Montessori Schools

Montessori schools are learning communities that adhere to the educational approach developed by Maria Montessori. Montessori is both a pedagogical method and an international movement for peaceful, child-centered schooling, with more than 5,000 schools in the United States and another 2,000 in 70 other countries around the globe. Because the earliest Montessori schools served pre-school-aged children, Montessori is often associated with early childhood education. However, the Montessori approach spans the developmental continuum, with many schools serving children from infancy through adolescence and some through high school. Many of Montessori's claims relative to human development have been validated by experimental psychology. Similarly, her key educational innovations, such as the use of manipulative materials, child-sized furniture, and differentiated instruction, have been incorporated into mainstream classrooms.