Multi-age Learning
Tropical Storm Henri gave us a rainy forcast, which meant that we needed some fun things to keep our bodies and minds at peace. I found a recipe for Crayon Play Dough which will use our abundant crayon stash and offer my three children something fun - especially our 3 year old who loves this stuff.
But wait — why would my two older children (ages 7 and 9) be interested in play dough?
This question, in different forms, comes up when families explore multi-age learning environments. “How will my 10 year old be challenged while sharing a classroom with 6 year olds?” “I’m concerned that my active 9 year old will be bored and held back by the younger children in the studio.”
What we’ve learned from the Montessori method is simply that
ALL children receive meaningful and important lessons in mixed-age environments.
What do older children get out of a mixed-aged learning environment?
Opportunities for Leadership. Younger children naturally look up to older children, which offers older ones a chance to practice and learn skills like empathy, patience, and responsibility.
Deep Peer Learning. When older children practice skills in the shared space of younger children, they are constantly teaching by example. This applies to academic skills as well as social/emotional ones as younger children will emulate the behavior of older children.
Furthers the Path to Mastery. As older children practice and master different skills, they become more adept at the things that they teach. This kind of practice, where the pressure to perform doesn’t exist, allows the older ones to make additional progress towards mastery.
Taking on Additional Responsibility. Each studio project has components to meet children at their skill level. For example, growing a garden allows younger children to select seeds and plant them, while older children can also help with the construction of the garden beds. In the case of play dough, the youngest child is able to pick out the crayons and help break them up, while the older ones handle the cooking.
Just as children in a family grow and learn together, mixed-age studios allow children to grow, learn, and teach each other.