Multi-Age Instruction: An Effective Learning Environment or Simply a Cost-Effective Endeavor?

Budget cuts and teacher shortages are plaguing our school systems and school administrators are attempting to use whatever means necessary to help combat this current predicament. One trend that is on the rise is the reinstallation of multi-age classroom environments. This is a learning innovation that can be traced back to the times of one-room schoolhouses. In that era, one-room schools were born out of necessity; communities did not have the budget nor the resources to run a school like we know today. With this recent push to revert to this type of learning environment, the question must be asked: Are we returning to this type of classroom setting because of the current teacher and budget shortages or is there solid evidence grounded in respected research that proves this setting to be beneficial to our students? Compared to a traditional or single-age classroom, does the multi-age setting increase academic achievement, specifically in math and literacy, as well as a student’s socio-emotional skills? Could multi-age classrooms be the solution that we are looking for that not only helps keep costs lower but also provides an optimal learning environment?