Class size is often an important consideration when selecting the right school for your child. The prevailing understanding is that small classes with low student-teacher ratios indicate a higher quality educational experience, as teachers have more time and attention to devote to each student. This is certainly true of many institutions, but for Montessori schools, it’s quite the opposite; larger class sizes are desirable and indicate a healthy Montessori environment. Why do Montessori schools differ in this regard and how does a larger class size positively affect Montessori students? Let’s explore.
The ideal Montessori classroom size
Classroom sizes in Montessori schools are typically larger than in other private institutions. In The Child, Society and the World, Maria Montessori wrote, “We consider that in its best condition, the class should have between 28-35 children, but there may be even more in number.” Currently, the American Montessori Society (AMS) recommends class sizes of 20-30 children. At Washington Montessori School, we balance these pedagogical guidelines with the individual needs of each classroom, carefully and intentionally creating uniquely Prepared Environments.
Though it may seem counterintuitive at first glance, there are many reasons a Montessori classroom in “its best condition” is larger than a traditional classroom — but it begins and ends with the planes of human development, the theory of a three-year cycle, and the value of developing greater independence through interactions with other children rather than through constant direction from adults.
The planes of development and the Montessori three-year cycle
Dr. Maria Montessori’s pioneering educational philosophy is grounded in the science of human development. She identified four key planes — Infancy (0-6), Childhood (6-12), Adolescence (12-18), and Maturity (18-24) — and posited the first three years of each plane (0-3, 6-9, 12-15, 18-21) were associated with significant growth, while the second three years (3-6, 9-12, 15-18, 21-24) functioned as periods of integration and stability.
To meet the unique needs of each plane of development, Dr. Montessori created the three-year cycle, grouping students by their phase of development instead of separating them by age. At Washington Montessori, these multi-age groupings fall into the following academic levels:
- The Young Children’s Community: 18 months to 3 years old
- Lower School: 3-6 years old
- Lower Elementary: 6-9 years old
- Upper Elementary: 9-11 years old
- Middle School: 11-14 years old
How the Montessori three-year cycle works
“The charm of social life is in the number of different types [of people] that one meets. Nothing is duller than a Home for the Aged. To segregate by age is one of the cruelest and most inhuman things one can do, and this is equally true for children. It breaks the bonds of social life, deprives it of nourishment.”
The Montessori three-year cycle not only meets children where they are developmentally, it also allows children at the beginning of the cycle to learn from their older peers, and children at the end of the cycle to assume important leadership roles. The three-year cycle allows each child the opportunity to be a beginner, a learner, and a leader time and time again.
AMS notes, “Unlike some private schools, which strive for very small classes, Montessori values the lessons of community that can happen when the size of the class is somewhat larger. A larger, multi-age class can encourage students to rely on themselves and their peers as resources, rather than going directly to a teacher for support first.”
The three-year cycle also allows for an ever-evolving classroom dynamic. In traditional classrooms organized by grade levels, students stay with the same peer group for years, if not their entire academic career — but in a multi-age classroom, there is much more opportunity for variability and growth within the peer group.
Data proves multi-age Montessori classrooms improve student outcomes
The success of the Montessori three-year cycle isn’t merely anecdotal either; there is plenty of data-driven research to back it up. In 2018, the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) used Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) to assess students from 43 public and private Montessori schools and found “…students in Montessori schools performed better on MAP in reading and math, and that student growth accelerated as students neared the end of upper elementary (sixth grade).” This particular study also underscored the importance of the three-year cycle, noting that “…in math, during the upper elementary three-year cycle, the percentage of students exceeding their conditional growth percentile increased each year from 10% in 4th grade at the start of the cycle to 70% in 6th grade at the end of the cycle,” while in reading, “during the upper elementary three-year cycle, the percentage of students exceeding their conditional growth percentile increased from 50% in 4th grade at the start of the cycle to 60% in 6th grade at the end of the cycle.” The study concluded, “Montessori instruction is effective, with the biggest payoff coming at the end of each level.”
Why a higher student-teacher ratio is successful in Montessori classrooms
Because the three-year cycle groups children of multiple ages in a single classroom environment, class sizes are naturally larger — and the student-teacher ratio higher — than other schools, especially private institutions. Until the middle school level (where classrooms assume a more typical, age-based structure to prepare students for the transition to high school), classrooms at Washington Montessori strive for a range of 20-28 students instructed by a head teacher and an associate teacher.
Compared to other institutions, this ratio may seem high, but this is intentional — and typical — in Montessori schools.
As the International Montessori Index explains, “…the teaching ratio is one trained Montessori teacher and one non-teaching aide to 30+ children. Rather than lecturing to large or small groups of children, the teacher is trained to teach one child at a time, and to oversee thirty or more children working on a broad array of tasks.”
This individualized approach allows children to progress at their own pace and encourages cooperation, instead of comparison and competition, between the various ages in a single classroom. Montessori teachers are trained to carefully observe and gently guide their students, not micro-manage them. This teaching method, which is simultaneously hands-off and customized to the individual, empowers students to become independent and purposeful learners directed by their unique interests, passions, and skill levels.
Montessori lessons are often presented individually or in small groupings by a trained Montessori teacher. This is referred to as the “first period”. After the initial instruction, children work independently or collaboratively to practice and internalize the lesson, this is recognized as the “second period”. Once the student feels they have sufficiently mastered the material, they may invite another student to view their lesson or present it back to the teacher in a variety of ways, including follow-up written work, projects, or presentations; this is considered the “third period” of the lesson.
Many Montessori materials were designed to be self-correcting so the student can discover, in the moment, that correction is needed and they are able to reset or retry and repeat the work, fostering an intrinsic desire for preciseness and mastery, rather than relying on the teacher to correct the material, oftentimes after the period of curiosity and discovery has passed.
This method of education allows the child to be their own teacher, creating a sense of independence and building self-esteem; forging positive associations with learning, and encouraging students to challenge themselves and achieve their fullest potential.
Is a Montessori school right for my child?
There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not a Montessori education is the right fit for your child, but don’t let the idea of a larger class size with a higher student-teacher ratio dissuade you from exploring Montessori. A trained Montessori teacher is highly skilled at managing a large classroom environment and ensuring every child gets what they need when they need it. Research proves the three-year cycle is an effective learning model and that multi-age classrooms afford students unique opportunities to grow as learners and leaders. But if you’re still unconvinced, we welcome the opportunity to show you how a multi-age classroom works.
Schedule an on-campus visit with our Assistant Head for Enrollment, Laura Martin, or email me with any additional questions you may have about Montessori class sizes.
