We need to stop grouping children by age
Montessori knew the power of a mixed-age classroom
In traditional classrooms, children are grouped by age starting in kindergarten. Even daycare centers tend to follow this model, keeping all the two-year-olds together, all the three-year-olds, and so on.
But in Montessori classrooms, you will find kids of different ages working and socializing together.
You might see an older child showing a younger one how to complete an activity. Or you might witness a younger student marveling at what their older classmates can accomplish.
Rather than grouping kids by age, Montessori groups are based on each child’s stage of development.
Babies and toddlers learn in the same space before graduating to Children’s House, designed for ages 2.5 to 6. From there, they move into elementary groups (for ages 6-9 and 9-12). And at Guidepost, we extend this framework even further with multi-age middle and high school programs.
This isn’t the norm — in fact, in some parts of the country, grouping students by age is actually mandated by law. After all, a few years makes a big difference. How could a 5-year-old benefit from being in class with a 3-year-old?
But multi-age grouping isn’t a bug in Montessori’s system. It’s a feature:
Why Montessori chose multi-age classrooms
Dr. Maria Montessori based every part of her method on a deep understanding of what children need, and what they’re capable of given the right supports.
Her observations led to defining the planes of child development. In her research, she discovered four developmental planes:
Each stage is completely different — mentally and physically. For instance, the support a child needs in infancy looks different from what they need during their childhood years. And the support a child needs in the first half of the infancy stage (development) is different from the support they need in the second half (consolidation).
This is why children’s house runs from ages 2.5-6 — because it corresponds with the second half of the first stage.
In other words, Montessori groups children based on their developmental stage — not their numerical age.
Her curriculum, then, is able to take into account a child’s actual developmental needs, leading to numerous benefits:
The benefits of multi-age classrooms
Older students mentor younger students
In an environment with a range of ages, there are always opportunities for a child to “graduate” from observer to leader.
Older students take great pride in being trusted to assist their younger peers.
Not only is it a great confidence boost, but it also allows them to deepen their own mastery. The process of passing on a skill — demonstrating, communicating effectively, reminding oneself of the specific steps, and knowing how to correct mistakes — reinforces a child’s own learning.
It’s also an excellent way for older kids to build patience and empathy, as they learn how to help others by sharing their expertise with younger children.
Younger students observe older students
Multi-age classrooms give younger students the chance to learn not just from a guide’s instruction but also from the examples set by their older peers.
Children learn a great deal simply by observing and imitating. Including older students in the classroom means that younger children are surrounded by guides! They can observe how an older student politely asks the guide a question and then copy that behavior themselves.
This type of environment also motivates young students to practice and achieve mastery over their tasks. After all, they look forward to the day when they can do the same work as the older kids. Their innate belief is that “If they can do it, someday I will, too!”
Multi-age mimics the real world
Outside of school, in what other areas of life are we surrounded by only people of our same age? None that we can think of — because the real world is incredibly diverse.
By combining multiple ages into one classroom, the Montessori method creates a similarly diversified environment. Students receive exposure to a variety of interests and skills, and they build confidence by working in multi-age groups, which will later translate to their careers.
Think about it like this: workplaces are made up of employees of all different ages, and younger workers learn from those who are more experienced. At the same time, less experienced staffers often have unique and valuable perspectives to offer. Therefore, multi-age departments and teams must collaborate to solve problems — and Montessori children are well-equipped for the challenge.
Students develop a growth mindset
Both older and younger kids have the opportunity to develop a growth mindset by observing all three years of the learning process in one classroom.
A growth mindset — the attitude that valuable skills and traits aren’t born but come from learning and effort — is incredibly important for future success.
While it’s not always easy for children to comprehend their own growth from year to year, the multi-age classroom makes that developmental trajectory more apparent. Again, kids naturally shift from observer to leader, building their self-esteem.
In other words, Montessori students learn that neither ability nor intelligence is fixed, and skills can be developed over time.
Students learn at their own pace
Montessori students have more time to explore academic concepts based on their interests and readiness.
So, rather than a classroom of 4-year-olds being directed to practice phonics all at once, a comparable Montessori class would have 4-year-olds working on any number of language activities based on their varying choices and experience levels.
Moreover, if a Montessori 3-year-old is ready for more advanced language work, she won’t be held back by a classroom agenda. On the other hand, if a 5-year-old is struggling with language, they have access to more one-on-one support than they would in a traditional school.
At our school, we occasionally accelerate elementary students to middle or high school math because — they’re ready! And the multi-age classroom environment makes this a natural, exciting transition.
When kids aren’t held back by grade levels, they’re free to learn something new and then run over to their age-matched or younger friends and teach them, too. There’s no pressure to be in lockstep with their peers, so they can learn at their own pace.
No two children are exactly alike, and their education should reflect that.
How multi-age classrooms work
All of this sounds great, you think, but how is it even possible to manage a multi-age classroom?
The key is that Montessori students are highly independent.
Because they can move at their own pace through an individualized curriculum, there’s no need to group kids by age. Far from being shuffled through a one-size-fits-all educational model, students get to experience mentorship, leadership, and developmental growth in their own time.
In short, Montessori makes it possible to group children more diversely (and reap all the social and emotional benefits) because their curriculum is so individualized.
As parents, it’s exciting to witness this classroom dynamic — and our kids love it, too.
☀️ This week’s bright spots:
If you have one minute… Watch this video about why grouping kids by age is false socialization.
If you have five minutes… Read Matt’s thread on why 3rd-graders should be allowed to take math with 10th-graders.
If you have ten minutes… Read our post on how we determine when a child is ready to move up to the next level (since we don’t use age as an arbitrary measure of readiness!).