As we acquire more research-based and in-the-classroom knowledge about how children learn it is imperative that we reflect our findings in the day-to-day programs and operation of our schools.

Traditionally, schools have organized around lock-step grades. This is due in part because of the acts and regulations and courses of study were designed to be grade specific. Learning was believed to be lock-step and each grade built upon a skill level established in the former grade(s).

Today, we know that learning is developmental. Since children develop at different rates, organizations based upon rigid, grade-specific curriculum is less appropriate.

Activity based learning with the variety of Centres currently in place in all of our primary classrooms allows the teacher to provide a wide rage of opportunities at different levels of development.

The staff at North has taken the concept a step forward by providing primary programs that reflect developmental philosophy over an extended period of time. Blended Family Classrooms or Multi-Age Grouping is a means of offering our children, individualized, developmental programs with one teacher over an extended time framework.

More on Blended Family Grouping

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