Why are children in Montessori classrooms of mixed ages?
Maria Montessori encouraged us to be aware of the fact that children learn a lot from each other. By having a mixed age of children in a classroom, children have a much greater opportunity to find a working partner who matches their current interest and ability. Many of the activities in our classrooms are designed for two or more workers. Often the children who choose the activity are of different ages but their interests are similar. The older children are also the models of expected behavior. Children learn by imitation of others and with so many excellent examples, they learn quickly from their peers. The mixed age also allows the child to witness their own growth in a very concrete way. They easily can see during their second year that they are able to do much more than the younger children who have just joined their group. During the third year, they are so comfortable with their environment, the activities and their teachers that they function as ready resources for the younger
Related Questions
- Why are children between the ages of 3 and 5 combined in one class? How do you challenge the children in classes with mixed age groups?
- Are children in Montessori classrooms relatively unsupervised and can do whatever they want?
- Why do most Montessori schools want the children to enter between ages two and three?
