When engaging learners in different age groups can be challenging, especially if you have never been in that position before, the essential thing to consider is to incorporate the different learners so that no one will feel left out.
However, having the skills of fitting all the learners into one group is very important. This post will look at the different factors for teaching classes of different ages.
Language levels
There are different English l levels in each age group. Knowing where each group falls is a key factor. For instance, it’s challenging for younger level learners to name some letters, whereas the older ones can make conversations and even read stories.
It is easy to deal with the different age groups by keeping them alert and engaged when you know their language levels. By doing this, you will avoid some confusion and even boredom in the class.
Having different age groups in your class will make them interact and learn from one another. The sharp learners can assist the slow learners in understanding things easily.
Class goals
The class goal is normally not the same when teaching different age groups. As a teacher, you should ensure you factor in all the different levels to accommodate all the learners. It’s also your duty as a teacher to engage all the learners at different levels and get to know which activities are suitable for them.
The different age groups have different interests, language levels, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Knowing their different class goals will ease your work while delegating duties to each different level. For example, higher-level students get more challenging tasks compared to lower-level students.
Encourage peer teaching
Teaching subjects that cover different activities for various age groups it’s a great chance for the young learners to learn something from the older ones. The learners should have flexible classroom furniture where peer teaching can take place smoothly. Having a spacious class and flexible furniture, it’s easy for the learners to interact in different activities favoring all age groups and learn different things by themselves.
It encourages confidence among them, and it’s even easier for learners to acquire different skills and knowledge from their fellow learners because they are compatible and blend easily. Peer teaching can be achieved, for example, by; the older student working on getting learning materials like worksheets, reading charts, and flashcards while the younger ones play.
Through peer learning, you can identify talents, unique abilities, and skills of different age groups.
Modify similar activities for different ages and age groups
If you are confused or get challenged while doing different activities for different age groups, you should start modifying the same activity to incorporate the different age groups.
By modifying the same activity to the different age groups, all the students will be engaged in the studying process. This is also one of the ways to empower the older learners to lead the young ones.
For instance, if you are teaching poetry, the younger learners can practice reading simple sentences and enjoying the whole storyline, while the older learners may read the poetry story and answer the questions related to the poetry.
Do what is doable
Having different ages in your class means that you expect different activities to occur; therefore, it’s advisable to be flexible to comprehend the different age groups.
The different age groups should have different targets. For example, it’s very hard for a young learner to be attentive in class for more hours; some would even fall asleep on the way, unlike the older ones. Knowing where each of your learners falls will help you allocate the best time for each group in the class and avoid setting unrealistic goals.
The young learners should be engaged in simple, short, and enjoyable activities to make them live in the class. They should also not stay in class for long hours to avoid boredom.
For you to be able to work with the different age groups, you need to do what is doable and set realistic goals that will cater to the needs of each group in your class. For example, while teaching after explaining, you may decide to use a song related to the topic you are covering for your younger pupils to understand better and even relate.
Conclusion
It’s hectic to teach different age groups, especially if you don’t have the required skills to engage them in a learning process.
However, learning the different skills to teach them becomes very easy and even enjoyable. It is your duty as a teacher to know the capabilities and needs of your learners in different ages and age groups.
