International Montessori Council / IMC Members Resource Library: Building Community

A Case for Multi-age Grouping
Montessori identified multi-age grouping as a key variable in perpetuating a positive environment for individual and collaborative learning and social development. During the past year, in my observations at the lab school at Xavier University, I have encjoyed focusing on what an integral part this aspect of the Montessori philosophy plays in the education of our children. One morning, for example, I observed two nine-year-olds teaching a lesson on prepositions to two seven-year-olds. They clearly modeled their lesson on the teacher with all the appropriate concrete material. Their students were very responsive, and later lessons reflected their grasp of the concepts presented. That same morning I observed an eight-year-old advising a seven-year-old how to find out how to spell the word 'yesterday'. It interested me that the eight-year-old was reaffirming strategies that he himself had recently developed. Within that same hour, I also saw a eight-year-old gently guiding a six-year-old to the assignment board. The older child showed the young how to select work and how to get started on it. On another day, I observed a lovely interaction between a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old who were exploring the long bead chains together. Listening to them, it was apparant that the younger child was exploring counting to one hundred and one thousand, and delighted in marking his work by a hundred square and a thousand cube. The older child, on the other hand, was exploring the powers of numbers: e.g. 102 = 100 and 103 = 1,000. The two were not simply working side-by-side; they were talking together and sharing insights with each other. Psychologists and experts in educational reform refer to this as cutting edge educational reform: "collaborative mixed-age learning." The scene reflected the positive and diverse learning experiences promoted by multi-age grouping. What are the children getting out of this cooperative situation? The inquisitive six-year-old (with no older siblings) has possibly found a role model in his older friend. Psychologist Dennis Milburn stresses the importance of this when he claims that "the seeming advantage of multi-age grouping for younger children may stem from emulation. Perhaps younger children in such groups strive to attain the academic levels they actually see older children attain." At the same time, the older child has the opportunity to be a teacher and a nurturing older brother figure. Socially, they both have the opportunity to develop a relationship based on interest rather than age. Viewing these two children deeply absorbed in their work, one could appreciate that the same Montessori educational learning material can be explored and re-explored at different levels. From this busy, yet peaceful scene, it was apparant to me that mixed age grouping fosters more collaboration than competition. Differences in age are compounded by differences in interests and abilities in this child-centered classroom so that competition becomes irrelevent. After all, who are we competing against and for what? While observing, it was very apparant that an essential part of the multi-age grouping is the small group lessons. During this particular morning a observation, (one of the teachers) Jayne was guiding a group of eight children through an exploration of the Ivory Coast countries of Africa. With only eight children in the lesson, Jayne wasx able to engage each child in some type of interactive response regarding the geography lesson presented. She was also able to gauge the understanding of each child so that she could provide individual follow-up lessons later if necessary. While this lesson was being conducted, Paula Osbun, an elementary class intern (student teacher), was exploring roots in a botany lesson with younger children. Interestingly enough, when children were asked what they knew about root parts, most of them could identify the root hairs, root caps, and primary and secondary roots because they had been listening and absorbing the information when this lesson was presented the previous day to an older group of children. Again, this was a tribute to a multi-age group classroom, where children have the opportunity to see material presented at various levels. In many schools that do group multi-age groups together, the classes just span two grade levels, whereas Montessori schools almost always group three age-levels together (ages 3 to 6, 6 to 9, 9 to 12, etc.). The Head Teacher in the Lab School class that I observed this year, Jayne Katham, sees having children for three years as a distinct advantage. As she explained, "There is no time wasted in the beginning of the year becoming acquainted with an entirely new class. Only a third of the children are new each fall. There is truly time to become acquainted with the needs and interests of each child, deal with problems, and ensure success. From the teacher's point of view, it is gratifying to see so much 'come together' for a child over the three years that we spend together."

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The success of this model may be the reason why the Montessori education system has been so popular as a choice for public school systems wanting to organize a multi-age model in new Magnet Schools. The teacher training is well developed and the wealth of consistent learning materials is ready to go when a new school is being organized. It makes it possible to set up child-centered educational programs with clearly defined guidelines already in place. Montessori also affords a great collaboration between teachers all over the world because of the international similarities of the format and philosophy found in all Montessori schools. Both my children (who were Montessori students in Australia and are attending Montessori school in Cincinnati) and I have been amazed that the classrooms we have been in this year could very well be in Perth, Western Australia. As part of my research, I interviewed the elementary students here at the Xavier University Lab School to see what they thought about the three-year multi-age grouping found in all Montessori classes. Frankly, because they had all grown up in the Montessori system and had never experienced anything else, I didn't anticipate that they would have any strong reflections on the matter. Contrary to my assumptions, the children's comments showed that they were not only aware of the differences between the traditional one grade-level classroom and what they experience in Montessori, but really appreciate the value of being in a class organized this way. When I asked them, "What do you see as the advantages or disadvantages of being in a multi-age classroom?", some of the responses were: 1. "Older ones help me." 2. "We can learn from younger people." 3. "Sometimes I learn things I've forgotten from watching lessons with younger children." 4. "Games are more fun." 5. "Having older children in the class is like having more teachers." 6. "There is a bigger range of choice of friends and of work." 7. "It's easier to make friends." The children could not think of any disadvantages to multi-age grouping. Could this be because this is a preferable environment for children? In summary, the advantage of a multi-aged classroom is that it provides each child a chance to be a teacher and we should remember the theory posted on the Lab School bulletin board which states that, "We remember 95% of what we teach someone else." Multi-age grouping allows the child an opportunity to explore a subject or a material at a variety of levels. It promotes collaborative learning rather than competition. It caters for individual interests, needs, and learning styles. In other words, it follows the child's pace, rhythm, and interests. The system of multi-age grouping that is so obviously so benificial to children must be taken seriously by anyone responsible for their education. At the time this was written for Tomorrow's Child, Gay Ward was a graduate student then completing her Master's degree in Montessori education from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She came to Xavier from Perth, Australia where her children began their Montessori education. References Dalhmeier, Crystal. (1993). Position Paper for Multi-Age Grouping for the American Montessori Society. Hart, Susan. Collaborative Classrooms. Booth, T.; Swann, W.; Masterdon, M.; Potts, P.; (eds.) (1992) Learning for All. Rutledge for the Open University. Lodish, Richard. The Pros and Cons of Multi-Aged Grouping. Fogarty, R. (ed.) (1993). The Multi-Age Classroom. Palatine, Ill.: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc. Milburn, Dennis. A Study of Multi-Age or Family Grouped Classrooms. Fogarty, R. (ed.) (1993). The Multi-Age Classroom. Palatine, Ill.: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc.