7 Instructional Strategies For Success In The Combined Grade Classroom

Written By Abena Sey

October 1, 2023

Wondering how to successfully teach the curriculums of two different grades in your combined grade classroom? Here are 7 instructional strategies that you can apply to your teaching practice.  These strategies will help your students stay engaged, organized and ready to learn in your combined grade classroom.  You and your students will benefit from meaningful learning experiences supported by your routines, organization and classroom community building efforts.   

1. Establish routines and transitions for each learning block.  Decide on your morning and afternoon learning routines, and after you've gotten to know your students, spend the first day of instruction teaching students these routines.  Create visuals to give students reminders and foster independence.

2. Plan curriculum activities and lessons that can be done using whole group instruction.  These may include learning outcomes and tasks related to language arts, math or citizenship, where the skills are a progression from one grade to the other, or are new learning outcomes for both grades.  These activities may be new to the students in the younger grade and a good review for students in the older grade.  Plan for learning activities that are specific to each grade.  These will be completed one at a time with each grade while students are occupied in highly engaging learning activities independently.   Although students of both grades are learning together, you would differentiate for each grade, by including slightly more challenging tasks and increasing your expectations for the students in the older grade. 

3. Choose learning activities that students will work on independently, while you are working with the other grade.  These tasks must be easy enough to complete and based on content students should know.  To foster independence, teach students problem-solving skills when they experience a challenge, such as asking a peer for help, referring to your visuals for support and carefully reading the questions for the learning task.  Prepare an alternate task to complete, such as reading to self or with a partner, for early finishers.  Teach students how to build their stamina to read and work without interruptions for a sustained period of time.

4. Ensure that your students’ belongings are well organized and accessible to avoid loss of time and peer conflict due to disorganization.

5. Ensure that your teacher tools and resources are organized and accessible.  This is helpful for you to quickly assess formative tasks and to check if students understand the work.

6. Keep track of your time on tasks and try hard to stick to your schedule.  There is a lot to fit in the day, and you want to keep your students engaged in meaningful learning tasks during each instructional block.

7. Use whole group incentives to keep your students motivated to continue working hard at their learning tasks, demonstrating kindness and respect towards their peers, and persevering through academic challenges.  Students enjoy seeing the quick rewards (e.g., points, pom-poms in a jar, stars, or other class economy) that come from their efforts to work in a combined grade classroom.  Point out students’ positive behaviours and opportunities for growth each day.  If you are proud of your own professional accomplishments, express that to your students.  You can demonstrate reflectiveness and self-awareness.  

Successful teaching and learning experiences are certainly possible through your intentionality about planning and organization in your combined grade classroom.  Throughout the course of the school year, and as challenges come your way, take the time to pause, reflect and adjust; but, keep working towards your teaching goals!  Give your students as much practice with your routines as possible, and give yourself grace for your courage to undertake the incredible task ahead of you as a combined grade teacher.