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Mixed-Age Grouping
Exposing children to a mixed-age group environment benefits students’ learning and development in a variety of ways. At The Hilltop School we provide mixed -age grouping. Because some children learn faster than others, keeping children of the same age learning the same concepts will result in some falling behind and others being pulled back. Learning has less to do with age and more about how well children comprehend and understand information, as well as their style of learning.
The key benefits of having mixed-age groups are:
- Reduces competition because each child is at various phases of learning that is specific to their own development.
- Encourages children to form strong relationships with children who are not their own age. This is similar to how older and younger family members interact.
- Instills peer-to-peer interactions in students. Children are more likely to learn from one another than from adults.
- Fosters in older children the value of becoming a positive role model for younger children.
- Provides older children the opportunity to become mentors to younger Children. For example, they might help them understand how to effectively carry a tray, where to find the washroom, where their belongings go, follow the schedule of when to eat lunch, and so on.
- As they help others, the older children gain a greater sense of self-worth.
- Educates children to be socially conscious, to recognize when others require assistance, and to become more self-sufficient in their actions.
The Montessori Philosophy
At The Hilltop School we value each child's uniqueness and treat each child individually based on their needs, interests, and rate of social, cognitive, physical and emotional development. In keeping with the Montessori school philosophy, our school curriculum aims to instil confidence and independence in children so that they are adequately equipped for their future education. We provide a friendly, loving, and nurturing environment focused on comfort, cooperation, and education for children. This means that each child is free to choose the activities with which they are most comfortable, and teachers encourage and guide each child's learning. Children are more engaged and excited about learning new things when they have the freedom to choose which activities, they participate in. We believe that education should enable communication, and we place a high value on listening to and respecting children's needs and interests.
The teachers observe and document the children's interests and the program adapts to those observations. Our teachers produce a positive, relevant, and meaningful educational environment that considers each child's unique needs and interest via observation, reflection, and provocations. Objectives are developed based on this data to support our program's continual improvement
The Emergent Curriculum
At The Hilltop School we also incorporate the Emergent Curriculum into our programs because we believe that children are naturally fascinated by the wonders of the world around them. This allows children to actively investigate their environment via play. For example, exploring ideas and language, manipulating objects, acting out roles, and experimenting with materials such as blocks, natural items, slime, paint, and playdough, are some of the ways children learn through play. This approach focuses on enabling each child to take control of their education and discover the joy of play-based learning.
Play is an important method of learning that assists children in developing knowledge in all areas covered by the curriculum. Various forms of pedagogical play, and purposeful constructed play, allow young children to learn through experience.
Play-based learning is important in the development of adventurous children because it allows them to discover and solve problems in fun and creative ways.
Our Curriculum, learning activities, and environment are developed to support a child's physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and creative development by inviting, stimulating, and enhancing learning while also fostering communication, collaboration, and curiosity. The child, the educator, and the environment are all critical components in facilitating inquiry-based learning. Field trips are also included in the program to help integrate children into environments where they can adopt educational experiences outside of the classroom.