Take full advantage of the real-life experiences of other practitioners who are closely involved in the reform movement. Here are practical, concrete lessons on how to handle the challenges of teaching an ungraded class. Follow the stories"visit" the classrooms - and see the teachers grow from being adequate to extraordinary educators. Watch how the students learn to learn. Discover how to master these important skills: establishing an ungraded classroom; coping with the inevitable changes that result from innovation; encouraging teacher growth with on-the-job development; "kidwatching"--Documenting learning as children work; including special-needs students in your multiage classroom; and working with parents and winning their support.

Based on the true-life experiences of teachers, principals, and parents involved in KERA (Kentucky Education Reform Act), this book tells the story of the transformed teaching and learning lives of Kentucky educators engaged in the bold experiment of nongraded K-3 classes.