicians from your state and the songs they've written. Perhaps your 13-year-old son loves anything to do with military topics. Suggest that he research military heroes from your state, or famous battles fought in your state, etc. Then invite the whole family (including father and grandparents perhaps) to a special day when each child shares THEIR part of the project on your state!!
Question: So, basically, that's how you do unit studies? This is a generic approach to unit studies? So, this info is generic, not just related to FIAR?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Oh, absolutely!! FIAR lends itself to this approach..but the concept is truly generic!! Let's talk about that a bit more, about unit study. We're going to assume everyone is familiar with unit study, but let's take a 60 second review for anyone who might not be. The naturalist John Muir once said: "in nature, if you tug on any one thing you'll find it's connected to everything else." That's the concept behind unit study. Textbooks and workbooks begin at A and go to Z, systematically exploring a specific topic such as weather, U.S. history, etc. But that's not how we read an encyclopedia, is it? We don't begin at aardvark and read through the Zulu war, do we?? We find what is relevant and interesting at the moment and read that portion of the encyclopedia. That's unit study...we begin with a topic of interest...and from there we branch out and follow the innumerable threads that the topic suggests. We can study ANY subject beginning ANYWHERE.
Suppose your 8-year-old son hated mathematics but loved baseball. How could we integrate the two? Well...let's see. If it's 330 feet to the rightfield foul post..how many yards is that? inches? Meters? What angle do first and third base lines intersect at home plate? Etc., etc.
If we gave you all a pop quiz this afternoon... (Does that phrase make the hair stand up on the back of your neck??) ...And we asked: When was the Spanish Armada sunk? When was the Magna Carta signed? When did the Norman Conquest take place? etc...very few of you could answer. You KNOW you learned that material... you can even remember where you were sitting when you answered the question on the exam but you can't recall the answer. Why? Because you learned it for the exam and then promptly forgot because it wasn't relevant to your life. A recent survey suggested that college graduate's test scores fell 30% within 90 days after graduating from college!! They learned and then forgot.
But what if I asked you to share about something of interest..something that YOU had chosen to study? Collecting antique quilts? Shaker furniture? Gourmet cooking? Vegetable gardening, etc. Most of you could conduct a 3-day workshop on the right topic. Why? Because you became interested and researched the subject and linked new learning to existing information. That's what Unit Study is about. Taking something of interest...and linking new information/facts to it in a memorable way. In most subjects it makes very little difference what ORDER we study information in as long as we study it. In science...does it really matter whether we study birds before weather? Of course not!!
Question: I have a child who has a problem understanding her third grade studies. What can I do?
Steve & Jane Lambert: That's a huge question, but let us suggest a thought or two. When we usually hear that question what is really meant is that some subjects are going reasonably well others less so. The fallacy of grade-level material is that every third grader works at exactly the same level. We STRONGLY believe that the single, most important lesson you can teach young learners is to love learning. If we succeed in this lesson the others are easy. Fail...and all becomes difficult. In many cases, children who refuse to do the work have learned a different lesson: They have learned that school is closer to a punishment than a reward. That learning is a chore like emptying the trash. In reality learning should be a joyous, celebratory experience. In your situation, we would suggest backing up, pausing in the academic regimen long enough to explore some of the joys of learning: trips to museums, self-directed studies by topic, hands-on learning experiences, etc.
Of course it goes without saying you want to make sure there are no PHYSICAL reasons for the problem: eyesight, hearing difficulties, etc. The truth is that a motivated child can cover ENORMOUS amounts of material in short order given the opportunity. There is plenty of TIME ahead for academics if you can develop her interests. Perhaps you can steer her interest in others by allowing her to help teach younger siblings. Just some quick thoughts.
Question: Do you keep track of key skills for each child so you know they're not missing anything?
Steve and Jane Lambert: EXCELLENT question. Let's talk briefly about Scope & Sequence. Scope & Sequence is a big academic term that simply means "what a child should be learning and in what order." Interestingly, if you gather together a dozen S&S books, you'll discover you now have a dozen different opinions about what/when a child should master a subject. S&S vary from massive tomes of 400 pages or more to simple 3-page booklets like the one published by World Book Encyclopedia. Select one and then take the Five in a Row pledge: "I promise to only look at my S&S 3 times in any one year!" Why? Because you must not become a slave to your S&S. Rather, you use it to periodically check for your own benefit. Look down through for your age student and make notes... yes...we've done that.. yes..we did that last year.. yes...we just finished learning that skill.. hmm...no...we have NOT discussed that concept yet... perhaps later in the spring when we discuss gardening. Then jot it down in your teacher's planner for future reference. You're steadily building a list of what you HAVE covered with your child and keeping track of what yet needs to be covered. Does that make sense??
Question: My problem w/ Delight Directed is: What if they never get interested in things "I" think are important. I love textbook, or sequential, or by a list.
Steve and Jane Lambert: There *IS* a time for directing their learning but we find it largely ineffective in the long run. The quiz that we took earlier confirms that for the vast majority of us facts learned because "IT'S IN THE TEXBOOK THIS WEEK" don't stay with us for long. Our own experience is our best proof text. Yes...we have to explore everything eventually...but only if we can find NO OTHER WAY to introduce the subject. We strongly believe that real teachers (and please note this concept if you note nothing else today) Real Teaching has very little to do with administering workbook pages or grading tests. Real Teachers are those who can take the real world and real books and make them 1.- interesting, 2.- relevant, and 3.- accessible to children. That's when real learning takes place. Memorization/Regurgitation gets test questions answered...but it doesn't provide real, lifelong learning in our experience!!
That's just our opinion...but please understand...we are extremely limited in our educational insights because of our own handicaps. Let me explain: Most of us went to public schools and used workbooks and textbooks ... it's the ONLY WAY we know. Look for ways to use each child's giftedness and areas of interest to explore a common subject. Like the state history we mentioned earlier. They may not ALL be interested in state history, but if you encourage each one to explore a specific ASPECT of state history that interests them and then come together and SHARE their combined learning experience it often works wonderfully. Your question isn't easy...and there are no simple answers..but that's a few thoughts.
Question: Just how important are all those dates, facts and figures? If you know where to look it up, how much rote learning and memorization are important??
Steve and Jane Lambert: Great question. In the information-rich environment in which we live today with vast amounts of reference material at our fingertips it's certainly less important than it was in year's past. Most of us got an F on the pop quiz earlier. We believe that it's far MORE important to understand the bigger picture than the details. We're much more interested in a child learning what was happening in the mid-18th century...in all areas...history, military, art, music, religion, etc....and understanding the extraordinary way in which they were all interrelated...than memorizing specific dates. It's also important that they understand how the choices made by our forefathers 150 years ago have impacted our lives today. Does that make sense?? Do you have a reading list for the different ages to read during the year?
Question: What is the best way of keeping record of what was covered?
Steve and Jane Lambert: File! File! File! Whether you use brad-folders or file-folders...keep the work your children do!! You can also keep notes in an annual teacher's journal. It's also valuable for a child to keep adding to their own file as they re-explore topics again and again over the years. One of the ideas we suggest in our workshops is that each child have his own timeline. A great technique is to create a book for each child. You can make it for practically nothing. Each time your child learns something...have him make a note in his timeline book. At first there are mostly blank pages. But by the time they get into high school nearly EVERY entry will fall BEFORE or AFTER something else they've studied in years past. They quickly begin to discover the relationship between human events. They will remember what THEY discover for themselves as they go to make their entry and discover that Benjamin Franklin was influential in the French Revolution...which took plast just a few short years after the American Revolution....and that the two were clearly interconnected philophically...yet different. er..philosophically!!??! At the same time...you're building a WONDERFUL permanent record for your state, umbrella organization, etc....and a WONDERFUL tool for review!!!
Question: Speaking earlier of S&S: Do you know if there are any published S&S available to us online?
Steve and Jane Lambert: We're not aware of one. Anyone else? Generally World Book will give you a copy of theirs for free for the asking. We recommend it highly. Oh...BTW...speaking of World Book... we just purchased the 1997 World Book COMPLETE on 2 CD's for just $19.95 after rebate--a superb encyclopedia with search skills, timelines, internet resources and more for VERY little money. Just a thought.
Question: How does one do High School your way and not feel there are gaps in their education?
Steve and Jane Lambert: We always say "Of COURSE there are going to be gaps in your child's education. There are gaps in each of our educations." Did you ever change schools? Gaps. Did your school ever change textbook publishers? Gaps. Did you ever miss 2 weeks due to illness? Gaps. A scope & sequence helps narrow those gaps...but in the final analysis....learning big concepts and great study skills will ultimately help make up the difference. If a student gets to college and discovers a "gap" in their education they'll know how to go, find the needed material and move on quickly. Our oldest daugher enrolled in college at 15... began at age 16... and made primarily A's... and when she DID discover an occasional gap...she just went to the library or the internet and found what she needed to know. Perhaps she had to spend 2-3 hours "boning up" on a topic...but it worked beautifully. Remember...with the low retention rate most students have in textbook work....they may have COVERED the material..but it's of little value if they can't RECALL the material.
Question: Well, I want to say that I feel more confident about this approach. I have seven children, almost eight and I figured out the other day that as they are all close in age I will be teaching eight "grade levels" at one time. I am not worried about gaps but about documenting their credits for diplomas. any suggestions?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Let me give you an interesting statistic. A recent survey of professional school teachers asked "How much time do you spend each day one-on-one with each student?" The answer? an average of 22 SECONDS daily!! You're going to do a lot better than that...even with 8 children. As to documenting studies for diplomas... every state has different requirements and we are NOT experts on those laws. In general however, most colleges happily accept GED students (our own daughter took this route) and are glad to have HS students. There is SO MUCH talk about homeschoolers getting into colleges. If your child wants to go to Harvard Medical School, you need to contact that school...and discuss their requirements. But if your goal is to get a college education for your child, understand that colleges are simply businesses selling a product...just like Wal-Mart. They want customers. That's why most recruit heavily. Top quality schools in the Midwest require nothing other than a GED and deep pockets!
Question: What is your opinion on "unschooling" in the younger elementary grades?
Steve and Jane Lambert: We're somewhere between "unschooling" and textbooks and workbooks. To say that we're fans of unschooling would be too generous. Children do need some direction to their studies. Our role models over the years have been...Ruth Beechick, Charlotte Mason and Susan Schaeffer MacCauley. Unit Study definitely directs a student's attention...but in a very open-ended way.
Question: I have 5 kids (9-b 7-b 5-b 3-g 1-b) How do I use these methods when I have so many who do not know how to read yet? I can understand the use and value of using "unit studies" for such subjects and Bible, Social Studies, Science, etc... but when it comes to English, phonics, math, grammar, reading, etc..I'm at a loss. Also I am one who likes everything laid out for me ahead of time...Doesn't it take a lot of "thinking/planning/researching" on the Mom's/teacher's part to incorporate all of this?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Of course you're right. The subjects you've named DO require sequential teaching in age-appropriate ways. Not ALL subjects are suitable for unit study and you've named the very list of ones that are NOT. A typical teaching day will see different ages working on grade-appropriate material....at certain times...while mother circulates to help each individually... as well as other periods where the family comes together as a group...hopefully while the 1 and 3 year olds are napping! LOL!
Question: so it's "okay" to use textbooks (on a flexable way of course!) in these areas?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Absolutely. I hope we made that clear at the begining!! As to the preparatory work the amount required depends on the unit study curriculum you use. We try to do the vast majority of that preparatory work for you. Other unit studies lay greater responsibilities on mom. Look carefully at this issue before you leap-- especially if time is at a premium!! Let's add...there's NOTHING wrong with using textbooks or workbooks anytime... it's a system that has successfully been used for millions of children. It's just not OUR preference for maximum effectiveness. We believe that education is infinitely more than simply transplanting facts into a child's minds. It's a way of life that suggests curiosity, reasoning, discussion, research, exploration and more which we believe is best shaped by Unit Study in certain subjects such as history, geography, science, creative writing, music, art, drama, etc. That's what our own FIAR curriculum is: Teachers' Guides.
Question: Can you list some specific skills necessary to be a good, lifetime learner? I want to equip my children to be able to continue learning when I'm not there, as you mentioned your daughter?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Great question! The very basis of all true learning!! We believe that God gives every child a secret weapon to make them lifelong learners: Curiosity!!
Question: I would eventually like them to be able to map out their own course of study.
Steve and Jane Lambert: We begin by encouraging that God-given curiosity rather than squelching it. We use a philosophy we call "Spoons full of sugar" to do that. We begin by serving up tiny, tasty "BITES" of the wonderous world around us and inviting them to ask questions to "taste" each new subject every day, etc. Second, we believe all learning is based on reading. If you could teach ONLY one subject it would be reading. A child who can read proficiently will be able to learn anything needed to challenge life. Beyond curiosity and reading skills, each child needs to learn to read CRITICALLY. Not fault-finding. Rather, reading and asking questions! LOTS of questions: What was the author's worldview? Bias? Perspective? Purpose in writing? How did the writing make me feel? What tools did the author use to make me feel that way? Is what I've read factual and true? Research skills are VITALLY important today as well... learning to use libraries, computers, periodicals, the internet, etc.
But it all begins with curiosity. Children demand that we successfully DEMONSTRATE (not just tell them, but show them) that learning is fun, that books are a joy to the soul, that the library is an incredibly cool place to hang out and that God's creation is a never-ending joy and delight as we explore it. IF we successfully demonstrate these truth's to our children then their job AND our job just became INFINITELY easier for the next 10-15 years. FAIL in these areas and teach children that learning is a chore and a responsibility and our jobs become more difficult.
We recently bought a laboratory microscope for our 16-year-old to continue to encourage her curiosity about the unseen world around her. (It was reconditioned from a phsycian's office at a reasonable price) and it has opened an entirely new world to her!!
Question: If you have an 8 yr. old son who is not willing to do his school without an adult present what should you do?
Steve and Jane Lambert: Honestly? We rarely WANTED an 8-year-old to do school without a parent present. We strongly believe that the dynamic of homeschooling that makes it work for us is ongoing interaction between parent and child ... tutorial education at its best. It's a give and take exchange; not a solitary exploration. Each family is different, but that was our experience. You'll have to find your own comfort level.
Question: Can you recommend some publication that pulls it all together for studying what was occuring in history at a certain time....say in art, poetry, literature, science, etc.??
Steve and Jane Lambert: The best $20 you'll ever spend is for the "Timetables of History" by Bernard Grun. It's perhaps the single most-valuable tool in our house!! If you don't own it, order it. It's a massive, comprehensive timeline that pulls it together year by year! Excellent resource.
Question: You have essentially stated that all children should be literate learners. What is your opinion regarding the "learning styles theory" that is very much "in the air" today.
Steve and Jane Lambert: We believe that different children learn in slightly different ways....just as different teachers teach in slightly different ways. We don't endorse the concept as the central foundation of our teaching philosophy but believe that gaining insights about our own teaching style and the learning styles of our children CAN be beneficial as we marry the two and become better communicators. We recommend the book "Beyond Survival" by Diana Waring. She has some excellent thoughts on the subject.
In short...please understand that these ideas are our ideas...and the joy and beauty of homeschooling is that each homeschool must, by definition, ultimately work in YOUR home. No two are alike...each homeschool is unique. What works for us may NOT work for you, but it's a beginning point. Take what we've shared today and consider it. Discuss it with your husband or others, pray about it and then use these ideas as a springboard to find what's best for you and what's best for your students. It's our unique and rare privilege to be allowed to teach our own children at home in just the way that suits both them and us best. Thank you all for your time and your kindness toward us. We've appreciated the opportunity to spend an afternoon together.

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