Make a list of the students who attend your preschool and write their ages down next to their names. Divide the number of students by the number of teachers you have. The result is the average number of students who will be in each class. For example, if you have 35 students and three teachers, each teacher will have about 12 children in her class.
Use the students' birth dates to separate them into same-age groups. For example, children who are 2 and 3 may be in one class, kids who are 3 and 4 may be in another, and 4- and 5-year-olds in a third. Their birth dates will help you decide whether, for example, a 3-year-old should be in the youngest or the middle class. If a student will turn 3 during the academic school year or shortly after it, he should be in the youngest class. If he will turn 4, he should be in the middle class. If a student is exceptionally bright or if his birthday falls just after the cut-off, discuss whether he should be in a more advanced class with his parents. Putting students who are academically advanced in higher-level classes can be helpful if one of your classes has significantly more students than the others.
Pair your teachers with the classes you have created so that each one is comfortable with the age group she will be teaching. Assign your teachers to make lesson plans that are targeted for their age groups. For example, teachers who have 2- and 3-year-olds will focus on basic lessons, such as recognizing colors, shapes and letters and teaching basic social skills, such as sharing, while teachers who have older students may work on penmanship, basic reading skills and simple addition.
Create opportunities for all of the age groups to mingle. Have two play periods and a meal period each day during which students all converge on a playground or in a dining hall. Encourage the different age groups to interact by establishing a buddy program that pairs older students with younger ones. This way, younger students will learn from their more cognitively advanced peers, while older students will take on new responsibilities by watching over younger students. Have your teachers take turns supervising these recess and meal periods.