Kindergarten/1st Split Classrooms

I went to one when I was in kindergarten and my mom says it was the best thing that happened she loved it :) I cant remember all the details though!

I was in a few splits when I was in school. I never had any problems. When the other grade in a lesson we were doing our work. Then vice versa. I never had homework cause we always had plenty of time to do it at school. Often times I would listen and learn what was being taught to the grade above me and I would get a few bonus lessons.

Hi BV:

My very gifted youngest child was in splits until about 4th grade when she entered special classes for her abilities. It was recommended because although she was/is very bright, she was emotionally immature. Being the youngest of 4 children with the next oldest being 5 years her senior meant she was exposed to a lot, her older siblings taught her many things and she wasn't really responsible for a lot. This arrangement allowed her to continue to be challenged by her academic work, but interact with classmates more suited to her emotional development.

The result? She was .3 pts shy of a perfect 4.0 when she graduated high school. (All the while trying to get the 'B' in gym to a pass/fail grade) Student of the Year, National Merit Scholar, Full ride Scholarship recipient at Wayne State. (Her choice, she could have been accepted anywhere in the world).

I'm all for splits...can you tell? ;-)

I have never heard of a kindergarten/1st split. These are two very important years...and the kindergartener's still get quiet time... I would strongly request that my child not be placed in that class (and I would loudly complain if they were).

My son was in a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, split for 1st grade. He had actually been in a 1st grade only classroom and was falling behind because of the teachers poor skills. The school asked me if they could move him and I was a bit hesitant. I am really glad that I did. The split classroom allowed the teacher to group kids by their skills and they actually got more individual attention to their needs. The most important part of a good split is having a parapro or aide in the classroom. The teacher can teach more effectively if there is an aide to keep each skill group on task while the teacher is working with a different group. Also, I worked for 4 months in my daughter's kindergarten classroom and learned a lot about that age group. Children vary widely in ability at that age. Their emotional development ranges from withdrawn and timid (even scared) to boisterous and outgoing. At the end of kindergarten, there are some children that would definately benefit from continuing with their kindergarten level skill building. A straight 1st grade class can be even more intimidating and even set them up for feelings of failure. The split allows the faster progressing kids to feel even more important because they can reinforce their own skills by assisting with their younger or struggling peers. I would not be afraid to have your child in a split. They really do work out very well and actually enhance your childs learning experience.

Another vote for splits. I was hesitant to put my kids in them, but they were really great. My kids benefited from the exposure to other kids and made a lot of good friends that helped out even as far ahead as junior high.

I was in split classes for 1st through 6th grade. My school didn't have them for Kdg., but with many schools going K-5 now, that might be the reason (k/1, 2/3, 4/5). Split classes were all I knew. I think they are fine. They usually place kids in them who are more advanced, need less teacher attention, etc. Try talking to parents of other kids who have been in the class, perhaps the 1st graders who were in the previous year. The school or internet might offer some suggestions on things your kids should know before entering kdg. if your kids are proficient with all of the criteria, you can probably feel comfortable with the split. Keep in mind, i've heard that some teachers/schools like to put twins in different classes in order to help them progress at their own pace, and have their own identities, etc., but this is not always the case.