Practices That Support Enriching Interactions Between Young Children and Older Adults in a Co-Located Intergenerational Program

Research on intergenerational programs (IGPs) has documented cognitive, physical, and social benefits for older adults, and positive effects for children’s confidence, empathy, and attitudes toward aging. However, less is known about the specific practices and interactions that support the well-being and engagement of both participant groups. Adopting social capital as the theoretical framework, this mixed methods study explores the practices that support relationships between young children and older adults in a co-located IGP. Observations of children and older adults were conducted using three validated observational measures: the Leuven scale, the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). Findings demonstrate that the well-being and engagement of children and older adults were supported across a range of intergenerational activities. Moreover, CLASS findings highlight that when a multimodal activity was effectively facilitated, meaningful intergenerational interactions and positive impacts to children’s learning could be achieved.