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In Montessori education, '''Mixed Ages''' classrooms are a fundamental characteristic, where children of various ages learn together in the same environment.<ref>Montessori, M. (1967). The Discovery of the Child. Ballantine Books.</ref> Age groupings are based on Montessori's planes of development. Children from 3 to 6 years of age learn together in the Children's House, 6 to 9-year-olds share the lower elementary level, and the upper elementary level is made up of 9 to 12-year-olds. As the work is tailored to individual progress, children learn at their own pace. This mixed age setting fosters cooperation rather than competition among children.

== Montessori Quotes ==

*"The fundamental principle of scientific pedagogy must be, indeed, the liberty of the pupil; such liberty as shall permit a development of individual, spontaneous manifestations of the child’s nature."<ref>Montessori, M. (1912). The Montessori Method. Frederick A. Stokes Company.</ref>

*"One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child."<ref>Montessori, M. (1949). The Absorbent Mind. Clio Press.</ref>

== Research and Critiques ==

*'''Pros''': Mixed age classrooms have been found to foster natural mentoring, with older children sharing knowledge with younger ones, promoting empathy, leadership skills, and social development. They can also allow for flexible learning at each child's pace.<ref>Lillard, A. (2017). Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius. Oxford University Press.</ref>

*'''Cons''': Critics suggest that mixed-age classrooms can make it more difficult to tailor instruction to each child's developmental level. There are concerns about potential negative impacts of older children dominating classroom resources and interactions, or of younger children feeling overwhelmed.<ref>Egan, K. (2002). Getting it wrong from the beginning: Our progressivist inheritance from Herbert Spencer, John Dewey, and Jean Piaget. Yale University Press.</ref>

== Comparisons to Other Methods ==

While traditional education models typically segregate children by age, Montessori education incorporates mixed-age classrooms to foster natural social interactions and accommodate varied learning paces and styles.<ref>Mooney, C. (2013). Theories of Childhood, Second Edition: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky. Redleaf Press.</ref>

== See Also ==

*[[Montessori Method]]
*[[Prepared Environment (Montessori)]]
*[[Children's House (Montessori)]]

{{Glossary of Montessori Terms}}

== References ==

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