Hoildays and Learning - Through The Ages

I was lucky enough over these holidays to spend a sunny 10 days at the beautiful Ruakaka Beach Camp. We had a group of 3 sites all next to each other, a group of 10 children, ages running from 3-19! As we were just hanging around the camp site we noticed that the two youngest (3&5 years old) and one of the older children(18)had taken themselves off to a quiet spot and were reading a book. But on closer inspection they wernt just reading, they were in fact taking turns, acting out the story. The learning that was occurring was in huge quantities as the younger children gained the social and linguistic knowledge and the older one was able to learn and connect with younger children, adapting his language and body movements to suit the situation  It made me reflect on how we separate the children in centres and schools - so they can 'learn better'! Can they? What do babies learn by being in a room with only babies? What do 2 year olds learn by just being with 2 year olds? Where did this practice of segregation start? I have known for many years that I didn't like it, it just doesn't sit right with me. Homebased education is a great way to mix the ages, socially in the most natural way. See the holidays as a great time to encourage this type of  interaction. It doesn't have to be hours and hours but pull those big kids away from those screens and involve them in your younger childrens play.