09/14/2026
"Having peers who range in ages and abilities allows children to view their own needs and accomplishments in relation to those of others—without the pressure, jealousy, and envy that may come from direct individual competition. In mixed-age groups, children develop long-term relationships with each other and with the teacher. The children protect and care for each other. In this way, “The class gets to be a group cemented by affection,” wrote Montessori, continuing, “Finally, the children come to know one another’s characters and to have reciprocal feelings for each other’s worth.”
Out of empathy, an older child in a Montessori mixed-age environment will readily help a younger classmate master a difficult task. Being close in age to the younger child, the older one has an emotional understanding of that child’s experience, resulting in a harmonious and sympathetic relationship between them. At the same time, an older child who witnesses a younger one struggling with a difficult task will often show patience, allowing the younger child to sort it out independently before intervening. Montessori explained, “They do not help one another as we do. If a child is carrying something heavy, none of the others run to his aid. They respect one another’s efforts and give help only when it is necessary. This is very illuminating because it means they respect intuitively the essential need of childhood which is not to be helped unnecessarily.”
- Molly O'Shaugnessy, AMI Trainer for 3–6
Happy Montessori Monday!!!
