Today's colleges and universities are inundated with both traditional students and returning adult students, including baby boomers and retirees (Hardin, 2008). This study utilized a mixed methods research methodology to explore and analyze the perceptions of faculty members and students regarding the learning characteristics and learning…

In recent years, interest has increased in preschool programs that promote low-income children's early learning and development. Although research in this area has focused mostly on 4-year-olds, a growing number of 3-year-olds attend publicly funded preschool. In fact, in Head Start--a federally funded early childhood education program--the…

This report presents exploratory impact findings for 3-year-olds from the Head Start CARES demonstration, a large-scale randomized controlled trial implemented in Head Start centers for one academic year across the country. The study was designed primarily to test the effects of the enhancements on 4-year-olds, but it also provides an opportunity…

Preschool has long been viewed as a way to promote low-income children's early learning and development. Some promising classroom-based strategies have been found to enhance preschool children's social, emotional, and behavioral competencies. Most of this research has focused on 4-year-olds, even as a growing number of 3-year-olds attend Head…

The California class size reduction program provided schools with cash rewards for K-3 classes of 20 or fewer students. I show how program rules made it possible for schools to save money by using mixed-grade classes to meet class size reduction obligations while maintaining larger average class sizes. I also show that this smoothing of students…

Discusses the problems associated with having people from four generations in the training classroom. Offers tips for training people from age 20 through 70. (JOW)

The purpose of this study was to examine how total duration of social play of preschool children with disabilities varied as a function of both chronological and developmental age of their social partners. Fifty-five 33- to 60-month-old children with mild to moderate developmental delays were observed in dyadic play situations with four different…

The sex-typed and sex-neutral activities of 54 preschoolers and their peers' negative and positive responses were recorded during free-play periods in three mixed-age day care classrooms. Each child was observed for a total of 100 minutes of peer interaction. (Author/RH)

British observation study of 8 year olds (n=43) and 11 year olds (n=43) participating in playground activities found that older children spent more time in rule games and less time alone; girls spent more time in sociable activities; many activities were single sex and/or single age; and older boys were largely responsible for lack of mixed-age…

Investigates the decision-reaching behavior of 120 children aged 7, 9, and 11 years in mixed-age groups. Children of nine years in groups with younger peers exhibited more organization statements, solicitations of preference, group choice suggestions, and reading, and less following, than did nine-year-olds grouped with older peers. (RJC)

Significant developmental differences were found for student adjustment in a study exploring relations between standardized measures of students' achievement and teacher ratings of student adjustment for K-2 students in mixed-age classrooms. Teacher ratings of student adjustment were significantly lower for kindergartners compared to second…

This book profiles 74 intergenerational programs in the United States. The programs range from basic tutoring projects to a sophisticated corporate-based day care center. Project selection was based on replicatable programs involving mutually beneficial exchanges. Grouped by subjects, profiles include programs targeting both young and old. Most…

Parents of children in a large primary school in New South Wales were asked questions related to their attitudes towards and beliefs about composite (multigrade) classes. Parental concerns about composite classes are commonly reported as negative and this study confirmed this concern. Issues identified as causing concern for parents were a belief…

This study investigated students' attitudes toward multi-age classrooms, specifically examining differences in attitudes based on gender and grade level. The Multiage Attitude Survey was administered at the end of the school year to students in two multi-age classrooms: one classroom with 11 third-grade and 10 fourth-grade students, the other with…

Asserts that multi-age grouping in early childhood settings can and does work. Addresses four main hurdles to successful implementation: (1) laws and regulations that act as barriers; (2) health concerns; (3) overcoming educational values that conflict with those of the age-grouped classroom; and (4) staff misunderstanding of multi-age grouping…