Although at first glance a classroom full of different ages of children may look strange, it is important to remember that the real world is made up of people of diverse ages, cultures, needs and wants. Having a mixed age classroom offers a unique opportunity for children to learn this in an everyday setting. Older children have to learn to understand that younger children sometimes have a shorter attention span and have not developed certain skills to their standard, but that their younger counterparts are just as important and special as themselves. They also have to learn to offer more attention and leadership to their younger classmates. Younger children learn that there are things that some children can do simply because they are older and have had more time to learn. Seeing older children involved in complex tasks can often motivate younger ones to want to take part too. This can often result in a wonderful experience where older children teach younger ones.