What Is This Unit About?

This unit is about ways to have a good child care program when you care for children of varying ages in the same group.

What Are the Challenges of Mixed Age Groups?

Sara Ostrowski* cares for an infant, a toddler, and a four-year-old. She also cares for two school-age children before and after school. Sara tries to provide some special activities for the older children without neglecting the younger ones.

Rosa Santiago has three preschoolers of her own. She also cares for her neighbor’s baby and kindergartner. Keeping five children fed, clean, and rested while reading stories, singing, doing creative art, and conducting science experiments is quite a challenge!

Both providers want to do a good job. Each has different challenges created by the widely varying ages of the children in their care.

What Can Children Learn from Mixed Age Groups?

Are mixed age groups good for kids? When older children are around younger children, they learn several things: Kindness and compassion as they watch and help adults tend to the needs of babies and very young children. Skills and competence as they comfort, share books, play simple games, and sing with younger children. Flexibility as they experiment with ways to include younger children in their play. ("Let’s pretend Baby Nora is a passenger on her train–her stroller can be the caboose.")

Younger children can learn by watching and imitating older children:

• The use of language.
• Skills such as climbing, playing circle games, looking at books, and throwing balls.
• The rules of play: "It's my turn now. You can use it in a minute."

Adult caregivers have many opportunities to help children learn from each other, as in the following examples:

For older children:

• "Kenny, the baby is crying because she’s teething and her mouth hurts. Let’s get her teething ring from the freezer. Maybe you can give it to her to see if it makes her feel better."
• "Kirsti is so happy because she’s learned to pull herself up on the coffee table. See how she’s standing? Let’s clap for her!"
• "Leo is too young to sit on a chair at the table for your tea party, but you could put his swing close to you and he could sit there."

For younger children:

• "Nan, you're trying to say bye-bye just like the big kids!"
• "Mark, you're turning the pages just like Sheila showed you."
• "Stevie, the big kids are building with Legos® right now. Let's find something for you to build with."
  

Are There Disadvantages to Mixed Age Grouping?

The disadvantage of mixed age groups is probably obvious. Sometimes older children will want to do something that is beyond the skills and abilities of a younger child. Games or activities that involve small pieces may present choking hazards and be dangerous. At these times, adults will need to separate older and younger children.

What Can You Do for Success in Mixed Age Care?

Sara Ostrowski and Rosa Santiago have some helpful hints:

• Sara uses her family room as a central play space. Toys that are safe for children of all ages are kept on low shelves along one wall. These include several sets of large cardboard blocks, dress-up clothes, dolls, stuffed animals, materials to play house, and a collection of "beautiful junk" (plastic containers, measuring spoons, funnels, etc.) that Sara changes almost every day. Sturdy board books are kept in a basket near the couch, and a small piece of climbing equipment occupies one corner of the room.

Rosa suggests setting up small areas for special activities. She has a large, old-fashioned kitchen adjoining her living room. She keeps a small wheeled cart stocked with art materials in the kitchen. The older children use these materials at the kitchen table. When they do this, Rosa puts a child safety gate across the door and uses this time to give individual attention to the infant and toddlers while watching and chatting with the older children.

Sara creates a small private play space by pulling her couch about two feet away from the wall. She blocks the open ends of this space with low furniture or pillows and explains to the children that this is a place they can use for puzzles, Lego® building, and board games. The younger children enjoy kneeling on the couch and looking over the back to see "what the big kids are doing."

Other ideas for creating small play areas:

• Use a sturdy playpen as an "office" for older children when they want to color, work a puzzle, or do something without "help" from toddlers. The little ones can watch without interfering with the activity.

• Think about a hall, out-of-the-way corner, or other small space as a kind of "office." You may not think it provides enough room, but if you present its use as a privilege, many children will trade space for honor!

• Use your body as a room divider! If older children begin to build something you think a curious crawling baby may knock down, grab your box of "beautiful junk" and establish yourself and the baby in a far corner. You can play while at the same time fencing the baby in with your body.

Help children think about ways to include each other in play.

• If the older kids are playing grocery store:
  "Gary (the baby) and I would like to buy shampoo, bread, and ice cream."
• If the older kids are playing house:
  "If you are the daddy, could you read Gary and me a book?"
• If the older children are playing "bus":
  "Could Gary and I ride your bus to the library?"
• If the older children are playing zoo:
  "What kinds of animals could Gary and I be?"
• If the older children are playing school:
  "Could Gary and I come to visit your kindergarten?"

Sometimes, older children like to join the play of younger ones.

"Let's all play peek-a-boo with Carrie."

• "Mike feels sad because his mother went to work. How can we help him feel better?"
• "Marie missed you while you were in school today. I told her we'd all play ring-around-the-rosy after snack."

One of the biggest advantages of mixed age groups is that it forces us to look at the individual needs, interests, and temperaments of each child. With mixed age groups, caregivers can work with each child at his own level, which is the best way for children to learn.

Summary

When children of different ages are cared for in the same home, providers face special challenges. Planning developmentally appropriate activities for older children without neglecting or endangering the younger ones is one of these challenges. Providers must think carefully about the ways they arrange play spaces in their homes to meet the needs of each age. The biggest advantage of mixed age groups is that children learn from each other–younger from older, and older from younger.

*All names used in this learning unit are fictitious.

Assignments

1. In a mixed age group, describe three ways children learn from each other.
2. List three ways to create separate spaces for older and younger children.
3. Give three examples of how you can include older children in the care of younger children, or include younger children in the play of older children.
4. Imagine that you are caring for a toddler, a three-year-old, and a six-year-old. They all want to paint and draw. Describe the materials you would provide, where the activity would take place in your home, and what part you would play.