MTLS 211 Assignment 1: Multi-Grade Teaching and Learning Support

This document presents a comprehensive solution for MTLS 211 Assignment 1, focusing on multi-grade teaching and learning support in the foundation phase. The assignment begins with an exploration of the multi-grade teaching concept, emphasizing its prevalence in primary education and the challenges arising from a shortage of teachers. It details the crucial role of teachers in multi-grade classrooms, highlighting their responsibilities in imparting knowledge, developing skills, and fostering positive values. The assignment includes a proposed floor plan designed to facilitate cooperative learning activities. Furthermore, it provides a detailed lesson plan on the life cycle of a frog, which incorporates various learning objectives, materials, and activities suitable for a multi-grade environment. The lesson plan integrates visual aids, interactive discussions, and comprehension exercises to enhance student understanding. References to relevant literature are also included to support the assignment's content.

Running head: MTLS 211
MTLS 211
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1MTLS 211
Table of Contents
Assignment 1..............................................................................................................................1
Section A.................................................................................................................................1
 The concept of Multi-grade teaching..........................................................................1
 Role of teacher in Multi-grade classroom...................................................................1
 Floor plan to address the needs of class.....................................................................2
Section B.................................................................................................................................3
Lesson Plan.............................................................................................................................3
References:.................................................................................................................................6

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Assignment 1
Section A
 The concept of Multi-grade teaching
“Multi-grade teaching occurs in primary education when a teacher needs to
teach two or more students from primary school, in the same class.” As per Hyry-
Beihammer and Hascher (2015), the concept of multi-grade teaching is all about
teaching students of different age groups, potentials and grades, altogether in the
same group. In other words, “it is a situation where a teacher has to teach students
from different grades, all at the same time.” It is to note that multi-grade “teaching
happens in the schools where there are more numbers of grades than the number of
teachers”. There are a number of multi-grade teachers who teach two different
grades, whereas there are some who teach more than two grades. On the other
hand, in smaller schools, teachers usually teach six to seven grades all the same
time under a single roof. These learners from different grades are usually of same
age group but they have different abilities (Thephavongsa 2018). It is also to note
that the concept of “multi-grade teaching has been widely understood as a condition
of teaching” that takes place as a result of lack of teachers. “In such type of situation,
educationists are of the belief that this teaching system has an important role to play”.”
 Role of teacher in Multi-grade classroom
Teacher always has a critical role to play in the true growth and development
of students in their life. The major purpose of multi-grade teacher is teaching the
students by means of bestowing knowledge in them, developing their skills and
inculcating some desirable attitudes and values among them (Kramsch 2014). They
are always expected to be versatile in their profession and use diverse strategies for
“making “learning meaningful and effective for the students in their classroom, no
matter what individual differences might prevail among them””. Furthermore, teachers
in multi-grade classroom are also expected to play the role of facilitator where they
should be able of understanding the differences in the students and be able of
motivating them for learning and guiding them through their learning materials and
this they should do for all the grade levels in the classroom regardless of the
curriculum subject that is being studied (Joyce 2014). Furthermore, planning is an
important function for a multi-grade teacher. Proper planning by him or her is likely to

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result in productive classes for the students and this will also ensure that it is easier
for the students to follow. They are also required to monitor the improvement or
progress of the learning of students in order to make sure that there is quality
education in place. Although there are many curriculum materials that are prepared
by the provincial or central authorities of education, the multi-grade teachers are still
require developing their own additional materials (Taole 2014). “These materials
serve their objective of meeting the concrete and actual needs and requirements of
the multi-grade teaching within the local context”.”
 Floor plan to address the needs of class
For ensuring cooperative learning activities in place, below is designed a floor
plan for the same:
Quiet Reading Teacher Resource Area
AV Area
Art Area
Group Discussion
Table
Science Materials Book Shelf
CounterSink
Bulletin Board
Whole-class
workgroups
Table
Book Shelf
Book Shelf
Files
Table
Chalk Board
Book Shelf
B
o
ok
S
h
Math, Reading,
Social Studies,
Dictionaries etc.
SOFA

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Section B
Lesson Plan
 Title: Life Cycle of a Frog
 Overview: The learners would be introduced to the different life cycle stages of a frog by means
of a poster of life cycle stages of frog. A video from National Geographic Channel would be
played along with some reading comprehension exercises that would further help in reinforcing
the knowledge of the learners in the multi-grade teaching environment.
 Subjects: Science, Life Science
 Grade level: 3, 4, 5
 Suggested Time:
 Learning Objectives: Learners would be able to identify the different stages of a frog’s life cycle.
 Materials and Preparation: Poster of the life cycle of a hen, Poster of the life cycle of a tree,
Poster of the life cycle stages of frog, National Geographic video, “Frogs and Toads” reading
comprehension.
 Worm up Activity:
o Writing the title “life cycle of a frog” on the black board.
o Showing the poster of seed, seedling, tree and tree with fruit
o Showing the poster of egg, chick and hen
o Asking students for pointing out the sequence of stages present in the poster.
o Asking students “Can you describe the stages of your life?” and guiding them so that they
can compare the above shown stages with the stages of their own lives, i.e., baby,
toddler, teenager and adult.
o Discussing about the term “life cycle” with the students.
 Order of Activities:
o Asking the students to recall whatever they have learned about the life stages of hen and
tree.
o Asking students “Have you ever seen a frog? Do you know how it develops? How does it
look like when it is a baby?”
o Asking them to imagine about what a tiny frog looks like and drawing a picture of it.
o Showing a poster of the life cycle stages of a frog

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o Brainstorming the class with what they already know about the lifecycles of frog and
questioning what they would like to answer about the life cycles of frogs.
o Discussing the sequence of the different events that need to take place before a frog
develops
o Explaining the students that at first there are eggs that are tied together in water like it is
in the poster.
o Explaining that tadpole (also called larva) comes out of the egg and then swims in pond.
o Drawing a line-drawing of a tadpole and asking the students to compare the drawing with
that of their own (the tiny frog)
o Informing students that tadpole develops legs (first two and then four) and lungs and then
gets changed into a frog.
o Playing the National Geographic video titled “Red Eyed Tree Frog’s Life Cycle”.
o Having students read out the comprehension activity titled “Frogs and Toads”
independently.

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o Asking students to fill in the blanks in the given worksheets
 Conclusion: Living organisms pass through a range of stages right since their birth to the time it
produces its next generation. It is called life cycle of an organism.
 Assessment:
o Asking the students to write in circles the different number of stages of the life cycle of a
frog and write the names of the different stages.
o Drawing line-diagram on the black board and asking the students to identify the life cycles
while labelling their the stages
o Asking the students to draw blank stages too.

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References:
Hyry-Beihammer, E.K. and Hascher, T., 2015. Multi-grade teaching practices in
Austrian and Finnish primary schools. International Journal of Educational
Research, 74, pp.104-113.
Joyce, T.M., 2014. Quality basic education for all: Challenges in multi-grade teaching
in rural schools. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), p.531.
Kramsch, C., 2014. Teaching foreign languages in an era of globalization:
Introduction. The modern language journal, 98(1), pp.296-311.
Taole, M.J., 2014. Multi-grade teaching: A daunting challenge for rural
teachers. Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 12(1), pp.95-102.
Thephavongsa, S., 2018. Enhancing the teaching skills of the multi-grade teachers
through lesson study. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational
Research, 17(4), pp.71-87.