Mixed Age Classrooms

Many parents ask me about our philosophy on classroom structure at Windsor. We believe strongly in the concept of mixed age classes.

Traditionally, schools separate children by hard age cutoffs. Though this is a convenient way to delineate between students, it ignores that social and academic development do not always directly track age for all students. Different students have different learning types and speeds at which they might reach a development milestone.

Mixed age classes, as the name implies, allow students of varying ages to all be in a classroom environment together. This is much closer to how young children developed throughout much of history. Their siblings and other children in the community were not always within 12 months of their age, and this allowed younger children to learn not just from adults, but also from the older children around them. It also provided the older children an opportunity to practice their social skills through teaching younger children.

Here's an example that we encourage and facilitate at Windsor: helping put on shoes. "Older children who have mastered this skill will often help younger [children]. The older child has the opportunity to develop her patience, as well as the verbal skills necessary to communicate the steps to the younger child, while the younger learns how to [put on shoes]."

"Often, an older child may read a story to a younger child, occasionally pointing out letters of the alphabet as they read. The older child has the opportunity to develop and solidify reading abilities, while the younger has an opportunity to develop listening and early reading skills."

Lillian Katz, one of the most prominent early childhood researchers of the past few decades, wrote an article on this same subject. It is highly recommended reading for any parent who would like to learn more about the theory behind mixed age classes or another perspective. (http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-1/mixed.htm)

And if your appetite persists, there is one more article I would recommend you look at. It is by Debbie Reese. (http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/mixed.age.group.pn.html)

Remember, I'll check back on the blog posts often, so be sure to leave any relevant comments or questions you might have about this subject.

-SS