Next week we will host a presentation for parents of our
toddlers who will be moving up to
our Early Childhood program in the fall.
One of the biggest differences their children will experience will be
that of a multi-aged environment.
We see the tremendous benefits of this environment every day,
and I thought sharing the highlights of these would be advantageous for all
readers.
A multi-aged environment provides:
Natural Life Setting/Real World Preparation
Families are made up of different age groupings; it is natural
for a classroom environment too.
Our classes function like a family unit.
Children learn to collaborate and solve problems together.
The real-world setting encompasses different ages, abilities and
social expectations.
Children are prepared to function in the real world.
Experiential/Individualized Learning
By the nature of different ages and developmental skill sets,
children are provided the opportunity to learn at their own pace.
Expectations are tailored to each child’s readiness and
capabilities.
Comparisons are eliminated, and children develop pride in their
own accomplishments.
Character Building Opportunities
Patience and tolerance are developed. Older children learn to understand the needs
of a younger child.
Older students developing leadership skills through role
modeling.
Younger children look up to and admire their older classmates
and aspire to be able to do as they do, which increases confidence.
Peer Teaching
Older students are given opportunities to teach younger children
and solidify their own learning by so doing.
Younger students see that not only teachers can teach.
“The main
thing is that the groups should contain different ages, because it has great
influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the
relations of the children among themselves. You cannot imagine how well a young
child learns from an older child: how patient the older child is with the
difficulties of the younger.”
Dr. Maria Montessori, The Child, Society and the World
