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

Helping your Toddler on their Path of Development

Parents today are constantly surrounded by images and ideas of what their children should or shouldn’t have and it can be overwhelming trying to decide what is best for their child’s development. Every parent wants to make good decisions when it comes to the items you choose to bring into your home, but how do we know which ones are more or less beneficial than others?

Top 3 Winter Activities for Toddlers

We know that when schools are closed and children are at home for the holidays, it can sometimes be a challenge to come up with new, interesting ideas of things to do with your toddler. Here we have compiled a list of our three favorite winter-themed activities that consist of simple steps and only require materials that you probably already have around the house.

IMSP’s LIDOVÉ NOVINY

Introducing IMSP’s LIDOVÉ NOVINY, a Czech-language newspaper written, edited, and assembled by our Upper Elementary students. This project was inspired by renowned Czech writer Karel Čapek. Čapek, best known for inventing the word „robot“, was beloved for his versatile and multi-genre pieces. Bouncing between modern fairytales, short stories, travel-logs, and biographical work, Čapek also had a particular affinity for the feuilleton, a short newspaper essay designed, not only to inform the reader, but to amuse them as well.

Supporting Independence in the Toddler Child

In Montessori education, we often speak about independence. Helping raise children into confident adults is a priority for all of us – but why is independence so important and how do we nurture it in even our youngest learners?

Montessori Sensorial Materials Lead to Sensory Awareness

The materials in the Sensorial area of the Montessori classroom are quite unique – they speak to the tactile observer in all of us. When you consider the way humans take in information, you realize how often we use more than one sense to explore. Maria Montessori’s work in the Sensorial environment was designed to take advantage of this tendency. Today, I will discuss the materials featured in the Children’s House classroom (ages 3-6).