Mentorship in our classrooms: Why Mixed Ages Work

Have you ever noticed the mixed-age classrooms in a Montessori school and wondered why? This is a specific design that allows younger children to benefit from having older peers as role models and mentors and enables older children to step into leadership roles. This model mirrors real-world experiences where people of different ages work together and learn from each other.

In our IMSP classrooms, older students relish and value the opportunity to be leaders, sometimes stepping into a teaching role. Mentoring their younger friends increases the independence and competence of the older students. This model is also beneficial to the younger children as they look to older students to be role models and helpers. They know that they can count on them for help and, because of this, they can accomplish tasks they may not be able to do independently yet.

As a whole, children can cooperate rather than compete, creating an environment of learners who support and care for each other. Check out this video to see Montessori mentorship in action!

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

STARTING PRESCHOOL: HOW TO HANDLE SAYING GOODBYES?

Comments

Další články

Our Life in Lockdown

We have all had our fair share of complaining about the situation we have found ourselves in since last Spring, but in this article, I wanted to concentrate on the positives this has brought to us.

Positive Language: How to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’

“Life can become much easier, simply by changing the words that we use” - Alicia Eaton, AMI Montessori Teacher and Child behavioral specialist

Learning Mathematics in our Primary Classrooms

Maria Montessori often stated that not only does every human being have an innate drive to understand the environment around them, we all also naturally have what she called a “Mathematical Mind”. In the Montessori classroom, mathematical learning begins through indirect preparation long before a child is ever introduced to any Math materials.

Forest Exploration with Toddlers

At IMSP we are fortunate enough to have access to a forest right on our doorstep. This offers invaluable opportunities for our toddlers to explore the natural world with the support of their guides. Interaction with the natural environment provides mental and physical health benefits for children and adults alike and allows children to be inspired by the world around them, away from their usual home or classroom environments.

Mindful Walks and Experiential Learning in Elementary

Maria Montessori used to walk through the forests in India pulling leaves from trees to teach about their function and structure, digging in the soil to demonstrate the ubiquitousness of life, examining root systems and connecting them to academic ideas.