She discovered that the young child had a much bigger capacity for learning than ever thought before. She found that the minds of children as young as 2 and 3 were like sponges, absorbing everything that she could offer them. At this time, the thought that the young child could learn so much was quite revolutionary. The method became popular in the United States in the late 1950's and has been validated by much of what we have learned during the twentieth century about children. One of the first things a newcomer will notice about our classrooms is that we have a mixture of ages working together.
Children learn and develop at many different rates.
By mixing the ages in the classroom, all of the emphasis is placed on the child's developmental age and not their chronological age. When a child shows an interest in a new skill, that is the day that they will receive an individual lesson on that material. The children in a Montessori classroom have the freedom to progress as quickly or as methodically as their growth dictates. Children in this environment rapidly become explorers and discoverers. They move freely about the classroom, choosing activities to do alone or with others.