Independent Together: Supporting the Multilevel Community

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 Watch Video Clip (534 KB)
  • encourages students in the learning community to become "experts" Watch Video Clip (591 KB)
  • celebrates new learning through sharing performances and/or products Watch Video Clip (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. Watch Video Clip (710 KB) However, mathematics and physical education may be timetabled separately to allow for adequate development of concepts and skills. Watch Video Clip (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 Watch Video Clip (952 KB)