Age Mixing
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At Kaleide we welcome diversity as an opportunity. Exposure to diversity (including age and ability-related diversity) helps children realise that there are other ways of thinking or doing things that can be more humane or intelligent. In a context that welcomes diversity, there is a chance that each individual's own understanding and needs will be taken into consideration. In addition, through diversity, variation becomes visible and expected, and becomes an opportunity to stimulate children's thinking and promote respect towards otherness.
Our classes are not so much divided by age, but in vertical groups, with attention to dynamics, learning preferences, and relationships. Our children can mix freely irrespective of their age or gender, enabling them to share knowledge and skills with each other and the adults.
Facilitators and older kids provide scaffolding, mentoring, and advising. The smaller children develop new skills and understanding by collaborating with older children within their zone of proximal development, as described by Lev Vygotsky.
Older children are closer to the younger children in energy level, activity preferences, and understanding, than are adults, so it is more natural for them to behave within the younger ones' zones of proximal development.
In an age-mixed environment, children learn from older children by watching and listening, even when they are not directly interacting with them. The older children learn to care and assume a role of responsibility and leadership toward those who are younger than themselves, and they benefit from participating in the creative and make-believe play the younger children prefer.
Studies of cross-age tutoring programs have revealed that the experience of tutoring younger children leads the tutors to score higher on measures of responsibility, empathy and helpfulness towards others. At Kaleide, learning is also about sharing our knowledge and experience, inspiring other people and helping others when we are asked for help.
