Montessori Information
“Early in the twentieth century Dr. Maria Montessori, one of Italy’s first female physicians, developed educational materials and methods based on her belief that children learn best by doing, not by passively accepting other people’s ideas and pre-existing knowledge. It was an innovative concept. This idea of learning promotes the active personal pursuit of many different experiences: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. With the materials Montessori devised, an environment in which such learning takes place can be created.
Montessori believed learning should occur in multi-age classrooms where children at various stages of development learn from and with each other. Her developmentally appropriate approach was designed to fit each child instead of making each child fit the program.
Montessori teachers know that children learn more by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, and exploring, than by just listening. American Montessori Society (AMS) teacher education centers prepare them to create dynamic, interactive learning environments that encourage each child to reason, cooperate, collaborate, negotiate, and to understand. Their goal is the development of an autonomous individual, competent in all areas of life.”
Dr. Montessori observed that children learn best during "sensitive periods" or when they are ready, and not just when the teacher decides it is time for them to learn. For example, children learn to walk during their own "sensitive period" for walking, whether this occurs at eight or eighteen months. This same principle applies to academic learning. Some children are ready to learn reading at age four, and if forced to wait until they are six, it may actually be more difficult for them to learn. Some children on the other hand are not ready to learn reading until age eight or nine, when reading suddenly becomes "easy" for them. These children need to be affirmed and encouraged, so they continue to enjoy learning while waiting for natural maturation to occur.
It is the job of the professional staff to be observant, and know when it is time for your child to be introduced to new materials in the various academic areas. The broad range of materials available in the Montessori mixed age classrooms, allows for these natural differences between children, and encourages their independent progression in all subject areas at their own developmental levels. The Montessori School of Bowling Green provides a viable and effective alternative for your child's early childhood and elementary education.
Multi-Age Grouping
Educational theory and research indicate that learning is an individual process - in time frame, style, and interests - and that children learn from one another.
(Hart, p. 20; Healy, p.283; and Gardner, p. 11)
Even though most schools are organized by homogeneous, single-age groupings, research has not found this to be beneficial. Conversely, heterogeneous grouping, by ability and age avoids identification of slow students, and improves peer culture, resulting in peer instruction, peer modeling, and peer reinforcing.
(Brookover, p. 11)
Montessori education theory supports multi-age grouping, and Montessori teachers have implemented it for over 100 years. This concept has recently moved into the mainstream due to the work of many educational theorists, researchers, and practitioners. Several states and early childhood organizations are recommending or requiring multi-age grouping in preschool and elementary settings.
Strategies and Implementation:
While the success of multi-age grouping has been demonstrated, it is helpful to analyze specific methods and practices as a guide:
- Children learn from one another. This can be seen in family and play situations where children are free to observe and interact in a variety of activities. Young children learn higher-level cognitive and social skills not only through mental development, but also by observing others as models.
- Multi-age grouping usually incorporates a three-year age span based on similarities in physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
- Children from birth to age 6 respond most positively to environments with concrete, sequential materials, which help them interact with and learn about the limits and realities of their world.
- Six to twelve year olds are interested in the world around them, utilize a more complex cognitive style, and are highly social. The use of reason forms the basis for the development of imagination, which leads to a lifelong love of learning.
- For the twelve to eighteen year olds there are not key learning materials, but instead key experiences, which enable the young adult to explore the world of human affairs, community, and culture. Interdependence (through interaction) supports the development of personality as well as exploration of ways that each can make contributions to the world.
- Each group of children remains together in the same environment and with the same teaching team for three years. Therefore, only one-third of the group is new each year, enabling children and teachers to get to know one another very well. This avoids the yearly stress children often face of new teachers, new rules, and new expectations. For the teachers, it offers the opportunity to know each child very well and follow each child’s development over time, personalizing instruction.
- Multi-age grouping helps children develop a sense of community and supports social development. Older children act as models and (sometimes) teachers of younger children. This aids development of personality, collaboration, and cooperation. There is less anxious competition because all children are not expected to have identical skills and perform equally. This leads to respect for the individuality of each person in the group and recognition that each child has unique strengths and contributions to offer the group. Comparisons are not made and cooperation is encouraged, thus accommodating the uneven development, which is especially evident in the birth to eight age range.
- Multi-age grouping encourages peer teaching, which helps the child both as teacher and learner. As groups are working, the adult teacher has time for individual or small group instruction.
- Children work at their own levels, which may vary in different curriculum areas. Groups are flexible and often differ, depending on interest, subject matter, and/or ability. Children learn from the many activities within the environment and often find interest in the work of another child or group of children. Because they see the older children interacting successfully with the advanced curriculum, children don’t develop fears of succeeding in higher grades.
- Collaborative learning is encouraged. This occurs not only when a teacher has formed a group for a specific lesson, but also often happens without specific, assigned groups. Spontaneous grouping can occur when the teacher suggests that a child ask another for assistance (Hart, p. 11).
- Curriculum and materials are multidimensional and concrete, especially for children from birth to age eight. Children re-explore the same materials at different levels. For example, a group of geometric solid figures can first be sensorially explored, then named, matched to others, duplicated using paper, pencil and scissors, and eventually explored mathematically and geometrically. This repetition aids in the true understanding and helps negate the current belief that a topic is studied, tested, and then forgotten. The repetition also encourages children to assume responsibility for their own learning, makes them more self aware and thus able to see and correct their own errors.
- Multi-age grouping lends itself well to inclusion of children with special needs into classrooms with typically developing peers. The benefits of inclusion for all children have been demonstrated, and they range across all developmental and educational domains (Esposito, 1987; Thompson, et. Al. 1993).