Mentorship in the Montessori Classroom
Among the many benefits of a mixed-age classroom is the chance for older students to become mentors to their peers. This not only builds confidence and leadership skills, but reinforces their previous knowledge when they are able to pass it on to others. In the infant and toddler classrooms, this happens naturally as the younger students often enjoy, and even seek out their older peers to observe their work. As they transition to the Early Childhood classroom, they are given the chance to give lessons and quiz each others' knowledge. In one picture, one student is reading puzzle sight words from the stack so that another student can find them solely by sound. In another picture, one older student gives a lesson on tik-tac-toe to some younger peers while on in the outdoor classroom. A sixth grader even had the opportunity to mentor some Early Childhood students while handling their classroom hermit crab. These experiences are incredibly valuable and enrich our school's sense of community and cooperation.