Experience with Combo Classes?

We have not had good experiences with combo classes. If my child were to be put in one I would remove him or her.
Yes it can or is supposed to help the younger ones rise up. It is supposed to help the older ones learn by helping the younger ones.
My son was bored then misbehaved, terribly. There is no way to take a high functioning child in a combo class and teach them another year ahead because you are already teaching a year behind..

I hope you have better experinces than we did. I wouldn't do it.

One of my kids has ADHD. Her main problem is focusing and the stress that comes with the inability to focus on one task at a time. Mind you, she is a senior in high school. She has always been an A student but certain situations do contribute to her inability to focus and she gets panic attacks. Be careful and use your own judgement to see if this is an ok situation for your son. Every child is different. Switching classes midstream can also be a trigger for ADHD so really be sure your child is in the best situation for his own well being.

My daughter was in several combo classes in elementary school and I didn't have a problem with it at all (I have pretty high expectation for academics). I observed the students always working, it wasn't like they sat there half of the time with nothing to do. My daughter's classes have always targeted what the student needed and they were in different groups.

I didn't view it as a negative situation at all nor did I feel she was "stuck". Talk to the teacher, give it a try. In my experience they don't choose the classes all willy nilly, there really is reasoning behind it.

I don't have any specific experience with this, but my son goes to Montessori, and they have mixed level classes. Like, he is 3.5 but he is in a classroom with 3 - 6 year olds and he is learning so much more than the average 3 year old. There are a few children with ADHD that are in the other classroom and Montessori, from what I have read, really is a good style (montessori - not sure about regular classrooms and mixed children).

I was in a one room school for kindergarten and the first grade and was then in a larger school with 3rd and 4th together and then 5th and 6th together. I loved listening to the teacher teach the older children after I had finished my lessons (or while working on them) and loved hearing the reviews she gave the younger ones. I am not easily distracted though and do not have ADHD. I was never in a homogeneous classroom.

My children have been in both and I think there is much to be said for children helping others who may be struggling a bit and to have them become compassionate over those with different skills and deficits. I am now a great grandmother and my husband and I love volunteering as tutors in excellent schools where there is also a teachers aide every day helping the teacher and we see the children pairing off with a "reading partner". There is a lot more noise and activity than would have been tolerated in my day when the only one speaking was the teacher, but the children seem to be able to pay attention to their won project and ignore the surrounding confusion.

I would recommend helping the teacher in the class as much as you might be able, and enlisting his dad as well. You can see for your self if it works for your son!! Sounds like the teacher and the school are both sensitive to the child's needs.

blessings!!
N.

My daughter was in a 4th/5th grade combo class. She did well and the only reason we were ok with her being in the combo class was because she loved the teacher. I don't think her school work suffered because of it. I will say though that while the teacher instructed one grade he would have the other grade read or work quietly on their work. If you think this would be too much of a distraction you might want to consider a change. I would also suggest that you ask to observe the class for a few hours and see for yourself how the two grades are handled. Hopefully, your school allows that. I wouldn't worry about it too terribly much, sounds like you have a strong student and your parental involvment will ensure your child gets a good education regardless.

My son was in a 2nd/3rd grade combo and did very well. Usually the 2nd graders are the 'upper' crust of the grade (if there is such a thing) and are placed based on thought of being the more mature and academically focused. During that year (it was 3 years ago) the 2nd graders did very well keeping up and there were no challenges with this. I hope your son does very well and wish him the best.

I see you've already gotten some answers, but am just going to give you mine without reading the others.
A combo class might just be the best thing for your son. I think a big key to it will be your own attitude toward him being in that class. If you can, set up some days that you can volunteer in the classroom so that you will be able to see exactly how teaching is being done and how your son is responding.
Since he is in the older part of the group, he may feel challenged to be a 'mentor' to some of the younger ones. This could be good, as we often learn more when we are helping someone else to learn. This in turn might possibly help him to gain control over his ADHD. Again, I think the big key to all of it is your own attitude... and the attitude of the teacher as well.
Give it a good try and if things don't seem to be working out, talk with the teacher and others at the school to determine whether an alternative would be better for him.

I would think it'd be a good thing because he wouldn't be under *as* much pressure to be "mature" (provided he can stay within the norm for acceptable behaviors)

I think every classroom (at least the ones I've seen with my own son who's never been in a combined classroom) has the teacher sometimes teaching part of the class while the other part of the class is doing center work or seat work or something with an aide or volunteer, I think it's normal to be like that.