In FBE children of different ages and levels are grouped together. They need a different approach from the traditional chalk and talk. Although whole group instruction takes place from time to time, the teachers use a variety of teaching strategies to address all students. These strategies were developed and taught by Dr. Sandra Stone of the National Multiage Institute (see picture).
1. WHOLE GROUP STRATEGIES
Whole group strategies are when all students sit on the floor in a group together, close to the teacher. The teacher leads the discussion, but the students are prompted and questioned.
1.1 Shared Reading and Shared Poem
The children sit on a carpeted floor area or in a circle in chairs, allowing for intimacy between teacher and the children, as well as among the children. Teaching tools for shared reading or shared poem are big books and poems (for cycle 1) or literature selection (for cycle 2). The big book is read every day to the children for about 15 minutes. Each big book and poem is used for the entire week. Broad-based skills are taught within the book or poem context. We do that by focusing on different aspects of the book or poem during the week. For example: unfamiliar vocabulary, choral reading, discussing pictures, predicting outcome, reviewing, punctuation, numbers.
1.2 Read Aloud
This is also a daily event with children. For cycle 1 the teacher mostly uses picture books to read to the children and in cycle 2 the teacher would use chapter books. Discussions can develop about the story during the course of the reading.
1.3 Modeled Writing
Another daily, whole group instructional strategy where the teacher focuses on broad-based skills such as: beginning sounds and ending sounds, punctuation and sentence structure.
1.4 Shared Math
Shared Math is similar to shared reading. It is a daily activity, 10-15 minutes, where the teacher explores math broadly with the children. The teacher uses the Mathematic Standards such as 'geometry', 'operations', number sense', throughout the year. The children sit on the floor in a circle, close to the teacher. Children answer questions and show math concepts.
2. SMALL GROUP STRATEGIES
Small group strategies are when the children sit at their desks in small groups or with the teacher. When they are with the teacher they are guided through the learning process. When they sit in groups on their own the teacher is the facilitator and the students become responsible for their own learning.
2.1 Guided Reading
During guided reading children work in small flexible groups based on the same educational need (ability). Groups are not labeled. Books are chosen on the basis of the information from the assessment tools the teacher uses to continously monitor each child's progress.
2.2 Literature Circles
This is a small group instructional strategy with mixed ability readers. A book is discussed in depth and the children complete exercises to show understanding of the text.
2.3 Guided Math
The teacher meets with small groups of children based on their needs. The teacher uses a variety of resources to provide the manipulatives (tangrams, geoboards, unifix cubes, pattern blocks, puzzles, blocks and lego) and problems appropriate for the children's understanding. First, the teacher assesses all the children in the class to determine their needs. Then the teacher chooses the appropriate tools to help each child grow in his/her understanding of math. The teacher assesses frequently in order to help the child move to the next developmental level in math. The groupings are flexible and change often.
Strategies of FBE