Montessori Basics: The Benefits of Multi-Age Grouping

One hallmark of a Montessori education is the use of multi-age classrooms.  Infants and toddlers may be together or separate, with a toddler classroom serving children 18 months to three years.  Primary classrooms are for children ages 3-6, with preschool and kindergarten-aged children together.  The elementary years serve children ages 6-12; some schools separate into lower (6-9) and upper (9-12) elementary, while many split elementary into two groups.  Even Montessori middle- and high-school students learn in multi-age classrooms.

While Montessori is not the only type of education that utilizes this approach, it’s not what most people are used to.  What are the benefits of structuring a classroom this way?  Read on to learn more...

Learning at an Individual Pace

Children in multi-age classrooms tend to have a little more flexibility when it comes to mastering skills within a specific timeframe.  We know that learning is not linear, and that learners have periods of significant growth, plateaus, and even the occasional regression.  In multi-age classrooms, children are typically able to work at their own pace without the added pressure of keeping up with the whole group, or even being held back by the whole group.  

When children in a classroom range in ages, everyone has someone they can work with, regardless of their skill level.  Children don’t feel left behind if they struggle with a concept, and they also don’t feel bored by repetition of something they have already mastered.  Teachers who teach in multi-age classrooms typically have deep knowledge for a range of developmental abilities, leaving them well-equipped to differentiate instruction for each individual child.

Building Stronger Relationships

Traditionally children move from one class to the next each year.  This means not only a new set of academic expectations, different routines, and different classroom structures, but a different teacher.  

In multi-age classrooms teachers have a longer period of time to get to know a student and their family, and vice versa.  When teachers really get to know a student, they are able to tailor instruction in regards to both content and delivery.  They know how to hook a specific child onto a topic or into a lesson.  They know what kind of environment a child needs to feel successful.

Parents have an opportunity to get to know teachers better this way, too.  If your child has the same teacher for two or three years, the lines of communication are strengthened.  Parents get to know the teacher’s style and expectations.  The home to school connection becomes more seamless, and the biggest beneficiary is the child.

Mentors and Leaders

When a child spends multiple years in the same class they are afforded two very special opportunities.  

Children who are new to the class are fortunate enough to be surrounded by helpful peer mentors.  Children often learn best from one another, and they seek to do so naturally.  First and second year students watch as the older children enjoy advanced, challenging work, and this inspires them.  They look to the older children for guidance, and the older children are happy to provide it.  

After a year or two in the same room, students have a chance to practice leadership skills.  In Montessori classrooms, the older children are often seen giving lessons, helping to clean up spills, or reaching out a comforting hand to their younger friends.

The best part is kids make the transition from observer to leader in their own time.  It doesn’t happen for all children at the same time, but when it does it’s pretty magical to observe.  

Mirroring Real-Life

There is no other area in life in which people are split into groups with others who are exactly their chronological age.  Whether in the family, the workforce or elsewhere, people ultimately need to coexist with people older and younger than themselves.  Doing so makes for a more enriching environment, replete with a variety of ideas and skills.  

Why not start the experience with young children in school?

Moving On

While staying in the same class for multiple school years has many benefits, a child will eventually transition into a new class.  While this can feel bittersweet (for everyone involved!) children are typically ready when it is time.

The Montessori approach is always considering what is most supportive of children depending on their development.  When formulating how to divide children into groupings, Maria Montessori relied on her ideas about the Planes of Development.  There are very distinctive growth milestones children tend to reach at about age 3, another set around age 6, and yet another at age 12.  The groupings in our schools are intentional, and they give kids a chance to feel comfortable in their community, while also preparing them to soar forward when the time is right.

Montessori Basics: The Planes of Development

Maria Montessori based her entire educational philosophy on the idea that children develop through a series of four planes.  Each of these planes is easy to recognize and has clear, defining characteristics.  If we study and understand these stages, we can approach our interactions with children with a new perspective.  

Learning about the planes of development isn’t just for Montessori educators.  Understanding your child’s development can help at home, too.  

The First Plane: birth-6 years

During this stage children absorb everything like sponges.  They are, indeed, excellent examples if what Montessori called ‘The Absorbent Mind.’  This is a time in which we are able to utilize what Montessori called sensitive periods of learning.  While each child is different, there are typical patterns that emerge in regards to brain development and general readiness to learn particular skills. 

During the first three years of this plane, all learning is done outside of the child’s conscious mind.  They learn by exploring their senses and interacting with their environment.  During the second half of the plane, from about 3-6 years, children enter the conscious stage of learning.  They learn by using their hands, and specialized materials in the Montessori classroom were developed with this consideration.

During this time, children have a wonderful sense of order.  They are methodical and can appreciate the many steps involved in practical life lessons in their classrooms.  The organization of the works on their classroom shelves is intentional, which appeals again to this sense of order.

The first plane is a time in which children proclaim, “I can do it myself”; it is a time of physical independence.

The Second Plane: 6-12 years

During the elementary years children begin to look outside themselves.  They suddenly develop a strong desire to form peer groups.  Previously, during the first plane, a child would be content to focus on their own work while sitting near others.  In the second plane, a child is compelled to actually work with their friends.  It is during this time that children are ready to learn about collaboration.

During the second plane there is a sudden and marked period of physical growth.  This may be a contributing factor to the observation that many children of this age seem to lack an awareness of their body, often bumping into things and knocking things over.  Children begin to lose their teeth around this time as well.  Their sense of order and neatness tend to fade a bit during this plane.

Throughout the second plane, children’s imaginations are ignited.  Since Montessori education is based in reality, we find ways to deliver real information to children through storytelling and other similar methods.  For example, when teaching children about the beginnings of our universe, Montessori schools use what is called a Great Lesson.  The first Great Lesson is a dramatic story, told to children with the use of props, experiments, and dramatics (think: a black balloon filled with glitter is popped to illustrate the Big Bang, with bits of paper in a dish of water used while talking about particles gathering together).  This lesson is fascinating for children in the way it is presented, but gives them basic information about the solar system, states of matter, and other important concepts.

Children in the second plane have a voracious appetite for information, and are often drawn strongly to what we in Montessori call the cultural subjects: science, history, and geography.  While we support their rapid language and mathematical growth during this time, we are also responsible for providing them with a variety of rich cultural lessons and experiences.

It is important to note that children develop a sense of moral justice at this time.  They are very concerned with what is fair, and creating the rules to a new game is often as important (if not more so) than playing the actual game itself.

This is the period of time in which children are striving for intellectual independence.

The Third Plane: 12-18

The third plane of development encompasses the adolescent years.  During the second plane, children become aware of social connections, but in the third plane they are critical.  During this time children rely heavily on their relationships with their peers.  They feel a strong desire to remain independent from adults, although they are not quite ready to do this entirely.  It is our job to find ways that allow them to experiment with independence while also providing a safe structure in which they may do so.

Children in the third plane tend to require more sleep, and they sleep later than when they were younger.  They long for authentic learning experiences, and Dr. Montessori imagined just that.  Her ideas of Erdkinder (children of the earth) led her to contemplate a school setting that would support children’s development during this time.  She imagined a farm school, in which children would work to keep the farm operational, but also contribute to planning and decision making while doing so.  

During the third plane children are refining their moral compass while developing a stronger sense of responsibility.

The Fourth Plane: 18-24

The final plane is a time in which young adults are striving for financial independence.  They are often living away from home for the first time, and use this time to figure out where they fit into their society.  Many make choices to further their education and/or explore career paths.

It is during the fourth plane that people begin to develop a truer sense of who they are as individuals.

Each plane of development should be mindfully nurtured.  If a child is able to experience one developmental phase in a rich and carefully prepared environment, they are ready to fully take on the next phase when it is time.

Montessori Basics: How Math Progresses Through the Levels

You know your four year old loves their classroom and their work.  You know their teachers are guiding them to learn early math skills.  But what, exactly, does that look like?  And how does it change as they get older?  Montessori math materials are nothing short of amazing.  While they look quite different than what we used growing up (pencil and paper?) there are intentional reasons for these methods.  Read on to learn more...

The Basics

Much of the Montessori curriculum is based on giving children exposure to concrete materials first, then giving them incremental opportunities to work to more abstract concepts.  This is no different when it comes to math.

What do we mean by concrete?  The children are able to hold a material in their hands.  The materials are symbolic or representative of something else (a number, perhaps), and that symbolism changes over time until children are ready to let go of the materials and find solutions on paper or even in their heads.  This idea of mastering a skill without the assistance of materials is what we refer to as abstraction. 

What Does Primary (Early Childhood) Math Look Like?

At the primary level math starts out simple, but you may be surprised at how much preschoolers are capable of.  

Even before a child is able to count, they experience the skill using materials like the number rods, a series of blue and red colored wooden rods that are arranged in a stair-like pattern.  Children learn how to count using a variety of materials.  The spindle box is an early material with which children place the correct amount of wooden spindles in compartments labeled 1-9.  Sandpaper numbers (just like their letter counterparts!) teach children how to correctly form each number to develop readiness for writing them on paper.

When a child is ready to learn about basic operations, there are plenty of materials to support them.  Montessori math uses the golden bead material; first to build numbers into the thousands.  For example a single golden bead represents 1, a group of 10 beads are strung together in a straight line for 10, and 100 beads are affixed into a flat square.  The thousand cube is as large as 1,000 of the original single ‘1’ bead.  Once a child is able to build a visual representation of a number, the beads are used to teach basic operations.  Young children are able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers into the thousands using this material.  They first learn with static problems - that is, with no exchanges - and then move on to more complex, dynamic problems.  They quickly learn that ten 1s is equal to one 10, and they do this by holding those numbers in their hands.

Montessori recognizes the importance of memorizing basic facts.  While when we were young we may have used flashcards to drill these facts into our heads, the Montessori approach begins by showing children why we manipulate numbers in different ways.  Young children appreciate the repetitive nature of the materials, which gives them plenty of opportunities to practice  (and memorize!) these facts.  The addition and subtraction strip boards show a child visually what is happening when we add numbers.  The same goes for the multiplication and division bead boards (which use small beads placed in divots on a wooden board to create an array).  

A Period of Overlap

Somewhere between kindergarten and the first year of lower elementary, children are taught to use new math materials depending upon their individual readiness.  The stamp game is a classic example.  

The stamp game material is a sectioned box with small colored tiles sorted inside.  There are labeled green, ‘one’ tiles, blue ‘ten’ tiles, red ‘hundred’ tiles, and green ‘thousand’ tiles.  Instead of holding a large cube that actually shows the relative size of one thousand as they did with the golden beads, they are now representing series of tiles that are all the same size, but are differentiated only by their color and number label.  Like the golden beads, the stamp game material is used to teach all four operations, with children adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing into the thousands.  Some children begin this work in their primary classroom and continue when they reach elementary, while others begin once they enter their lower elementary classroom.

It may be interesting to note that there are some Montessori materials that children spiral back to, over and over again, from ages 3 to 12!  The bead chains are a colorful, quintessential Montessori material.  In the primary classroom, children use them to learn how to count, and perhaps how to skip count.  In a lower elementary classroom they are used for skip counting and to help memorize multiplication facts.  In upper elementary children use them to solidify concepts like squaring and cubing, although they were indirectly preparing for that work for years previously. 

What Does Elementary Math Look Like?

Remember the green, blue, and red tiles of the stamp game?  Montessori refers to those as the hierarchical colors, and they are used to teach children about number series.  They first appear in the stamp game, but they continue to follow the child through lower elementary and into upper elementary until they have a firm grasp on the idea of the simple family of numbers (ones, tens, hundreds), the thousand family (thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands), and so on.

After a child masters operations with the stamp game, they move on to use a material called the bead frame, which can teach addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  It looks a bit like an abacus, but with ten beads on each rod in the hierarchical colors.  After a child masters the bead frame, they are typically ready to add and subtract into the thousands (and beyond!) using just pencil and paper.

To learn larger multiplication problems, children use a material called the checkerboard.  They begin small, but eventually work their way up to problems that have three or four digit multipliers.  For long division, children use a material that goes by different names at different schools: the racks and tubes, aka the test tube material.  Once children master the checkerboard and racks and tubes, they are able to multiply and divide large numbers without materials.

During the elementary years fact memorization continues.  In early lower elementary, many children continue to use the strip boards and bead boards of their primary years, but eventually move on to using finger boards and tables in which they place numbered tiles.  Children notice the patterns numbers make, giving them more tools to memorize their facts.

There’s More!

Of course, math isn’t just about operations.  Montessori students learn about geometry and fractions from an early age. 

Did you know that primary children learn the names of geometric solids?  They can easily identify not just cubes and spheres, but square based pyramids, rectangular prisms, ellipsoids, and more.  As they move into elementary they learn about range of concepts, including studies of angles, triangles, polygons, and so much more.  A third grader can easily identify a right-angled, isosceles triangle.

When it comes to fractions, first graders start out simple with an impressionist lesson involving an apple and a definition of fractions that includes how they must always be fairly divided (the connections between fractions and division are impressed early on).  They next move on to using fraction insets, which look a lot like the metal insets they used for handwriting preparation in their primary classrooms.  Before you know it, many third graders are learning to multiply and divide fractions.

Still Curious?

The best way to really understand Montessori math is to see the materials in action.  Schedule a visit to watch children using them in the classroom, or join us for our upcoming parent education session on Monday, March 26, 2018, 6:00-7:30.  Contact us for more details!  

Check out the stamp game in action:

Bursting the Montessori Bubble

What does "Bursting the Montessori Bubble" mean?

Our culture has long maintained the factory model of education and most of us were raised in that system. We experienced school in same-age classes and were taught the same subjects at the same time.

As children progress through the Montessori program, parents begin to feel the cultural pressures of traditional learning. Will my child be ready for testing? Will they be able to transition? They begin to feel that Montessori education is a protected bubble, not the ”real world” their child will be entering later on in their educational experience.

Have you ever had these same thoughts? Dr. Stephen Hughes, a Pediatric Neuropsychologist, has said in regards to this topic:

“Which is the real bubble? Because the truth is, success in life is not built on a foundation of standardized tests, but on the freedom to make difficult choices and experience their consequences. Success in life is not built on grades and percentages, but on self-awareness and self-improvement. Success in life is not built on artificial competition among same-aged peers, but on the genuine collaboration between generations. Success in life is not built on cheating the system, but on having the wisdom and courage to transform it.”

— Dr. Stephen Hughes

And Dr. Montessori said it herself:

“If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man’s future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual’s total development lags behind?”  ”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

She was ahead of her time!

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Kari Headington is Head of School at Hollis Montessori School.

Montessori and Peace Education

Our world is often a tumultuous and scary place.  How can we help our children feel safe and cared for, while preparing them to lead the way as adults?  How can we cultivate empathy, kindness, gratitude, and the sense of community that helps people work together?

Montessori education has been addressing these issues for over a hundred years.  Sometimes the lessons are direct; at other times they are more subtle.  The mission is always clear: we want children to have a wide view of the world.  We want them to appreciate the diversity of others.  We want them to have the tools to navigate this world peacefully.

How do we approach this critical task?

Montessori schools teach peace both directly and indirectly.  Sure, we talk about peace and its importance openly and frequently.  We talk about what it means and what it looks like and what children can do to become peacekeepers.  But, perhaps more importantly, we model.  Through our words, the tone of our voices, and with our actions, we show children what it means to be peaceful.  They watch our everyday actions and learn so much from them, so why not create constant learning opportunities?

Teaching a Global Perspective

Even from a very young age, Montessori children are taught geography through the lens of the whole world.  They learn about the continents when they are as young as three years old.  These studies often include learning about biomes, instead of an emphasis on political boundaries.  Teaching about the world in this way gives children a sense of the natural world and people as a whole as primary to different countries.

Elementary aged Montessori children enjoy many lessons with timelines.  They learn about the origins of humanity, and studying ancient cultures is fascinating for them. 

Embracing a Variety of Cultures

One important series of lessons in the elementary years teaches the fundamental needs of humans.  Children explore how groups of people around the world and across the ages meet and have met their needs.  Physical needs, such as food, shelter, defense, and transportation are considered, as well as spiritual needs like art and religion.

Giving Them Tools

Montessori teachers are equipped to give children skills to resolve conflicts.  We give children tools such as micro-mediation, and give them the words and actions to express their needs and feelings while listening to those of others.

In Montessori classrooms, children often learn a variety of self-calming strategies.  This might include mindfulness meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, or the use of small hand-held tools such as a finger labyrinth or polished stone. 

Taking the Time

In Montessori classrooms the day is not structured with rigid timed intervals.  For example, there is no predetermined time for math, reading, etc.  This flexible schedule lends itself to shifting courses and having discussions in the moment.

For example, if a group of children are experiencing difficulty resolving a problem together, the teacher is able to stop and sit with them.  Without feeling rushed, they can take the time to figure out what went wrong and how to make it right.  Instead of an adult doling out consequences, we have the time to sit and work through conflict authentically.  

Giving to the Community

As Montessori children get older, they are encouraged to give back to their community.  These acts of charity will often be inspired by the children’s ideas.  Children may collect food and supplies for a local animal shelter, read stories and sing songs to residents of a nursing home, or make and sell baked goods to benefit a cause they believe in.  

By supporting children with logistics, we can encourage them to learn how to be active and supportive members of their communities at a young age.  They learn the importance of volunteering and contribution to others.

Giving back is just one way a child begins their active role as a peaceful member.

What Your Child Will Really Get Out of Montessori

Is it really worth it?

I mean, why should you spend the time, effort, and money to find an authentic Montessori program for your child? Wouldn’t it be easier to just find a good, basic preschool?

For me, the answer is easy - enrolling my children in a Montessori program was one of the best decisions I made as a parent. But, then again, I am a bit biased!

For most parents, however, the question remains: “What will my child really get out of attending a Montessori school?”

Why Your Background Matters

I’m going to go out on a limb - my guess is that you did not attend a Montessori school when you were a child.

This isn’t a problem, of course. You turned out just fine. But, as you consider early education options for your child, your own educational experiences can make the decision a bit difficult.

At first glance, Montessori classrooms don’t look familiar to most people. There are no rows of desks, no blackboards, and no teaching to the entire class. Parents are often intrigued by the peaceful, calm environment and the hum of activity, with young children choosing their own activities and concentrating deeply for long periods of time.

Montessori is so different, however, from traditional programs that it’s natural to leave a bit perplexed. I mean, what is really going on here?

How Other Preschools have it So Easy

I’ll admit it: When I was the Admissions Director I was a bit jealous that most preschools didn’t have to spend a lot of time explaining to parents what they do. The goal of the program is clear - to prepare children for a conventional kindergarten program. 

In a conventional school, your child will need basic academic skills, so they focus on “pre-reading and pre-math” with workbooks, flashcards, and rote memorization. Think ABC and 1-2-3.

In a conventional school, your child will need to adjust to the schedule of a traditional school, so they have activities where everyone does the same thing at the same time. Think group art projects where your child will learn to color within the lines.

In a conventional school, your child will need to learn how to pay attention to one teacher speaking to the group. Think circle times with one teacher talking to all the children together.

There is nothing wrong with this, of course. In a Montessori classroom, however, we believe your child deserves an education that focuses on all aspects of him as a human being.

How Montessori is Different: A Three Word Answer

Education for life.

Rather than just preparing your child for the next step in school, we seek to support his academic, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development.  We want him to be successful at life in the future, not just in kindergarten.

Take a second to imagine your child twenty years from now. What skills will he need to be successful in college, his chosen profession, and in life in general?

Here is a primer. He will need to:

• Know how to regulate his behavior

• Control his impulses

• Learn to plan and strategize

• Hone the ability to problem solve

• Learn to be flexible and course-correct when necessary

• Learn to take initiative

• Develop responsibility

• Engage in depth-based thinking requiring long periods of concentration

• Work collaboratively with peers on projects

Researchers who study the traits of successful adults coined the term for these skills: “executive functions”.

These executive function skills, which are so important to life’s success, must be continually developed, day in and day out, or else they will not materialize. They result from the way an activity is done and the time spent doing it – pushing oneself to do better and better.

The Link Between Montessori and Executive Functions

Research comparing children attending inner-city Montessori schools with those attending traditional schools was conducted by University of Virginia professor, Dr. Angeline Lillard, and was published in the prestigious journal, Science, in September 2006.  

The result?

Montessori students rated higher on “executive function skills”- skills like selective attention, self-control, problem-solving, reasoning and not getting into trouble.

On behavioral and social tests, 5-year-old Montessori children scored higher than their peers from conventional schools, showing that they had a greater sense of fairness and justice; out on the playground, they were more likely to engage more in emotionally positive play with their peers and less in roughhousing.

And, yes, your child will still be ready academically for elementary school, whether in Montessori or any other program. The same study found that among the 5-year-olds who were studied, Montessori children were better prepared to enter first grade with stronger reading and math skills than children in traditional schools.

The Choice is Yours

Is Montessori worth it? You decide. You, as the parent, are charged with raising your child in the best way you see fit. What do you value? What kind of adult do you want your child to become? There is a multitude of options available to you. Think carefully and choose well.

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Camille Campbell is one of the founders and the former Admissions Director at Hollis Montessori School. Her two daughters are Hollis Montessori graduates and are now thriving in college.