Mixed-age classrooms

1. Mixed Age Preschool Classroom
Approach
Kaylee Peters
SOE 115 Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendall College

2.  According to McClellan (1997), “mixed-age education has its
roots in the one room school house of the nineteenth century”
(p. 4). The idea was that older children would help tutor and
mentor the younger children and that it sort of functioned like a
family. As America’s industrial revolution emerged towards the
end of the nineteenth century, children of the same age were
grouped together in classrooms. It wasn’t until around 1959 that
mixed-age grouping re-emerged. There were a couple different
models of mixed-age classrooms. The current model is different
from the original model in that it “promotes integration of
instruction across grade levels, with students having the
opportunity to choose their own level of study” (p. 5). The
teacher provides leadership and support as the children
participate in “cross age interactions”.
A Brief History

3.  The majority of classrooms seem to cater to the same ages, or at
least fairly close to the same ages. Pre-Kindergarten classrooms
typically consist of 4 and early 5 year olds. What would happen if
ages were mixed in a classroom such as having 4 to 6 year-olds
in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom? There have been studies shown
that mixed-age classrooms could have some advantages. Winsler
(1993) stated, “Advocates of mixed-age grouping in early
childhood education suggest that multi-age classrooms have
several advantages over same-age classrooms for children's
social and cognitive development” (p. 3). This article was dated
back nearly 24 years ago, showing that people have been
interested in this matter for quite some time now.
 This topic sparked my interest because I am going on my fourth
year of teaching Pre-K and this is my first year having children
aged 4-6 altogether. I wondered if having the older children
mixed with the younger children in small groups would be
beneficial or not. So I chose to see what information I could find
on mixed-age classrooms and their benefits and/or downfalls.
Overview of Mixed Age Classrooms

4.  When comparing the task activities and social interactions in a
mixed age classroom to those of a same age classroom, it was
found that the children within the mixed age classroom stayed
engaged with the activities much longer. Winsler discusses how
“the benefits of mixed-age groups emerge when children are
able to spontaneously engage in challenging goal-directed
activities with limited adult guidance, and not when classroom
activities are either strictly teacher-directed or completely
unstructured” (p. 3). One of the factors in this study is the type
of classroom activity or the context. Winsler found that the
benefits of mixed-age grouping for children’s social interaction
and task behavior emerged in not only goal-directed activities
with teacher guidance, but also when the teacher allowed the
children to form their own small groups instead of appointing
their groups for them.
Credible Source #1

5.  The purpose of this study according to McCllelan (1997) was to
investigate children’s prosocial, aggressive, and friendship
behaviors in mixed-and same-age classrooms using a teacher
rating scale to assess them. The results were that children in
mixed-age classrooms were less likely to be isolated compared
to children in same-age classrooms. Furthermore, “aggressive
and negative behaviors were significantly less likely to be noted
by teachers in mixed-age than in same-age classrooms” (p. 3).
These results suggest that mixed-age classrooms could be more
beneficial to students’ social emotional health. Children need to
be able to gain self-confidence, especially in their younger years.
If teachers can help them to gain self-confidence by making sure
they are not isolated in school, it will greatly help. This study
shows that one way to be surer of children not being isolated is
with a mixed-age classroom. Older children can build their own
self-confidence by helping the younger children. Younger
children can help build their own self-confidence by feeling
special that they have the older children to look up to and play
and learn with.
Credible Source #2

6.  This study was conducted to compare peer-interactions, teacher-
child interactions, and challenging behaviors in same-age and
mixed-age classrooms. This article was very informative because
of the fact that it began by introducing the reasons why
theorists and researchers have mixed opinions about mixed-age
classrooms. Plotka (2016) talked about Piaget and Vygotsky and
what they would say regarding this manner. Basically, Piaget
does not agree with the idea of mixed-age classrooms, while
Vygotsky is completely for mixed-age classrooms. The article
summarized some of the reasons these theorists agreed or
disagreed with mixed-age classrooms and then presented a
study. Plotka states, “the study had three research questions
assessing whether peer interactions, quality of teacher-child
interactions, and challenging behaviors are different for mixed-
and same-age classrooms” (p. 27). The results found that mixed-
age classrooms were more beneficial in peer interactions and
that they also decrease competition and comparisons. Also,
children “learn to understand others as individuals with different
skills and abilities” (p. 27). The mixed-age classrooms seemed to,
overall, be more beneficial in all the areas that were studied.
Credible Source #3

7.  While there has been some argument on the benefits of
mixed-age classrooms, most of the information shows that
mixed-age classrooms seem to be beneficial in more than
one developmental domain for both older and younger
children. I gathered from these credible sources that not
only do mixed-age classrooms help children learn more,
they also help build self-confidence. This is a factor that is
very important for young children. Each source discussed
how children in mixed-age classrooms were less likely to
be isolated. It was more likely that children would have
someone to play with at all times because the younger
children would look up to the older children. This makes
the older children feel special too because they are role
models for the younger children.
Analysis of Information

8.  The third credible source mentions some theories of Vygotsky
and Piaget. Plotka (2016) explains that Piaget would be against
mixed-age classrooms because “same-age children are more
likely to have similar problem-solving skills and construct
knowledge in similar ways” (p. 1). If children have similar
problem-solving skills, they may be able to help each other with
their work or work together to accomplish the task at hand.
 In contrast to Piaget’s theory, Vygotsky “believed that
interactions among children of different ages provide an optimal
context for development, as both older and younger children
benefit from the process of scaffolding” (p. 1). Of course
teachers can help children with the process of scaffolding, but
having an older child to look up to and to help out might be
more beneficial. The first credible source proved through a study
that children were more prone to pick their own small groups in
mixed-age classroom rather than having the teacher pick for
them. So a child might be more likely to want to take advice or
receive help from an older child than a teacher.
Connections

9.  I feel that a lot of the research conducted about why
mixed-age classrooms work is because it helps build self-
confidence in children. This connects to Erikson’s identity
and self-concept theory. Woolfolk (2016) states, “early
views of self and friends are based on immediate behaviors
and appearances” (p. 93). Erikson’s stages of psychosocial
development are based upon building identity and a self-
concept. Mixed- age classrooms help to build this identity
and self-concept by helping to also build self-confidence
and trust.
Connections Continued

10. The idea of mixed-age classrooms is not a new concept. It has
been around for many years, but has developed into
something new. Theorists have argued about whether or not
mixed-age classrooms really help children’s ability to learn
better and interact better. There are many more resources
pointing to the positives of mixed-age classrooms and how
beneficial they are to learning and to building self-confidence
within children. In conclusion, I found that mixed-age
classrooms benefit children in the following areas:
 Social interaction and task behavior in goal-directed
activities
 Social emotional health and self-confidence
 peer-interactions
 teacher-child interactions
 Challenging behaviors
Conclusions

11. McClellan, D. E., & Kinsey, S. (1997). Children's Social Behavior in
Relationship to Participation in Mixed-Age or Same-Age
Classrooms.
Plotka, R. (2016). Comparing Peer-Interactions, Teacher-Child
Interactions, and Challenging Behaviors in Same- Age and
Mixed-Age Preschool Classrooms. International Journal Of
Early Childhood Learning, 23(3), 21-31.
Winsler, A. (1993). The Social Interactions and Task Activities of
Young Children in Mixed-age and Same-age Classrooms: An
Observational Study.
Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational psychology (13th ed.). Boston, MA:
Allyn & Bacon.
References