The Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) has provided suggestions within their 2017-2018 Curriculum Catalog for coordinating a church school program for parishes with small church schools - perhaps a one classroom school, or between two and four classrooms.
The link to their catalog plus order forms can be found here:
http://orthodoxchristianed.com/files/4114/9885/4473/ocec2017_2018.pdf
Quoting from page three of the catalog:
Not all churches have enough children to allow for
separate grades in the church school. Several grades
must be combined together in the same classroom. The
open classroom concept is hardly new and has been developed
in the public schools for years. It helps for us to think
of those small schools as a small family living and learning
about God together.
A basic lesson can be taught to the whole group, and
then children divide up into small groups or individually,
according to age, work abilities, and interests. Projects all
play a great part in such situations, and these activities must
be worked out in advance and student-initiated. Older
students need more challenge to understand and study the
theme or concepts on their own level, at their own speed.
Younger students need more teacher guidance and involvement.
Here a few ways to organize this using the OCEC
materials.One Classroom School
Although one class is possible, it is better to divide up into
at least two groups for lessons. Where this is not possible,
the home study book “Way of Life: Introducing Your
child to the Orthodox Faith” can be used as an umbrella
program for all ages. The material can be used as an
umbrella program for all ages. The material can be
divided to cover two years. The themes are the section
headings from the book. [Throughout the catalog,] The books in italics are OCEC
manuals that can be used.
First year: Church—New Life in Jesus/New Life in the
Church; Advent/Nativity—In the Beginning; Lent/
Pascha—Making Things Right/Jesus, the Promise of God
Second year: Feast—Together with God; Home—The
Wonder of it All/God, My Friends & Me; Major Saints—
God Loves Us/Our Life in the Church
Note: In the following sections the first book mentioned should be
used this year. Other books can be used in succeeding years. Pre-school
children have such unique needs that no matter the number, they should
be placed in a separate area, using Pre-school manuals.
1. Kindergarten–Second Grade
Use Together With God;
Then God Loves Us, New Life in Jesus/Making Things
Right
2. Third–Sixth Grade
Use New Life in the Church;
Then Jesus, the Promise of God, Our Life in the Church,
In the Beginning
Three Classroom School
1. Pre-School–First Grade
Use The Wonder of it All/God, My Friends, & Me; Then
Together With God;
Then God Loves Us
2. Second–Third Grade
Use New Life in Jesus/Making Things Right;
Then New Life in the Church
3. Fourth–Sixth Grade Use Jesus, The Promise of God;
Then Our Life in the Church, In the Beginning
Four Classroom School
1. Pre-School–First Grade
Use The Wonder of it All/God, My Friends, & Me; Then
Together With God;
Then God Loves Us
2. Second–Third Grade
Use New Life in Jesus/Making Things Right;
Then New Life in the Church
3. Fourth–Sixth Grade
Use Jesus, The Promise of God;
Then Our Life in the Church
4. Sixth–Seventh Grade
Use In the Beginning;
Then Young Church
Teens—Separate programs and classes should be arranged. Where
numbers are very low, youth could serve as junior teachers with
responsibility of helping and mastering the content.
