A school strategy that has becoming increasingly popular in the last few decades is Montessori. It's a buzz word that I'm starting to hear a lot, but do you really know what Montessori means or looks like? In this article I am going to dive deep into what it is, where it came from, and the pros and cons of a Montessori education. This way, you can decide if it is right for your child.
What is a Montessori Education?
Simply put, Montessori is a educational approach that focuses on learning through free choice. While still providing structure, it uses learning techniques through tools besides textbooks, such as music, games, and activities. Everything is very hands-on, rather than memorizing and reciting. Montessori is typically a self-paced learning strategy that is based on the child's interests and abilities.
Where did Montessori come from?
The concept of a Montessori education first appeared in the 1900s by a woman named Maria Montessori in Italy. Maria Montessori believed that children, when given the chance, will choose to learn and grow rather than be told to. An article from the University of Connecticut describes the goal of Montessori to have the child complete an educational activity because it fulfills a need and is interesting to them, rather than because they are intimidated by, or wants to please, their teacher. Montessori was created to allow the child to self-select their own learning paths, and the teachers guide them along that path.
What does a Montessori Classroom Look Like?
When you walk into a Montessori classroom, the first thing you will notice is how open the room is. Most learning materials are in organized sections along the outsides of the classroom, a couple tables for use, and a large open space for activities. While students have many options when it comes to how they want to spend their time, each grouping of learning materials are carefully selected and guided for learning. Everything in the classroom has intention. The child, or a group of children, select what they want to interact with, and they have uninterrupted learning time with their teacher - or an assistant - as their guide. The common term for these classrooms is based on a concept referred to as a prepared environment. The Montessori Academy defines a prepared environment as one where everything has a purpose and a place to encourage logical thought processes within the students when selecting their learning materials. I have linked here, and below, their article on the 10 principles of Montessori if you are interested in learning about them and their definitions. A prepared environment is one of them.
Pros and Cons of Montessori - and a Comparison Against Traditional Education
In order to write the most informative article on a Montessori education, I knew I would need to do some serious research and deep digging to provide you with the most recent evidence-based information available. Using my own personal experience, as well as a systematic review of various articles written by Justus J. Randolph and their co authors in 2023, I have compiled the most relevant points to share with you. I hope that this list helps you make an informed decision on what you believe is best for your little one.
The Pros
Montessori schooling has been proven through evidence-based study that their methods can be more effective than traditional schooling. Through a systematic review, Randolph and their associates found that Montessori students performed about 1/4 of a standard deviation better than traditional school students in academic outcomes, these outcomes being:
general academic ability
language/literacy
math
science
social studies
They also found that Montessori students performed 1/3 of a standard deviation better than traditional school students in nonacademic outcomes, these outcomes being:
creativity
executive function (memory, critical thinking, self-control)
subjective enjoyment of school
social skills
They found these outcomes to be the greatest difference in the preschool years when compared to the older age groups, and in the private Montessori schools when compared to the public Montessori schools.
So, while that's a lot of data - let's break it down. Children want to do what they enjoy doing. So, when given the chance to pick between various activities, which have an academic intention behind them, they will learn through an enjoying process of their choosing. This creates a buy-in effect, increasing the retention and focus of what they are learning. And because children are doing things of their own choosing, they are enjoying school as a whole much more than a typical child in a traditional school setting, sitting at a desk, reading out of a textbook. Their sense of independence and self-efficacy is heightened because they are the main decision-makers, and rely on their educators to guide them through their learning process. There is a very low sense of pressure to perform academically, so learning can be an enjoyable process rather than a stressful one. So the pros of a Montessori education, simply put, are:
better average academic scoring
better average social/developmental scoring
higher level of enjoyment in school
better social and cognitive skills
peer learning from mixed-age classrooms
ideal for students with special needs
The Cons
There are many reasons why Montessori has not been as widely accepted as the current standard for education, and most of those reasons come down to misunderstanding the true concept of Montessori. Because Montessori is not a trademark name, it can be used in settings without having to stay true to the original mission. Montessori classes also have a typical ratio of 1 teacher to 35 students - plus an additional assistant occasionally. And in contrast, according to Google search, the current standard ratio for a traditional school is 1 teacher to 15 students - although I do not know how accurate that is as it's the average across all schools in the US from K-12.
Montessori is also not nearly as accessible as public schools are. According to an article written by Hannah Meinke at Rasmussen University, there are about 5,000 Montessori public schools, and 500 Montessori private schools - most of which are located in higher-income areas. And, due to location, those that charge tuition are typically very expensive in order to cover the costs of the high quality learning materials required. Whereas the number of public traditional schools, according to a Google search, are at an estimated 24,802 schools. So the cons of a Montessori education, simply put are:
larger class sizes
lack of strict grading policies
creates a potential challenge if transitioning to a traditional school later
can be expensive
less accessible geographically
student body is not as diverse economically or racially
How to Incorporate Montessori Education at Home
Whether or not you decide to enroll your child in Montessori, you can always incorporate a Montessori-style environment in your home. Whether that be in their bedroom, a play room, or art room, there are many cost-effective ways to create a space for your littles to learn and grow at their own pace individualized to their specific interests and abilities.
First, plan out the space. You can purchase, build, or repurpose shelving or storage to go along the perimeter of your space. Make sure that there are clear sections within these shelves that will be dedicated to each learning material prepared. There are lots of storage cubes or colored plastic bins you can purchase from stores like The Lakeshore Store (my personal favorite) or Target (this link will take you directly to their learning toys page). Now it is time to purchase your learning materials! Some of my favorite brands include:
a subscription-based "play kit" customized for children up to the age of 4
This is an affordable alternative to Montessori branded toys that I personally believe to be durable, entertaining, and educational. Their toys also range in suitability up to age 8. They can be found in most major department stores.
A family business that distributes heirloom wooden toys. They have a wide variety of toys available, covering just about any interest your child might have. These toys are also beautifully crafted and decorated. Although on the pricier side, I believe these toys are worth their cost, and the company has a give back program. Every purchase made, a portion of the profits are donated to the Children's Hunger Fund to provide meals for children who are suffering. They even give you a little note informing you on how your purchase made an impact, which I think is a very sweet touch.
In the household I work in, I rotate toys on a weekly basis, and typically incorporate some kind of theme each week. For example: If I want to focus on responsibility, one of our cubbies will hold our toy veterinarian play set so they can play and practice taking care of and being kind to animals. Another may have our make-believe laptop work station set so they can play and practice working like they see their parents doing. Because responsibility is such a broad theme, you can take many different routes within one week to increase the variety of play. You could also go the route of a toy cash register so the children get comfortable around play money and may ask you questions about it.
My favorite part of each week is pairing their toy learning materials with activities we do after school! Every Monday, we go to the library. We return our books from the previous week, and we pick out new books for the coming week. First, I always let them choose 2-3 books of their own that interest them. This helps me gauge what I may want to incorporate that week so they are engaged with the learning process I implement. Then, I will pick out an addition 2-3 books per child that align with the theme of the toy rotation that are also age appropriate. Running with the responsibility theme, I may pick out some books on brushing our teeth, cleaning up our rooms, or turning in homework.
The final step to incorporating Montessori education at home is the activities you plan! You now have a beautifully organized play area with intentional toys, books that reinforce the meaning of those toys, and now it's time to take them out and about to practice those skills. Again, running with the responsibility theme, maybe one day have them go through their toys and pick out a few they don't play with anymore. Have them come with to a donation store like The Salvation Army or Goodwill and let them be the ones to donate the toys. Teach them that there are kids in this world that don't have toys and we are giving them some of ours so that they can play after school too. When you run errands, have them be the ones to give the cashier your card or cash to make the purchase. Games like follow the leader or simon says are easy games to put your little one in charge, this allows them to practice decision-making that will affect the group.
Conclusion
Montessori education is a great approach for some children, but not all children, as every child is unique with their own learning style. Montessori can foster independence, creativity, and creative thinking skills. However, the lack of a grading system and traditional school structure may create challenges if or when you transition your child to a traditional school. Regardless if you enroll your child in Montessori, or not, incorporating their education strategies at home can provide huge benefits to furthering their development. For more information on Montessori education, I have provided links below that I have used to both write this article and enrich my own understanding. I hope this articles leaves you with the information necessary to make the best decision for you and your child!
References
Lillard, A. S. (2019, April 26). Shunned and admired: Montessori, self-determination, and a
case for radical school reform. Educational Psychology Review 31, 939–965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09483-3
Montessori Academy. (Retrieved on 2024, July 29). Montessori Principles.
Meinke, H. (2019, Sept 4). Exploring the pros and cons of Montessori education. Rasmussen
Randoplh, J. J., Bryson, A., Menon, L., et. al... (2023, Aug 3). Montessori education's impact
on academic and nonacademic outcomes: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 19(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1330
Westcott, G. (Retrieved on 2024, July 29). The American approach to Montessori teaching
and learning. University of Connecticut. https://lib.uconn.edu/location/asc/about/the-american-approach-to-montessori-teaching-and-learning/
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