We have two children spaced a year apart who got to share a year together while our youngest was in 1st and our oldest in 2nd. We came to Unity Point from a private multi-age setting and already knew what a gem in education multi-age can be!
Mrs. Snyder's cooperative class style has offered them opportunity to learn from older students and when they were older to teach new students. They developed leadership skills that reinforced their own learning. They made close friends with children from other grades in the school.
At this young age it has been so nurturing for them to have the same teacher and some of the same class members for two years in a row. The stress of a new year, going into second grade, was greatly diminished. Because of the wide range of abilities and talents in a multi age class, we felt like the education our boys received was quite individualized and precisely appropriate for them. They also learned to respect and work effectively with the range of knowledge and understanding within their class.
We were thankful to be able to stagger our boys in this class as the relationship between the brothers is supportive and strong. To this day they are encouraging and helpful to each other in their academic work.
In addition to really not having enough good to say about multi age, we have been delighted with Teresa Snyder. She is creative and caring. If their is a positive way to say something, she will find it. In our experience of her she builds children up and helps them believe in themselves. She loves her students and they can tell.
We see many benefits of our boys having participated in multi age, benefits I am sure will last them throughout their academic career, and beyond!
- Kim Magwire & Aaron Newcomb
I’m the mother of two children at Unity Point School, a boy (11) and a girl (9), and both went through Mrs. Snyder’s multi-age class. My children are very different from each other and they both benefitted tremendously from the multi-age education environment.
First and Second grade is where children learn to read which is the foundation of their future. Mrs. Snyder was able to grasp how my children learn, and then teach them accordingly. That is a unique and very valuable skill. Also, my son in particular excelled from having the same teacher two years in a row.
The structure of 2 multi-age classrooms allows small group settings for various subjects, and then in turn enables the teachers to understand what each student needs. The teachers then communicate with each other to better the teaching environment for their students. The students work together on projects in small groups, or individually, which builds up good social interaction, and confidence in oneself.
I highly recommend the multiage education environment!
-from Very please parent of Unity Point Multi-age program
Our son Ian is just finishing up his second year in Mrs. Burnside’s multiage class. Like many parents who
were considering the multiage option when he was in Kindergarten, we were unsure exactly what to expect. Now, two years later, we could not be more pleased with his experience.
Classroom tables are divided up in a way that allows first and second graders to learn side by side. This allows students of varying ages and abilities to regularly interact. As a first grader, our son was able to follow the example set by the second graders. As a second grader, he had the chance to be a leader, an experience he would not have had in a single grade classroom.
Our son has excelled at reading which believe is due, in large part, to the way that multiage is structured. Ian routinely had fellow students reading to him and with him, in addition to taking turns reading to other classmates. They were encouraged to continue their reading development at their own pace. He regularly comes home excited about what he and his classmates have been reading about together.
Our son also enjoyed being able to switch teachers for math. This allowed him the chance to not only learn from a different teacher, but also to interact with other students that he might otherwise only see on the playground.
Perhaps most importantly, by year two Mrs. Burnside was well acquainted with our son’s strengths and weaknesses and encouraged him in ways that may not have been possible had he started 2nd grade with a new teacher. Our son was eager to get back into the classroom after summer. He knew exactly what to expect and what was expected of him and couldn’t wait to see his classmates again. We are thankful for such a positive experience!
- Kristy Bender and Eric Holzmueller
We were a lucky family to have our children in a Multiage classroom. One of the essential skills my children have gained in the second year in a Multiage classroom is their self-confidence because of the growing sense of responsibility towards their younger friends. My children became more independent and more motivated to complete their homework their second year as compared to their first. The reason for my children’s success in this program was the follow up, encouragement, and increased confidence in the personality of my children with the help both Mrs. Burnside and Mrs. Snyder. Special thanks to both Mrs. Burnside and Mrs. Snyder.
Kind Wishes,
Sally