Mixed-Age Groups: Growing Together in Early Childhood Settings
Practical, engaging training to help you create safe, nurturing mixed-age environments.
Course Overview
Are you ready to explore the benefits and opportunities of mixed-age care? Whether you work in a family childcare setting or a center-based classroom, this practical and engaging course equips you with the tools to create a nurturing, safe, and inclusive environment for children of various ages.
You will learn effective strategies for addressing diverse developmental needs, managing common challenges, and promoting meaningful interactions among children of different age groups. With real-world examples, guided reflection exercises, and helpful planning resources, you will build the skills and confidence to manage a mixed-age classroom with clarity and purpose. This course will help you ensure that all children grow and thrive—together.
This course is for:
- Family childcare providers caring for children from infancy through school age
- Center-based educators in mixed-age classrooms
- Early childhood professionals interested in adopting mixed-age practices or improving current mixed-age environments
Acceptance information
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This course is accepted in the following states except as noted otherwise:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia [not yet approved]
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina [not yet approved]
- South Dakota
- Tennessee [not yet approved]
- Texas [not yet approved]
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
For state-specific information, see our State Training pages.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course you will be able to:
- Explain the benefits of mixed-age groups for children, caregivers, and families
- Recognize common challenges of mixed-age care and strategies to address them
- Explain how to create a developmentally appropriate learning environment, daily routine, curriculum, and activities for mixed-age groups
- Describe effective strategies to support positive social-emotional interactions and address challenging behaviors in mixed-age settings
- List best practices for mixed-age groups in family childcare and center-based environments
Topics covered
- Understanding mixed-age groups and their purpose in early childhood education
- Benefits of mixed-age care for children, educators, and families
- How children learn from each other in mixed-age settings
- Promoting social skills, leadership, and peer mentorship across ages
- Supporting enhanced self-esteem, confidence, and individualized growth
- Maximizing cognitive and language benefits in mixed-age classrooms
- Ensuring continuity of care and secure attachment through mixed-age groupings
- Practical benefits for educators
- Family engagement and benefits within mixed-age programs
- Common challenges in mixed-age care and effective strategies for overcoming them
- Ensuring safety, supervision, and age-appropriate interactions
- Addressing licensing regulations, ratios, and safety standards
- Managing educator workload through strategic planning and routines
- Creating an effective mixed-age environment and daily schedule
- Curriculum planning, open-ended materials, and adaptable activities for mixed-age groups
- Guidance strategies and conflict resolution tailored for mixed-age classrooms
- Effective communication with parents and caregivers about mixed-age care
- Practical exercises, downloadable resources, and video examples to support your mixed-age classroom practice
- Tools and templates for real-world advocacy
How Care Courses® Training Works: Details & Support
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Course Details & Support
Prerequisites
- Language: Fluent reading and writing in the language of instruction (English or Spanish).
- Technology: Internet access and a web-enabled device (computer, smartphone, or tablet).
Access & Completion Deadline
- This training expires 12 months from the date of purchase.
- To receive a certificate of completion, you must successfully finish the course before the expiration date.
Learning Methods
- Read instructor-written material
- Watch videos
- Listen to audio segments
Assessments
- Multiple-choice quizzes
- Written assignments
Requirements for CEUs and Clock Hours
To earn CEUs and Clock Hours for a course, you must:
- Agree to and acknowledge our Honor Code & Policy
- Follow all instructions for written assignments
- Demonstrate comprehension of the course content
- Achieve the passing score specified in your course.
Quizzes and Assessments
- If your score falls below the passing mark, a trainer will review your work. If needed, you may be asked to speak with a trainer.
- You will have a second chance to retake any quiz or assessment.
- If you do not pass on your second attempt, contact us at info@carecourses.com. We will review your course and follow up directly.
- All quizzes are open book; all answers are found in the course material.
Certificates
- Official Care Courses certificates of completion record your clock hours and CEUs.
- Certificates are available in the My Courses area of your account.
- Please note: All course and certificate dates and times are on Eastern Time.
Getting Started
- See how our training works on the training process page.
- Watch our course navigation video for a quick tour of the online portal.
- Free Unlimited Assistance
- We’re here to help with training, billing, and technical support questions.
- Phone: 1-800-685-7610 (Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern)
- Email: info@CareCourses.com or techsupport@CareCourses.com (days, evenings, and weekends)
About Care Courses
- Care Courses offers over 50 professional development courses and one non-credit training tutorial on the CDA process.
- All professional development courses include clock hours, CEUs, and an official online certificate of completion.
- (The free CDA tutorial does not offer clock hours or a certificate.)
Tuition & Bundles
- Course tuition entitles one person to receive the clock hours and CEUs granted upon successful completion.
- Bundle pricing covers tuition for all courses included in the bundle.
Policies & Requirements
