Rethinking Learning Environments: The Benefits of Multiage Learning

1. Rethinking Learning Environments: The Benefits of Multiage Learning Melissa Pinkham, MA

2. Why Multiage Learning? • Children have always learned together. It is an evolutionary standard. Mix age play is how children interacted most of the time in human history (Grant, Johnson, Richardson, 1990). • Multiage classrooms which are heterogeneously grouped foster cooperation and individualization. Through learning centers, they involve a multitude of activities to interest, teach, and challenge every child. • The most effective scaffolding takes place between children in mix age settings. Consistent with Vygotsky’s “zone of proximal development” (ZPD), construction of knowledge occurs most effectively between children of mix ages due to the distance between competencies compared to support from adults. Mix age groupings strengthen play initiatives with acceptance and enthusiasm, and offer ideas that help children extend their imaginative creations (Berk, Winsler, 1995).

3. “Today’s families could benefit from remembering the experiences of the busy and active neighborhoods of the past: the opportunity to learn social skills by practicing them with little adult interference. When I was a child my parents took care of our physical needs, and sent us out the front door. They didn’t have time to be our social directors. We quickly learned that inappropriate social behavior left us out. We fought, negotiated, and bargained. We learned the skills of socializing by using these skills without adults hovering over our every move.” -Bev Bos

4. “Mature Play” What is mature play? • The ability to have deep and long play scenarios, a large repertoire of imaginative themes and roles, use of creative props, self-regulation skills, rich problem solving…. • “Immature play” is using realistic props, limited repertoire, stereotypical or scripted themes. • Compelling Findings: • One of the first studies researching “mature play” found that 7 year old children in the late 1970’s had the self-regulation levels and underdeveloped play skills of 3 years old in the 1940’s (Elkonin, 1978). A similar study in 2004 showed only 10% of six year olds demonstrated a mature level of play and 48% of five year olds demonstrated the lowest level of play maturity (Gudareva, 2004).

5. Why the lack of mature play? • In today’s early childhood settings, children are almost always segregated by age and interact with peers the same age that are as inexperience as they are. • Limited time for children to “play” in early childhood settings. • Teacher directed activities, lack of “free play”.

6. When younger children participate in more complex activities with older peers, they develop at their own pace knowing that there is a variety of developmental expectations in the classroom instead of just one. Above, nine year old Kinu creates a sign.

7. Kinu’s writing is the impetus for a younger child’s attempt in creating her own sign. In this particular situation, a teacher’s suggestion might have thwarted Mae’s motivation due to an adult’s expectation. Six year old Mae is encouraged to participate in a more complex activity.

8. Six year old Mae understands the range of expectations in a classroom and asks Kinu for help in finishing the sign. Children need opportunities to observe and imitate a wide range of competencies. This type of learning only occurs in a multiage environment.

9. Eight year old Griffin is writing a sign. He reaches out to six year old Matthew for a correct spelling. This powerful exchange of knowledge supports both of the students. Matthew gains competence supporting an older peer while Griffin builds his understanding in the value of inquiry. Griffin asks for support in spelling from a younger peer.

10. Writing Music Children of different skill levels and competencies supplement each other’s knowledge in different ways. Here, they are sharing their previous knowledge of writing music. Some use musical notation while others write letters and even lyrics to represent songs.

11. More scaffolding… Above, six year old Mathilda asks for support in origami by Kinu. This generates higher levels of cognitive ability along with constructing knowledge in a socially based environment.

12. Younger scaffolding older… While painting, Mathilda composes at her level of competency.

13. In return, Mathilda encourages older children to try an activity outside of their comfort zone. In the past, these students typically felt a lack of competency with drawing abstract designs. An adult’s invitation might have been met with a different reaction.

14. Creating a business in a multiage environment by incorporating life skills into their play. The children decide to create a business by selling iron they retrieved from the sandbox. After a discussion on the current economic climate, they decide to close their business until further notice. Older children support the younger child’s idea of the structure of business, supply and demand, hierarchy and language such as “bankruptcy”.

15. Teacher as the facilitator... The idea of a business provoked younger students in building their own company. The teacher’s role is one of a facilitator. She builds upon the previous knowledge of the students without changing the play. Her ideas add complexity to their scenario.

16. Learning from the older “play experts” The students created a restaurant inspired by their peers’ ideas .The older children scaffold the younger students’ knowledge in creating a mock business. They all voted, and decided to name the restaurant “Refreshed”.

17. We Learn: • 10% of what we read • 20% of what we hear • 30% of what we see • 50% of what we both hear and see • 70% of what we discuss with others • 80% of what we experience personally • 95% of what we teach to someone else William Glasser

18. Resources • Rogers, S. (2011) Rethinking Play. Washington DC: National Association for Young Children • Katz, L., Evangelou, D., Hartman, J. (1990). The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education. Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. • Grant, J., Johnson, B, Richardson, I (1996). Multiage Q& A 101 Practical Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions. NH. Crystal Springs Book • Berk, L., Winsler, A. (1996). Scaffolding Children’s Learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education. Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.