Originally Posted by Willow:
A typical traditional Montessori classroom would have 30+ children with ages spanning 0-teens, all under the premise the youngers can gain insight and learn valuable skills from being in the same vicinity as the olders.
It's not a hard and fast concept, but it is the ideal as far as I'm aware.
I am sure there may be classrooms like that but a typical Montessori classroom does have mixed age groups but they are still usually divided into groups such as birth to pre-primary, primary or elementary, and upper elementary.
The ages over-lap a bit but as far as what I am being taught now the teachers are certified in one maybe two age groups to cover the over lap in development but the certification process stops at age 12.
The older kids are valuable insight to the younger ones but according to my instructor, you will rarely see teens or secondary students in a classroom with primary or pre-primary aged kids.