Preschool - mixed-age class vs. being oldest in a same-age class?
Hello all,
I'm looking for perspectives on mixed-age classrooms and/or being one of the oldest (or youngest) children within a same-age classroom (for example, the oldest two year-old in a 2's preschool class).
We have a few favorites in mind for preschool next year, when our child will be three, but aren't sure about the benefits and drawbacks of mixed-age classes versus same-age classes for her. Because of the birthday cutoff date set by some of the same-age schools, she would be one of the oldest in her class, with limited exposure to older kids. (I believe they only mix briefly throughout the day at the programs we looked at.) Conversely, at schools with a different cutoff date, she could end up being one of the youngest in the class.
We have browsed some of the research about mixed-age classrooms, but prefer to hear some real-life experiences to put what we've read in context. To what extent does your child's age relative to the rest of the class matter in terms of learning, development, and general enjoyment for them? Can anyone speak to the experience of having a child who is one of the oldest (or youngest) in their same-age preschool class? And we'd love to hear about any experiences in a mixed-age class as well. Bonus points if you've had experience with both and have some comparison points to share!
Thank you!
Parent Replies
This will be a bit different from your situation but i have my two kids in a mixed-age, single classroom, montessori school. It's different because they love being together, but i will say that it has been so wonderful to see them develop relationships across the various age groups! My older child has been helping one of the new 2 year olds to get more comfortable at school, and my younger loves being with the big kids. There are kids ranging from just 2 to 5.5. My older child was always in mixed-age preschools, though this range is the biggest, and i think it's been wonderful for her.
We had a youngest child, and the big kids did not engage with him (e.g. saying 'hi'). There were not that many younger kids, so that wasn't the best thing either. We had an older kid in day care who did great there (never bullied, looked up to) who transferred into a preschool as the youngest age, and in her case fine, I think it got even better when she got older (she stayed 3 years). In my experience it partly depends on school culture, and on the kid, and luck of the draw in terms of the other kids.
I just wanted to chime in and say I highly recommend mixed age preschools. We have two kids and had leaned towards mixed ages from the start. Then, our decision was reaffirmed, because this year our son's mixed age preschool had to split into two separate cohorts because of covid (his second year at the school). The school was divided primarily along age lines so we didn't have to split up any friendships from last year so he is with the 4-5yo group. It's a co-op so all of us parents have gotten to see first hand how different it is to go from mixed age (2.5-5) to a narrower range.
Last year our son made a few friends among the older kids and they showed him how to do a lot of things. There was a really good flow of different groups of kids playing together at different times. He's still really good friends with one of the 'big kids' to this day. This year I see our son not getting that same experience of getting to be the older kid taking younger ones under his wing. When kids have to deal with a lot of other children who are at different developmental levels, whether physical or social, it broadens their experience of what's normal and acceptable and increases their problem solving abilities (in my experience). Our buddy family in the younger cohort has said their son, who is the oldest in the group, struggles at times with no one older than him to play with or learn from as well. So that's my two cents about mixed age groups. Good luck in your decision making.