Montessori Schools

Maria Montessori, born in Italy in 1870, developed her own theories of child development and learning, which serve as the foundation for Montessori schools. Montessori believed that schools should be designed to facilitate the natural development and independence of children. Given the freedom to choose their activities and work at their own pace, children take responsibility for their own learning. Opportunities for learning are [Page 330]facilitated through a prepared environment that introduces specific learning materials to children based on their developmental level and interests. Once the materials are introduced to children, they are able to work with them independently thereby satisfying their inner desire to learn. Such an approach is intended to allow children to enhance their self-discipline as they mature from childhood to adulthood.

Beginning with the inception of the first Montessori school in 1907, Casa dei Bambini, Montessori's educational philosophy and methods have expanded to locations worldwide. In 1909, teacher training programs began in Italy and were extended to international locations several years later. Montessori developed the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in 1929 to ensure that her work would continue after her death in a manner consistent with her philosophy and teachings. The AMI has developed its operations to include 50 accredited training programs in 18 countries worldwide (Association Montessori Internationale, 2001). It is estimated that as many as 5,000 Montessori schools are operating in the United States alone (Ruenzel, 1997).

Children of different ages share the same Montessori classroom. Groupings often include children ages 2 months to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and 6 to 12 years; and activities within the classroom are prepared according to the developmental level of the group. Although Montessori programs can be designed for children of all ages, much attention has been given to programs designed for children ages 3 to 6 years. Indeed, Montessori considered children in this age range to have an absorbent mind, which allows them to naturally and effortlessly absorb skills and abilities from their environment. To facilitate their growth, the classroom contains activities to engage children in developing their skills in five major areas:

• 1.
  Practical life skills for daily living such as sweeping, pouring, or polishing
• 2.
  Sensory development
• 3.
  Language
• 4.
  Mathematics
• 5.
  Culture, or areas such as history, anthropology, and biology

The role of teachers in Montessori classrooms is to maintain an organized environment, arrange materials so they are attractive to the children, present activities to the children based on individual needs, and observe the children's work and development.

Research on outcomes for children participating in Montessori schools has yielded mixed results. Some studies indicate that children in Montessori schools perform better than children in traditional preschool programs on tasks requiring creativity and school readiness. Montessori students’ performance on tests related to general intelligence, academic achievement, and attention have generally not been significantly different from traditional preschool programs (Chattin-McNichols, 1981). However, conclusions from research comparisons should be viewed with caution. Differences may result from limitations in research designs rather than true differences between the programs.