After cooperative group explorations, activities, and assessment, students should be ready for independent work. I want them to understand the concepts and have opportunities to practice newly learned skills.
I do not start a menu at the beginning of the school year. I wait for the new students to adjust. We have many opportunities to learn from each other in cooperative groups. The first menu did not start for six weeks. Students need the time to learn what is expected of them. Creating the appropriate learning environment is the key.
Modeling of the tasks by the teacher is very important. I want students to work independently. I tell the students to "ask three then ask me" if I am working with a small group. Teaching and modeling this behavior is important, so I take the time to do it the first week the menu starts.
The first menu of every school year is due in one week. The due date is firm. New students entering my intermediate classroom need the practice, guidance, and modeling by older students. As I circulate the room, I encourage each student to work hard. They are also asked to talk quietly as they complete the work. I do not pull small groups until I am comfortable with the independence and on-task behavior in the room. Once the students are engaged in their learning and have been "trained" to work independently of me, I pull a small group. This time is well worth having in order to establish a routine and management is less of a struggle the rest of the year.
Students keep their work in a menu folder. The students and I developed a rubric together to assess the completed work.
The youngest students start at the top of the menu and the older students begin at the bottom. By the time they each reach the middle, the olders become the experts and help the younger students. Every student has the option to choose any item from the menu.
Not all students are required to do all the items. Some students are very capable of completing all of the activities within a week's time, others may take longer. Assessment is very important in determining student's developmental level as they progress through the activities. So often the students learn from each other as they work cooperatively in pairs or triads. As students continue in the multi-age classroom, their awareness of their ability to work independently increases.