Our school age program is designed to allow children a world in which they can experience competence.  Our classroom offers a variety of social and academic experiences for mixed ages.  The classroom is set up to promote a neighborhood type environment, which is similar to the natural play groupings that develop at home.  Mixed-age groupings allow older children opportunities to develop initiative and responsibility, while allowing younger children the opportunity to experience and observe more mature social and linguistic competence.  Research on cooperative learning and peer tutoring suggest that interaction between children with greater and lesser abilities benefits all, both academically and socially. 

While allowing for mixed age groups, our school age classroom is filled with centers and activities that support children in their quest to learn new skills.  Our environment gives children time, space, materials, and opportunities to practice the skills they are learning.  We have centers for creative reading and writing, for math, manipulatives, and games, for science, for dramatic play, and for listening.  Children are allowed to make choices on what centers interest them, which allows for development of positive feelings about learning.