Teaching in/Managing
Multi-level Classrooms
What are Multi-level Classrooms?
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Most teachers teach multi-level classes in some form,
whether it be due to class size or other factors. The
actual classroom may be a combination of two or more
different types.
Combined classes of different year levels
 Classes of mixed proficiency levels
 Native-speakers or learners with an extensive
background in the target language along with
learners of an immersion program
 Classes of mixed motivation levels
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Reasons for Establishing Multi-level
classrooms
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Pedagogical philosophies in favor of multi-level
classrooms i.e. a ‘continuum of learning’ across a two
year span
Low student populations
Availability of space/faculty—i.e. no space/faculty
available for special programs
Regardless of pedagogical or demographic reasons,
multi-level classrooms can provide quality learning.
Advantages of Multi-level
Classrooms
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Students are able to learn at their own pace
(within reason)
Students learn to work well in groups
Students become independent learners,
modeling future occupational work
environments
Students become partners in learning
Students become partners in learning
Disadvantages of Multi-level
Classrooms
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Finding appropriate resources and teaching
materials
Organizing appropriate groupings within the
class, especially when personalities clash
Building and effective self-access center in class
Determining the individual needs of each
student
Ensuring that all students remain challenged and
interested
Advantages and Challenges of Multilevel Classrooms for the teacher:
The PRO’s
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A more rewarding teaching experience as you
really get to practice your craft
Learn more about the way a student learns
whether that is auditory, visual, or kinesthetic
learning
Advantages and Challenges of Multilevel Classrooms for the teacher:
The CON’s
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More preparation time
Not knowing where to begin as the year starts
More demanding in-class activity for the teacher
Types of Multi-level classrooms
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Multiple Grade Levels
Multiple curricula
 As much as a 3 year difference in age
 Potential for a very wide stretch of material needed
to be offered for remedial/accelerated students in
both grades
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Types of Multi-level classrooms
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Multiple Proficiencies in Class
Even in classes as small as 7 or 8 students, it would
be highly unusual to have a class that is completely
homogenous in ability
 Be prepared for differences and be proactive about
finding solutions that best fit a child’s educational
needs
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Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level
classrooms
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Identifying late developers, grade-level
developers, accelerated developers, and gifted
developers.
In lieu of full-time remedial or TAG/GATE
programs, each class has to be a self-contained
learning environment accommodating all
learners.
The Standard Normal Distribution
Curve (Bell Curve)
Standard Normal Distribution Curve
Sample: IQ
Reading Percentiles
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A percentile number denotes “what % of the test
population scored lower than that particular student on
a particular test.
For example, a student who scores in the 90th percentile
on a math test scored higher than 90% of the students
who took that same test and scored lower than 10% of
the population who took the same test. The percentile
tells you NOTHING about the raw score.
Sample Percentile Scores
Student
Reading
Raw Score Math
Raw Score
XXXXXXX
76%
40/50
81%
39/50
YYYYYYY
68%
38/50
92%
45/50
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level
classrooms
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Techniques for identifying both late developing
and gifted students
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There are multiple age-appropriate tools, usually
segmented into Pre-K (for 4 year olds), K-2nd, 3rd8th, 9th and up (almost exclusively for non-native
language speakers
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
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It is easier to identify an older gifted student since there are
records of academic achievements although they may not tell the
entire story
There are both intellectual and emotional clues that may, but not
definitely confirm, a gifted student.
Intellectual signs: has a high verbal ability relative to age, reads
earlier than average, often remembers large volumes of
information or specific details, has a longer attention span at an
earlier age, learns concepts and tasks quickly, ask plenty of “what
if ” questions, makes unusual connections at an early age, enjoys
intellectual activities/games, can problem solve.
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
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Emotional qualities: responds well to the
company of older people, is compassionate at
an early age and displays many fears, has an
unusual sensitivity to the feelings and
expectations of others, is a perfectionist,
expects early success and gets frustrated by
failure, can spot inconsistencies, has a highly
developed sense of humor at a young age.
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
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There are many different definitions of gifted students, but
most programs and educational organizations consider
students who score 3 standard deviations away from the
mean on cognitive, aptitude or skills tests to be gifted.
Most TAG or GATE programs accept students who score
in the 90th+ %tiles on reading and math tests.
We currently have 16 different students who would qualify
for one or more TAG or GATE program
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted students
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Remember, there are multiple intelligences: visual/spatial,
verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, interpersonal, and
intrapersonal. It’s difficult to create a program for all of
these types of intelligences.
Being identified as gifted does NOT necessarily produce
results. The Potential is identified, not the actual
production.
Harvard School of Education experiment: you, you, you,
you, and you.
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying late developing
students (especially younger students)
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Intellectual signs: has a low verbal ability relative to age and
finds it hard to articulate thoughts, reads later than average, finds
it difficult to recall facts and information, has a shorter attention
span at an earlier age, learns concepts and tasks arduously and
through many repetitions if at all, finds it difficult to make
connections between concepts, learns the alphabet later than
average, finds it difficult to correctly write the alphabet in both
cases after much repetition and time, finds it difficult to order
numbers, finds it difficult to conceptual size and amount.
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted and late
developing young students
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Tools for identifying ability in younger students i.e. grades K-2
10 recommend tests as per Washington, Oregon, Texas, and
other departments of education
The Auditory Analysis test, Decoding Skills tests,
Degree of Reading Power test, the Observation Survey,
Qualitative Reading Inventory, the Roswell-Chall
diagnostic reading test, Slosson Oral Reading Test
(SORT), the Test of Phonological Awareness, The
Texas (or California) Primary Reading Inventory, The
Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation
Multiple Proficiencies Multi-level classrooms:
techniques for identifying gifted and late
developing older students
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Identifying raw ability in older students i.e.
grades 3 and up is much the same as it is with
younger students, but it is easier to measure
actual performance due to a body of work the
student has produced i.e. writing samples, tests,
standardized tests, etc.
Sample Reading Test Evaluation with
Corresponding RIT scores
Number
Correct
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
RIT Score
164.6
172.4
177.6
181.6
185.0
187.5
190.0
193.5
195.3
197.4
199.8
201.9*
Number
Correct
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
*Likely to meet standards
**Likely to exceed standards
RIT Score
204.6
206.5
208.6
210.6
212.4
215.0**
218.3
221.5
225.7
230.3
237.8
245.1
RIT interpretation
Grade Level
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
191 - 200
200 - 207
208 - 214
215 – 221
222 - 226
227 - 230
231 - 233
233 and above
http://www.nwea.org/support/details.aspx?content=532
Multi-level Classrooms with a mix of
native and non-native English
speakers
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Although there are a many differences, our
classes have taken the approach that this is a
variable of the multi-proficiency multi-level
classroom.
Since there is no official ESL program at the
school, currently non-native speakers go
through a de facto immersion program
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom
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The very first thing that a teacher of a multi-level classroom
should do is assess the students ability as soon as possible.
For older students, past records, achievement/standardized test
scores, writing samples should be checked to see where the
student excels, where they need help.
The teacher should ask the questions: Is the student late in
developing? Is the student accelerated? Is the student truly
gifted?
For younger students who have no records, teacher observations
should be cross-referenced with age appropriate milestones. If
the teacher observes unusually slow development or unusually
high ability, one or more of the available tests should be
administered to get a better idea of what will best stimulate the
child’s learning
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: selection of texts and
materials
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Selecting a core text is of vital importance. Most texts
offer challenge problems/activities/passages for the
accelerated learner and remedial support for the late
developing learner,
Multiple texts can and should be used when feasible.
For a language class, multiple level books can be used
to create reading groups to let students learn at their
own pace.
Math classes can use ‘application’ texts along with
‘concept’ texts. Concept texts challenge the student to
think logically and not just copy/follow the examples
shown.
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: self-access materials
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Make sure everything is well labeled and organized.
The materials should reflect the needs and interests of the
students in your class. Self-Access materials can be intimidating
for students if you just have a shelf full of textbooks.
It is best to photocopy many copies of worksheets and exercises.
You can provide a lot of these materials via the myteacher
webpages. 
Have puzzles, intellectual games available for the student who
routinely finishes early and needs stimulation. Get to know this
student’s habits and see what works well in intellectually
stimulating him/her.
Crosswords, suduku, other puzzles
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: groups and pairings
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Successful pairings and groupings are key to a successful multilevel classroom
Sometimes the most obvious pairings or groupings i.e. by ability,
reading level, etc. don’t work due to clashing personalities or
other issues
Cross-ability pairings along with like-ability pairings should be
rotated throughout the year to keep things fresh.
Some students might also spend time by themselves depending
upon their ability with a special assignment. It is up to the
teacher to continually find projects to keep this type of student
stimulated. The internet has hundreds of ideas. 
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: groups and pairings
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Start with a warm-up that involves the whole group.
Break part of the class off into one type of grouping
(i.e. pairs) and work with part of the class on a lesson,
grammar point, or activity.
Break off the class into another type of grouping (i.e.
small groups) and have the other students use selfaccess materials.
Bring the class back together for a whole group
activity/game.
Strategies for the multi-level
classroom: other ideas
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Isolate students within the class who are interested in peer
tutoring.
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This doesn't always have to be the student with the highest level
of English/Math/Etc. Your students who fall somewhere in the
middle may in fact be the most valuable to you, as they strive to
attain a level of competency comparable to the most advanced
students. Remind your students that the best way to practice and
improve a new language/skill/concept is to teach it to someone
else.
Consider enlisting a volunteer
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Teaching a multi-level classroom will be exhausting for even the
most energtic of teachers so getting a volunteer to help with some
of the non-pedagogical task i.e. copying, collating, organizing, etc.
may be helpful.
Strategies for the Multi-level
Classroom: know your limits
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It may be that you have tried everything in
your power to help a student learn and they
simply have not for one reason or another.
If this is the case, simply continuing on with
failed strategies (given that a reasonable
amount of time and effort has been put in
place) is not beneficial for anyone
Conclusion
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Multi-level teaching is difficult and time
consuming
However, it leads to a rich curriculum for
students
In lieu of an official ESL, TAG, GATE, or
remedial program, multi-level teaching is the
ONLY way to ensure that each student gets an
education that is intellectually stimulating.
Conclusion
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Multi-level teaching is difficult and time
consuming
However, it leads to a rich curriculum for
students
In lieu of an official ESL, TAG, GATE, or
remedial program, multi-level teaching is the
ONLY way to ensure that each student gets an
education that is intellectually stimulating.
Conclusion
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The teacher if he is indeed wise does not teach you to enter the
house of wisdom but leads you to the threshold of your own
mind. - Kahlil Gilbran
I have lived some thirty years on this planet, and I have yet to
hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my
seniors. - Henry David Thoreau
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The
superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires William Arthur Ward
To know yet to think that one does not know is best;
Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.
- Lao-Tzu