Dr. Montessori organized her student groupings in multi-age classrooms. The age breakdowns are as follows:
3-6-year-olds in Primary
6-9-year-olds in Lower Elementary
9-12-year-olds in Upper Elementary
12-18 year-olds- Adolescence
18-24 year-olds- Maturity
AMI article on Planes of Development
You Tube video on Planes of Development
If you haven’t ever seen a multi-age classroom in action, it can seem a bit chaotic to the untrained eye. Students of various ages are engaged in a wide variety of activities all over the classroom. Some children are working alone, others in pairs or small groups. They may be working at a table, or on a work rug, or gathered around a lesson table receiving a new lesson. Students are encouraged to ask other students if they have questions before they ask an adult. Needless to say, a fully functioning Montessori classroom can be described as a “hive of activity.”
The beauty- and maybe some of the magic- of a Montessori environment is that with the three-year cycle, all of this activity is easily managed and well understood by the participants in the classroom. When students are in the same classroom for three years, they are able to fully immerse themselves into the environment. They know where things are and where they belong. They understand the expectations set before them. They know how to go about problem-solving. And, ultimately, they feel as though they have ownership in their environment which can be very empowering.
In a Montessori three-year cycle, each child gets an opportunity to experience each of the levels of the classroom. They will be part of the youngest group their first year in the classroom. Next, they will be part of the “middle child” group. And finally, they will be part of the eldest group. These are the same roles they may have in their families. However, in the classroom, they get to experience each level. In a family setting, they will always be the youngest, the middle, or the eldest.
The ability for children to interact with peers of different ages is an incredible asset. It fosters a deeper sense of community, pride, collaboration and teamwork. Younger students observe the advanced work that the older students are doing and strive to challenge themselves to reach that same level. Older students reminisce about works they see younger students doing and can offer support, encouragement, and suggestions. Teachers can rely on each of the different age groups to help support the overall structure, flow, and community of the class as a whole. This multi-age dynamic benefits everyone involved.
Students who are learning in a homeschool setting, or a learning pod can also experience and benefit from the multi-age grouping model. When siblings or pod members are of different ages, those children can benefit in the same ways I have described above. They may not get the chance to experience the setting at each of the stages, as they might in a classroom. But, they still get to experience the numerous positive aspects of being part of a multi-age learning environment.
Having taught groups of both single grade, and multi-age, I can say that it has been my experience that the multi-age settings are highly preferable to simple single-grade groupings. If you want to learn more about the benefits of multi-age settings, resources are included at the end of this article.
It may seem intimidating to be an adult that must facilitate students’ learning in a multi-age setting. However, with the right organizational tools, a thoughtfully prepared environment, some intentional long-term planning, and a good dose of trust in the process and in each of the members of the group, (yourself included) it can absolutely be done!
You Tube video about multi-age groupings
Guidepost Montessori article on multi-age classrooms
Hollis Montessori article on Multi-age groupings