What Montessori Really Looks Like
I’m frequently asked these kinds of questions: Do children really do well in Montessori? What kinds of traits does a Montessori child develop? Is Montessori really a better way to learn?
I decided to ask for input, and posted this question on Facebook: “Parents, can you share some positive results you’ve seen in your child from being in Montessori?”
The answers were amazing!
Within minutes, people were chiming in to share the myriad of ways that Montessori has impacted their children. Here’s a sampling of the responses:
“I was so impressed with the improvement of my then four-year-old son that I became a Montessori teacher myself! Montessori helps the child to focus, develop gross/fine motor skills, and teaches them to think for themselves. It changed my life.”
“Where to begin? Well, for starters, my oldest has consistently been at the top of her class since first grade. She has a sense of self-assurance and maturity that other children her age lack. She is a critical thinker and has a keen interest in the world around her.”
“Hello! I am from Mexico. I have gone to a Montessori preschool myself and my two sons did as well. I think the most important thing about Montessori is that it gives children a very strong sense of self. I found my children to be self motivated, independent, secure, and able to adapt to any situation, because they are open to learning.”
“My son has wonderful social skills and introduces himself to others and asks their names. Also, he has endless questions on everything and his curiosity seems boundless. Montessori has continued to feed this natural curiosity by giving him the tools to ask questions and keep asking.”
“My daughter just finished her first year of traditional 6th grade (middle school) after being in Montessori since she started school. Montessori taught her that learning is her responsibility. She knows how to research a subject on her own and how to work in groups. If she has difficulty she finds a new way to look at the subject so she understands it. Montessori taught her how to learn, not just memorize facts.”
The Characteristics of Montessori
As I looked over the replies, I found that many of these “characteristics of a Montessori child” were mentioned more than once and some many times:
- independent thinking/independence
- self-assured/self-confident
- mature
- critical thinker
- early reader/good reader/enjoys reading
- develops fine-motor skills
- self-motivated
- respectful of others
- knows how to learn/loves learning
- creative
In the Montessori training, teachers are taught to look for certain traits in their students as the result of Montessori; these are known as “characteristics of an authentic Montessori experience”. They are:
- independence
- confidence
- self-discipline
- intrinsic motivation
- ability to handle external authority
- academic achievement
- spiritual awareness [respect for others and for nature]
- responsible citizenship
A comparison of the two lists shows that the Montessori method does just what it says it will do!
Looking for Data
For many people, the observations of parents and teachers aren’t enough. They want hard data to prove that Montessori works.
There have been few studies done, sadly, tracking the outcomes of Montessori children in comparison to children in traditional education. This study in Milwaukee, Do Montessori Schools Have an Edge?, is often cited although some researchers feel the study size was too small. The study did find that Montessori students outscore traditional school children in math, language, and social skills.
Also helpful is research done in the scientific arena, especially that of Dr. Steve Hughes, a Montessori parent and pediatric neuropsychologist. Dr. Hughes has done extensive research on cognitive development, and he has concluded that the Montessori method is perfectly designed to fit the way our brains process information.
It’s clear that more research needs to be done, but so far, the conclusions mirror what we see happening every day in our homes and classrooms.
Seeing the Results
There are many ways to quantify the effects of the Montessori method, and they all have value. The scientific studies give validity to our observations, and our observations bring life to the scientific studies. Clearly, the Montessori method of education is something special. As one parent said, “If you want to give your child the best gift of his or her life, give them a Montessori education.”
You can read all the responses to my question here.
It was wonderful to read through these parent responses! It is always nice to hear from happy parents of happy children. I get these same questions often when I tell people that I am a Montessori teacher. I even get them from my own family.
I, too, noticed the common thread about social skills, independence, attention and learning. It is too bad that not all parents seem to care about these outcomes, which will prepare their child for all future interactions. Many care only about academics (which, of course, Montessori is very strong in as well).
Many people say to me that they think Montessori puts too much pressure on children or that we focus too much on the social/emotional and not enough on the academics. Anyone who has spent 10 minutes in a classroom knows that these statements are simply untrue. Montessori prepares children for the future in all regards.
Very interesting post, I hope lots of skeptics read it.
Great thoughts, Anna! I also noticed that no one mentioned grades or test scores as important – most Montessori schools don’t do grades, but many do standardized testing, and clearly those scores are not the true picture of a child’s progress or achievements.
I’ve often heard the flip side criticism – that Montessori puts too much emphasis on academic achievement. My guess is that this stems from the children who often read early or understand sophisticated concepts at an early age because of their work with Montessori materials.
But, as we know, that progress is the result of free choice and not because they are pushed to learn.
I’m impressed with everyone’s answers. We do though have to be careful when people argue that there is no structure in Montessori due to free choice. Parents don’t realize that there is free choice within the structure. Children are attracted to what they are cognitively ready for. Nothing is pushed on the child academically or emotionally. Their progress is directed. There is a purpose for every job in the classroom.
One of my first students went to a local private school for an interview. She left school for two hours and came back at lunch time. She came to me and I asked her how she liked the new school and if she wanted to go there. “Miss Jill?” she said so matter-of-factly, “They had all these toys, but you couldn’t learn anything from them…I like it here better.”
I only have positive things to say as a past Montessori student myself and as a teacher, and so do the children without even realizing it.
Great points, Jill! Freedom within structure, that’s Montessori exactly. Your story reminds me of an experiment that one Montessori teacher has done – she put toys in the classroom for a few days and generally the children ignored them and chose the Montessori materials instead.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Lori.
I cant stop beaming ever since I have read your post.
My now 2 year old toddler and me have been part of the montessori practice ever since my son’s been 11months old. We started off with the Mother-Toddler program at a local montessori school and not only have we decided that Adi should continue with the same academy but I have taken to the format in totality so much so I have quit my 12 years adverstising career so that I can become an active part of this wonderful fraternity.
I cant stop but agree more to your analysis of the Montessori Charecteristics. I am seeing almost all of these traits in my toddler and I’m really glad that we had the opportunity to connect to this format of education for our child.
I really wish and hope that we can help influence many more contemporary parents to begin associating with this format.
Your post was very encoraging and an interesting read.
SuhaelAmrita
So glad to hear it, Suhael! That’s what I was hoping when I wrote it. I love that parents and teachers are able to actually see the growth of these important traits in their students.
Best to you in your pursuit of a Montessori career! It seems like a lot of parents end up becoming Montessori teachers after seeing the positive results in their child.
Hi , I have a toddler who is going to start Kindergarten next year. At the moment I am torn between letting him attend a regular kindergarten or a Montessori based one. Because he is my first , I have been tossing the ideas up and down for a few weeks now, unsure & confused. I want the best education for him , plus he is really smart – can anyone give me some useful info to make my decision easier ?
Thanks
Luisa
Hi, Luisa! The best information I can give you is this post! Hopefully you have time to read through it (and click the link at the bottom of the post to read all the responses – there were a lot).
To learn more about Montessori in general and how it benefits children, here is a great post too: Why Our World Needs Montessori.
When my girls were little, I knew nothing about Montessori other than that the fellow who’d replaced me in London was a Marine and the first thing he looked for was a Montessori school for his daughter, then he looked for a house.
By the time my girls were 5, they could name all the continents and most of the countries on those continents. By the time they were 10, I would have felt comfortable telling them “Here’s the air fare and some spending money; meet me in Amsterdam at X at 6 pm next Tuesday.” Today, the world is their book and they read a new page from it at the drop of a hat. One has lived in Atlanta and London, one in Colorado, San Francisco, and Austin and they’ve both visited more countries than I have with my temporal head start. That confidence is fantastic.
Thank you for sharing, Max! I love hearing about “Montessori kids” and how they turn out after they grow up. It’s great to hear that the traits that were instilled in them early on are still there as adults. Amazing!
Thank you for all the wonderful sharing you do here! We love it and just gave you an award to recognize (in a small way at least) how wonderful your blog is! It is at Awards and Belated Thank-Yous.
Thank you so much, Martianne! I am very honored and so delighted that you like our blog.
I had difficult time to decide whether i should send my six year old daughter to first grade. She turned 6 in July. She was always youngest in her class. Although she is very good reader. She started reading when she was 4 1/2 years old.When she was in kindergarten she became a good reader because of her Montessori background. She likes to socialize a lot.
I was thinking Is Montessori is too much for her because I don’t want to push her. I want her to enjoy her childhood. According to me it will never come back – she has to do studies when she will grow up. My husband and I were debating on this issue. He wants her to go and I want her to start first grade when she turns 7.
Please advise.
Hi, Suhana! I personally would start her in first grade now. Waiting another year would be very frustrating for a child who is already reading. Then she would be the oldest in her class (by a lot) and risks being bored.
Even when children skip a grade (which your daughter would not be doing if you sent her now) they do fine socially and they do not have negative effects socially. Yes, childhood is fleeting but holding your daughter back would not help. Montessori makes learning fun, not a chore, and children love to learn.
A good Montessori school will not push your daughter – just work with her where she’s at and give her the tools to learn at her own pace.
It’s hard for me to know, since I do not know your daughter or the situation, but as a teacher I had many children whose birthdays were past the cutoff date in September and they did great. It was not a problem.
I’m a fan of asking children what they think, so I suggest presenting the two options to your daughter – starting first grade now or waiting – and getting her opinion also.
My son just started kindergarten at the new Montessori school in our area. He is very bright and loved Pre-school and couldn’t wait to go every day. It is only the second week of kindergartne and he says he is bored and they don’t have anything there he wants to play with or do. I haven’t spoken to the teacher yet, but does anyone out there know if it takes time for the kindergarten kids to become acclamated to the method of choosing what they want to do? I am a little worried, he is my first and only child and he wants so much to learn. Any thoughts?
Hi, Pam! Yes, it does take time for them to become familiar with the classroom, and it takes time for the teacher(s) to give presentations, especially at the beginning.
Just give it a little time, and if things don’t change, ask the teacher if you can have a talk so you can tell her what your son is saying.
Thank you Lori, I will see what happens next week and go from there. My son has always been a child who thnks he is supposed to know everything already and is pretty darn stubborn about it, if I correct him on a letter or such, he runs crying. I am afraid if school isn’t interesting to him soon he will not want to go and that will be disheartening to me and very frustrating. I don’t want going to school to be a punishment for him especially when he couldn’t wait all summer to go and absotlutely loved pre-school last year. We will see how it goes.
Thank you so much for this website… it is a great resource! I have scoured all over the Internet in search of an answer to a question that is bothering me. I think you are the right person to answer it and resolve my confusion!
My 19 month old is going to start a Toddler program at a Montessori School on Oct. 1. I am a fan of the Montessori method and like the open space and importance of self and independence that is instilled in the child. However, prior to enrolling him there, I was considering homeschooling him from Kindergarten onwards using the virtual K-12 public school system where they send public school materials home and let you kind of homeschool your child with a teacher guiding you along the way. I am sure you must have heard of it. Here is a link to their program http://www.k12.com/vava/how-it-works/
So my question is, if my toddler goes to the Montessori school till their elementary program and then I homeschool him following the K-12 public school curriculum, will it cause confusion or drawbacks for him? I really want the best for him and don’t want him to suffer later on because of my limited knowledge about these programs. I would really appreciate it if you can advice me. Thanks so much!!
Hi, Desiree! Actually, I am not familiar with the virtual public school program – I have a friend who uses it but I’ve never used it or seen it myself.
Kids can handle all types of learning – and Montessori mixes well with homeschooling. Sending him to Montessori first and then keeping him home would be fine.
The only thing I would suggest would be to look into Montessori at home for elementary – it’s very doable – or some other approach to homeschooling rather than using the public school materials at home. Really take advantage of the homeschooling format to carve our your own curriculum rather than just copying the public school.
Thanks for your website. I’ve recently discovered it and have found it helpful and inspiring.
I have recently discovered the montessori method. I have been reading online and books to become more familiar with it. I cannot afford to send my kids to a school, but would really like to teach him montessori at home. This is where I’ve run into trouble with my highly-energetic 3 year old. He is a well-behaved, good boy, but…he’s a boy. When I try to demonstrate new activities he won’t sit and watch me. If he does (which is rare), when it is his turn he plays with the items in different ways than I’ve demonstrated. I quickly end the work item and try redemonstrating it another day but I don’t feel we’re making much progress. Any advice?How can I get him interested in doing what I’m doing?
I’d appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.
Hi, Allie! It’s not uncommon for children to have that issue. I would try talking to him when you’re not presenting work, explaining that he has to listen to you and use the materials correctly. If he can’t sit still – end the lesson. It’s either not where he’s at or not interesting to him. If he uses the work incorrectly, take it away and let him know he can try again tomorrow.
If the work is at his level, he should be interested in it. He may need work that is easier or harder. If it’s too hard, he may just play with it. If it’s too easy, he might not be interested in it at all.
Make sure your presentations are short and talk very little if at all. The second he “gets” the point of the work, let him start doing it.
Here’s where observation (a key part of Montessori) comes in. Watch him, both at work and at play. What things is he good at? What does he gravitate to? Where does he need some improvement? (Fine motor skills, following directions, etc.) Target the activities towards those things. For instance, if he loves to pound things and he needs some fine motor skill improvement, this would be perfect: Clay Hammering Exercise.
The more you observe, the better you’ll get at choosing work that sparks his interest.