Learning Community for Parents
Connecting Curriculum
Curriculum integration in the multilevel classroom involves combining curricula or subjects and grades for themes, inquiry, and/or units for in-depth study.
Curriculum integration
- makes learning meaningful and connects learning to real-life experiences and applications
- provides more time for investigations,
research, and practising new skills and
strategies
(534 KB) - encourages students in the learning
community to become "experts"
(591 KB)
- celebrates new learning through sharing
performances and/or products
(591 KB)
In the multilevel classroom, one sees themes or units of study rather
than separate time allotments for subject areas
such as science, social studies, and physical education/health
education. Learners are often taught English
language arts comprehension skills and strategies
during literacy and inquiry workshops. Teachers may have a small group of students come together during a workshop to learn how to read informational texts or to learn how to represent an idea using quality literature as a model. (710 KB) However, mathematics and physical education may be timetabled separately to allow for adequate development of concepts and skills. (786 KB)
As a parent, you can learn about and support curriculum integration when you
- listen to your son or daughter talk about what and how he or she is learning in school
- make connections to school learning at home (for example, if the classroom theme is Healthy Living, you may want to set active healthy lifestyle goals and plan a physical activity for your family, or create a graph to show healthy eating habits)
- ask the teacher about classroom themes, inquiry, or units of study
- visit the classroom to observe what
curriculum integration looks and sounds
like
(952 KB)
