This is especially true of the environment for teaching mixed-age groups. The prepared environment needs to be decentralized and allow for children to work individually or in small groups. Though a child-centered environment is not easy to implement, it is necessary so that children can make choices, invite players, develop rules, negotiate, and work cooperatively on projects to completion. An important goal, often overlooked in early childhood classrooms, is the development of deep and prolonged play. When there is not enough time or opportunity for children to become deeply engaged in their activity, deep and prolonged play is less likely to develop.
Some research indicates that children develop more complex and prolonged play in mixed-age groups.
Vita Bates is assistant professor at Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Illinois, and president of the South Suburban Association for the Education of Young Children. Next year one primary and one intermediate class will be added. The MAC classes are offered as an alternative to traditional classrooms and serve a mixture of the school population. In the first issue of The MAGnet, the teachers from Oregon stated that multi-age classes seem to have more visitors than traditional classes. We at Barnwell find this to be true in our MAC classrooms.