Multiage education refers to a classroom in which two or more separate age groups or grades are taught in the same setting. In the United States, this phenomenon, which has also been called “combination,” “multigrade,” and “mixed-age” education, was previously the norm, during the times of one-room schoolhouses. Over the years, following various education reforms, the prevalence of, and public opinion of, multiage education has changed. This entry provides an overview of multiage education, including its history, common arguments for and against its use, and the current state of its implementation.

History

In the United States, prior to school reform in the 1800s, multiage classrooms were the norm; children of various ages studied as a whole group or as separate subject groups. As a result of rapid ...

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