Mixed Aged Communities
The Truth About Montessori
What is a Mixed Age Community?
This is usually a school or a classroom with in a school that offers students the opportunity to be combined in a single classroom with other students of varying ages. Typically, students younger than two years are in a room together, children younger than three, but older than two are placed together, and then, typically, children three through six are placed together. As you can imagine, the classroom, known as the primary classroom is quite an interesting, vibrant, and exciting environment; as many students are focus on and work towards developing a wide variety of skills; including, but not limited to: socially, emotionally, academically, and physically.
Learn more about Montessori education in my blog article from October: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2019/10/12/the-montessori-movement
Check out the American Montessori Society (AMS) website: www.amshq.org
Check out the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) website: https://montessori-ami.org
Why Are the Classrooms Mixed Ages?
This component of a traditional primary Montessori classroom is by far the most interesting and beneficial component of the Montessori classroom experience, in my opinion. Children who are able to maintain their enrollment in a classroom, such as this for three years, have the opportunity to experience the classroom through numerous lenses. As a child grows and develops they naturally work towards developing specific skill sets and due to the incredible variety of activities, lessons, and materials available with in the Montessori classroom, the child’s experience in the classroom is different each year. The lessons that a child receives are based upon their interests and their abilities. Therefore, as a child learns and grows, they are provided with additional lessons to further support their development and interests. Lessons build upon one another and allow for children to inquire and explore, creating more meaningful, hands-on, and impressionable moments.
How Do Mixed Ages Work?
Each child in the Montessori classroom follows their own trajectory. While it is true that based on standard child development, students that are approximately the same age may be working on the same or similar activities, however, opportunities are provided based on the needs of the individual student. Through this approach, children are able to learn more information faster because the teachers, known as guides m observe the children’s behaviors, interest, and abilities and present lessons on concepts and topics, as the child is developmentally ready. The best opportunities for children to learn some specific concepts is when the child is in a sensitive period for a certain typeof learning. A sensitive period is categorized by a child’s observed interest in a particular area, whether concept and/or topic. A simple example of a sensitive period is the 2 1/2 or almost 3-year-old child that walks around the classroom counting almost everything. This observed behavior usually happens spontaneously and is a strong indicator that the child is entering a sensitive period for numbers. The child is then presented with opportunities to count specific materials and many related and supporting lessons and experiences.
When Do the Mixed Ages Work Together? Separately?
In a traditional Montessori primary classroom, children may be as young as 2 1/2 in some environments, but usually three through six years old are found to be in the same classroom in the mornings. Typically, children younger than four years old are often required by state law, local jurisdiction, or the facility regulations to rest for a period of time after lunch. As a result, the afternoon class program is usually reserved for children ages four through six. At times, there are children who turned four years old, but are not developmentally ready to let go of their nap, so, they remain in the nap space until they are developmentally ready to join the afternoon class. Often times, The activities completed in the afternoon class are similar to that of the morning class program. The difference, is that there are often more opportunities for bigger and more complicated work to be completed and this is often true for a multitude of reasons. Some afternoon class programs also welcome in-house field trips, where specialists visit as related to specific topics to further enhance hands-on learning experiences. During my time in the classroom, an example of this would be bringing in a veterinarian to discuss a wide variety of animals and to explore the pulse of larger mammals versus smaller mammals along with an explanation of why differences exist. Or, as we were studying South America, inviting a reptiles company to visit with a variety of creatures for the children to see (and maybe even touch) fur, feather, and scales for themselves. This was a fantastic experience that allowed children to see for themselves, by using their senses we could have a meaningful conversation about characteristics as simple as fur, feathers, or scales. They could see the difference and they could feel the difference and that made the concept incredibly real for them! Other times, we would study countries, cultures within, social norms, and other related topics. We would make and/or taste food from different backgrounds and have a conversation about the sensorial experience. We even visited a local market and met with the chef, so that he could show us some of his favorite things to do in the kitchen! The children loved getting a tour of the kitchen and being able to ask the chef anything. The best part, this particular market is located in such proximity to the school that many of the students had seen and or tasted the foods discussed and available for themselves!
What are Some of the Benefits of This Type of Environment?
There are so many benefits to this type of environment and I will do my best to highlight some in addition to sharing below some of the anticipated outcomes that are often observed and reported by teachers, administrators, schools, specialists, and parents of current and former students.
When you have an environment that includes mixed age groups, you experience situations daily, where students are learning at different levels, focusing on lessons and activities that are different from one another, and the opportunities for learning seem fruitful and endless in the best sort of way. One of my absolute favorite stories was that of a child who overcame significant separation difficulties upon beginning in the program. Each day, she would enter the classroom, barely, usually requiring a teachers’ help, she would cry for awhile and refuse to participate in any activities. I assured the parents that within 2 to 4 weeks we would start to see a shift. By the end of the four weeks, it was clear that this child was content in our space and able to easily find activities to enjoy and was lovely to have in class. The following week, a new student who did not speak much English joined the classroom. As you can imagine, there are many benefits and challenges that exist when a child enters a classroom, where the primary language spoken is not their primary language at home. At this particular school, we were very used to this sort of situation and in a sense catered to a population that typically spoke multiple languages at home, sometimes even three or more! So, as this newest child entered the classroom, we provided her with all of the love, support, and attention she needed to ease her way into the space and become comfortable. The best part, on this child’s first day, the child who had been crying hysterically, only four weeks prior walks up to her and says: “I see that you are sad, I was sad too, but this is a really fun place and you are going to like it here! Come with me.“ Although, this experience happened easily eight years ago, it still gives me chills to this day. The Montessori environment is so powerful for children. It provides them with opportunities they likely would not have anywhere else. The Montessori classroom becomes their world and they become so comfortable in the space that learning becomes second nature and asking questions in an effort to learn more, becomes innate. And this, is where the joy of learning lives!
In the example that I provided above, you can see that even children that are the same age can provide one another with the help and support they need to work through something pretty difficult. So, imagine if a child is three years difference and the type of fabulous sharing and learning that can be experienced within the classroom. In Montessori classrooms, children are provided with lessons on activities and concepts as they are ready and or interested, depending on the concept. Children of varying ages and abilities are provided with individualized lessons, so they may see for themselves how specific materials are to be used properly and safely enjoyed. Once a child has received a lessons on an activity or particular concept, then they are able to return to that lesson and complete it independently, as they are able. It is often times a joy to see children who have already mastered a particular concept or lesson, offering assistance to a child that is just starting on a particular concept or journey. It is in these moments that leadership begins to develop, empathy begins to bloom, and children are able to see themselves in ways that they would not necessarily see themselves (and may not see themselves outside of school). This reminds me of another story where there was a family of three children and the age difference between the oldest of the three and the youngest was likely approximately 10 years. The youngest child, who joined my classroom for a few years was viewed as the baby at home, and understandably so, however, in the classroom she was no baby! She was helpful, curious, capable, able to work independently, help other children, and was always willing and ready to be a helper because she was her authentic self towards her peers. I distinctly remember at the first parent teacher conference of that year, the parents reported they could not believe the growth they had seen in their child in such a short period of time and they knew that the reason for this growth was because of the opportunities available in the Montessori classroom for their child to flourish in her own space and in her own time, without feeling like a baby. This was her space to grow and shine! I saw this happen for countless students, not just in family structures like the one that I mentioned, but even in homes where only children existed or, environments where some of the traditional family structures were not present. The Montessori community provided these children with opportunities for learning in a safe environment that provided hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of rich learning experiences in a caring environment that encouraged all of the best from each student.
Many times, I heard parents voice their concerns regarding having their child in the same classroom for three consecutive years. Here is “the thing“, each year in the Montessori classroom is a different experience for the child. While the classroom essentially remains the same, the child changes and as the child changes more capable, additional opportunities become available for them in the classroom: academically, socially, and physically! When children are well connected to their environments, the people within, and the activities available; the child is able to fly! By this I mean children are able to have experiences at a different level when their basic needs are met. Each year in the classroom, the children’s experience will be different: in the first year the child does a lot of simpler activities, observation by their own choice, and absorbing as much as they can like a sponge, naturally! In the second year, the child often grows in a significant way physically and begins to put some of these bigger concepts together in interesting ways and starts to ask questions that they could not form previously, and offers help to others and starts to show interest in leading in the classroom. By the start of the third year, the child usually rises to the occasion as one of the older students in the room and moves along into larger, more challenging, more in depth (and often abstract) lessons and activities that feed their desire to learn and see activities to completion. They often provide a variety of assistance in the classroom. They move along into larger, more challenging lessons and activities that meet their desire to learn and see activities to completion. They often provide a variety of assistance in the classroom, naturally. They may request opportunities to help the teachers, the environment or even other students. To see a child rise to the occasion of a third-year student, is really something to see! When parents share their concerns regarding boredom by the third year, this is not something I have witnessed.
Why I Love Montessori...a few (ok 15!) of COUNTLESS reasons.
If you did not already know, I am madly in love with Montessori. I love it as a educational modality, as an approach to raising children at home, and as a way of helping children develop an understanding of the world in ways that other modalities may not present or support.
15 Anticipated Outcomes for Children Involved in Montessori Programs and Experiences:
Problem solver
Critical thinker
Self-reliant
Confident
Independent
Caring
Empathetic
Authentic
Love of learning
Curiosity about the world
Joyful
Leader
Team player
Collaborative
Intrinsically motivated
For an in-depth exploration on these outcomes, check out my full article on the blog: https://www.homedayhero.com/blog-1/2020/1/25/inviting-montessori-theory
Are you considering a Montessori program for your child? Are you looking into how to infuse Montessori-based experiences and activities in your home? Stacey can help! Reach out to inquire about consultation packages: info@homedayhero.com