The benefits of a Montessori education are impressive. We think that the American Montessori Society says it best:
Each child is valued as a unique individual. Montessori education recognizes that children learn in different ways, and accommodates all learning styles. Students are also free to learn at their own pace, each advancing through the curriculum as he is ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.
Beginning at an early age, Montessori students develop order, coordination, concentration, and independence. Classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the individual’s emerging “self-regulation” (ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one is learning), toddlers through adolescents.
Students are part of a close, caring community. The multiage classroom—typically spanning 3 years—re-creates a family structure. Older students enjoy stature as mentors and role models; younger children feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Teachers model respect, loving kindness, and a belief in peaceful conflict resolution.
Montessori students enjoy freedom within limits. Working within parameters set by their teachers, students are active participants in deciding what their focus of learning will be. Montessorians understand that internal satisfaction drives the child’s curiosity and interest and results in joyous learning that is sustainable over a lifetime.
Students are supported in becoming active seekers of knowledge. Teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions.
Self-correction and self-assessment are an integral part of the Montessori classroom approach. As they mature, students learn to look critically at their work, and become adept at recognizing, correcting, and learning from their errors.
In Montessori classrooms, children are empowered to make choices about their learning, enhancing their self-awareness and confidence. The multi-age groupings foster peer mentoring and empathy, helping students develop respect and communication skills essential for understanding others’ emotions.
The Montessori method beautifully nurtures emotional intelligence by also promoting independence and problem-solving skills, making it a powerful approach to holistic education.
Additionally, Montessori emphasizes peaceful conflict resolution and emotional regulation. Instead of relying on external discipline, children learn to recognize and express their emotions constructively, supporting their impulse control and stress tolerance.
(Read more from the AMS website.)
Research
A recent study looks at how different methodologies influences bullying behaviors in young children. The study’s findings reveal that the Montessori method, which prioritizes emotional regulation and structured learning, showed effects in reducing verbal aggression. Read more here.
Another study explores how different educational approaches impact the emotional intelligence of students. The findings reveal a striking difference in favor of the Montessori method across all emotional intelligence dimensions. Read more here.
A multi-year study of Montessori education in South Carolina’s public schools, the most comprehensive evaluation of public Montessori conducted in the United States at the time, revealed that Montessori students were more likely to have met or exceeded the state standards in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Montessori students exhibited significantly higher levels of creativity than non-Montessori students. They consistently demonstrated higher school attendance than matched non-Montessori students, and they were significantly less likely than similar non-Montessori students to have had a disciplinary incident or have served a suspension during the school year. Read more here.
Notable Montessori Alumni
Jeff Bezos,
Amazon.com CEO
T. Berry Brazelton,
Pediatrician and author
Sergey Brin,
Google, Inc. co-founder
Julia Child,
Author and chef
Peter Drucker,
Professor and author
Anne Frank,
Diarist
Katherine Graham,
Washington Post owner and editor
Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
Nobel Prize-winning author
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,
Editor and former first lady
Larry Page,
Google, Inc. co-founder
Jimmy Wales,
Wikipedia founder
Will Wright,
The Sims and SimCity creator