The Montessori learning environment changes and grows with the developmental needs of each child. The materials contain many aims or goals and can often be explored at different levels. This is a reflection of the Curriculum Based Assessment approach currently being mandated. All Montessori classrooms contain a three-year age span. This fosters a sense of community in which children come to naturally help and teach one another.
Every member is valued for their contribution to the whole.
This gives children with special needs the chance to interact with a wide range of people, increasing their motivation and their opportunities to generalize learned skills in new situations. As they grow older, they too become one of the oldest and can experience the satisfaction of helping or teaching another. Team teaching is typical in a Montessori environment, where professionals work together, sharing information and responsibility. This approach lends itself well to inclusion, where many specialists are needed to insure that children with special needs are receiving appropriate and necessary services. Montessori philosophy recognizes parents as an integral part of a child's education.