Benefits of Mixed Age Group in a Montessori Environment

“What Matters is to mix the ages; our schools show that children of different ages help one another…there is a communication between the two that one seldom finds between the adult and the small child.”
Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

New parents are often surprised when we share with them the philosophy of mixed age classrooms in a Montessori. They are intrigued that the children in a classroom are of a range of 2 ½ years to 6 years.
We are in an age where in a non-Montessori or traditional classroom, children are grouped within a very narrow span of age, one year to be precise.
However when we look at any group in our society, other than the children in a classroom, we will find it consists of people of varied age range. It is natural for people of different ages to be together and be friends too. It is only in a classroom that there is such a narrow range.

So what are some of the benefits of a mixed age classroom?

1. Social Development and Leadership
   When there are children of different age groups, they look out for each other much better as their needs are very different and they are not competing for the same thing. The older ones take care of the younger and the younger ones learn to look up to their older peer. Here is a healthy social set up which leads to social development.

2. Peer Learning and Mentoring

 We have materials in the classroom and each group works with materials relevant to them such that all the children’s need is catered to at the same time. When the younger child sees the older one working with a material, it intrigues the child enough to want to do it and the younger one is naturally attracted to the higher level activity and strives to do more. The older child’s dexterity induces the younger one to reach the same level.
The older child, when tired of the more abstract work can get back to ‘baby work’ which is available in the same environment.
So, it is relevant to have mixed age group which stimulates the older child to be more helpful, the younger one to reach for higher potential and weaves a strong social fabric which is very helpful to build a strong society.

Contributed by:
1)Sujata R Kumar , Assistant Director
Indian Montessori Training Centre

2)Neha Kotecha Rao
Our Montessori House