Social Benefits: The Elementary Years

The academic benefits of Montessori education are hard to miss. An August 2023 meta-analysis of 32 studies highlights how students in Montessori programs, in comparison to students in traditional schools, show higher performance in language, math, general academic ability, and executive functioning. The Montessori method has a powerful impact on student performance. Academic vigor, though, isn’t the only thing that matters in our children’s lives.

The social-emotional benefits of a Montessori education are another vital aspect of the Montessori experience. This is especially apparent at the elementary level when children are discovering themselves as social beings. The near-peer learning in mixed-age Montessori elementary programs helps our young people develop their collaboration strategies, problem-solving skills, and conflict-resolution techniques. Because Montessori environments support the natural developmental process in the child, we strive to create an environment that harmonizes with that goal. We are working with human nature, rather than against the strong forces that drive our young people.

Collaboration

At the elementary age, there is a shift towards the idea of “we,” because children of this age have a strong gregarious nature and are ready for the complexities that come with group dynamics. Children discover how much they want to work together on various activities so group work is an integral part of Montessori elementary classrooms. In the process of working together on projects, elementary students practice important communication skills and learn how to mirror positive feedback and peer motivation. We want elementary children to know that collaboration will take us further than competition, so we help children learn how to encourage each other in supportive ways knowing that in the right circumstances, the rewards can far outpace working individually: together we can do more.

As they develop these collaborative skills, each individual comes to recognize not only the power of the group but also what it means to belong to a group in a meaningful way. As children experience themselves as part of a group, they are engaged in important social construction.

Practice Society

This social construction can be seen as the way that elementary-age children begin to practice what it means to create societal structures. Many Montessori schools consider elementary communities as “practice societies.”

We use the term “practice” because children are engaging in something they haven’t already mastered, and all of this takes time! Through experimentation and learning what works, children experience their “practice society” and gain important skills along the way that will make a profound difference along their path to self-becoming. This also means that there will be mistakes, including conflict and hurt feelings and that wonderful and sometimes messy process all helps children along their development as social beings. In Montessori communities, we have the time and space to support children as they work through this critical process.

The word “society” comes from the Latin root for companion. Thus, being in society implies having friendly associations with others. We want elementary children to find joy in associating with each other. During the elementary years, children benefit from real jobs that contribute to their community and begin to appreciate how to make sure everyone gets their needs met collaboratively. So, we support children in this work of forming a society based on joint cooperative work in a positive, productive environment.

Hero Worship

Elementary children look up to power, strength, and beauty in whatever form that occurs. Because they look toward heroes, we use the elementary years to introduce a variety of different types of heroes (even non-human ones!).

In looking toward heroes, children are thinking about how to actualize their inner potential. They become very observant of others. They love to research and look into the histories and stories of their heroes. They begin to recognize individual strengths and apply those to their own practice society, community, and family. They even begin to invite each other to work based on their strengths. As a result, individual children begin to feel truly seen. Eventually, they even begin to recognize that the strength of the group is their strength. Having heroes to look up helps support prosocial development as students start to contemplate what they value, and who they want to be in their lives.

Part of hero worship also involves stepping into leadership roles in the community, which means both learning how to lead and learning how to follow. Rather than just acquiesce, Montessori students develop a joyful obedience. They find joy in belonging to the group and being part of something together.

Building & Solidifying Skills

In the process of working with peers of varying ages, children make connections with different types of people and realize that learning can happen from those who are both older and younger! Through connection and conversation, children practice their patience, listening skills, and communication strategies. As students engage collaboratively on both projects and classroom responsibilities, they learn what Aristotle meant by his maxim that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They learn how to work toward one goal, lean into each other’s strengths, prioritize tasks, and organize their time. In mixed-age elementary classrooms, students don’t have the same stress that is born from comparing themselves to peers of the same age. They each work at their own pace, with the space and time to develop their skills, collaborate based on interests, and practice what they have recently mastered.

We see much of this social and emotional growth in how Montessori children interact with people both in school and out in the broader community. Because they have had the experience of adults as partners and allies, we see that Montessori graduates know how to seek help, ask questions, and more comfortably converse with people of all ages.

But don’t just take our word for it! Come visit our school to see how our students are developing and practicing the social-emotional skills that lead to their success as thriving, whole people in the world. Schedule a tour today or come to one of our open houses.