It is so unusual at this time in our society to see young children in a wide spread of ages, mixed together in an early childhood program. Because young children change at such a rapid pace, it is easy to imagine that their changing needs will be better met if we separate them out, and “teach” to the specific developmental age. But I find quite the opposite is true. When we mix the ages, the “teaching” happens in an organic fashion, the way it has for millennia.
Children develop on a continuum, new growth is built upon that which is familiar, as well as through imitation of the “new” which is modeled. Children follow a predictable developmental pattern. When we allow the children to be grouped in the traditional way, in mixed ages, we strengthen the learning of both the younger children and that of the older children as well.
It is clear and obvious the tremendous advantage the younger child has in this situation, in that they can through imitation learn new language patterns, new social skills can be developed, new imaginative abilities are discovered and so forth. What is less obvious is the tremendous advantage a mixed age group offers to the older children.
