What are the Montessori planes of development?
The planes of development are the four stages of growth Maria Montessori described, each about six years long: birth to 6, 6 to 12, 12 to 18 and 18 to 24. Montessori classrooms are grouped by them. FutureNerds organizes each school's curriculum by age levels that follow the same split.
The four planes
| Plane | Ages | What the child is working on |
|---|---|---|
| First | 0 to 6 | Building independence, movement, language and the senses |
| Second | 6 to 12 | Reasoning, imagination, and how the world fits together |
| Third | 12 to 18 | Their place in society, and real work with adults |
| Fourth | 18 to 24 | Adult life and a chosen path |
Each plane has two halves of about three years. That is why Montessori classrooms mix three ages: a primary room for 3 to 6, a lower elementary room for 6 to 9, and an upper elementary room for 9 to 12.
How FutureNerds groups classrooms and lessons
Every curriculum area and classroom in FutureNerds belongs to one age level:
| Age level | Ages | Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Infant/Toddler | 0 to 3 | First, first half |
| Primary | 3 to 6 | First, second half |
| Lower Elementary | 6 to 9 | Second, first half |
| Upper Elementary | 9 to 12 | Second, second half |
| Adolescent | 12 to 15 | Third, first half |
The age level decides which lessons a guide sees in the lesson library and which areas appear on an assessment.
How to set a classroom's age level in FutureNerds
- Create or open the classroom.
- Set its Curriculum Level, such as Primary or Lower Elementary.
- Check that the curriculum for that level has the areas you teach.
- Assign the children who belong in that room.
Questions and answers
How many planes of development are there?
Four, each about six years long: 0 to 6, 6 to 12, 12 to 18 and 18 to 24.
Why do Montessori classrooms mix three ages?
Each plane has two halves of about three years. Grouping children by half-plane lets younger children learn from older ones and older children teach what they know.
Which age levels does FutureNerds support?
Infant/Toddler, Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Adolescent, each with its own curriculum areas.