Pacific Explorer Montessori caters to two age groups:

Both classrooms are set up according to the Montessori philosophy and operate according to the "Mixed Age Group" concept, where children from 18 to 36 months work together in the same classroom and the children from 3 to 6+ years are also combined to work together in the same educational setting.

Older students have the chance to become mentors to their younger classmates while learning and practicing important leadership skills. Younger children naturally look up to and emulate older children, and so in a classroom with a range of ages, there are always opportunities for a child to “graduate” from observer to leader. Older students also find great joy in being trusted to teach their younger peers.

It’s also a way for older students to build patience and empathy, as they learn how to help others by sharing expertise with tasks that they themselves have mastered. To teach something, you must first have that mastery. The process of passing it on — teaching by example, communicating effectively, reminding oneself of the specific steps, seeing how to correct mistakes — reinforces that mastery. By helping younger students, older students further learn their work. And they learn the foundations and pleasures of taking responsibility and being appreciated.