The multi-age classroom concept has been a popular alternative, especially in elementary education, for the past twenty-five years. Basically, students of varying ages and abilities are placed in a classroom (also called a house or a circle) without grade divisions. Usually the age span is about three grade levels and the students remain with the same teacher or group of teachers for more than one year. Multi-age classrooms usually focus on collaborative and cooperative student learning. Students are instructed on strategies and work habits that help them acquire the skills to work well in different groups. Many times, based on student interests and abilities, a collaborative group may be student-led, rather than teacher-led. The flexible grouping of multi-age classrooms allows learning to take place in both similar and dissimilar groups. Sometimes, students with similar reading achievement levels are grouped together for instruction. For other projects, the varying abilities of the students make for a richer educational experience for everyone in the group. This constantly changing grouping of students demands a different arrangement of furniture and resources in a classroom. It also means, of course, that teacher preparation and planning is very different from that of traditional classrooms. Thematic instruction, differentiated instruction and collaborative learning strategies all require the teacher to have specific knowledge and skills. Curriculum planning for multi-age classrooms must take into consideration not only different abilities, but also the fact that students will be rotating in and out of different groups and will probably stay with the same teacher beyond a school year. How Multi-Age Classrooms Affect You