Is Montessori Right For My Child?

So you’d like to learn more about Montessori. People can spend years, or frankly, their entire lives, studying and practicing a Montessori education. There is so much to cover but our goal for this article is to give you a great, foundational understanding of what the Montessori method is and what you could expect in a Montessori classroom.

In this article we will cover:

A brief history of Montessori
The basic tenets of a Montessori education
Common misconceptions of Montessori
Pros and Cons of a Montessori education
Questions for parents to consider

The history of Montessori

The Montessori educational philosophy was created by a woman named Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Italy and was Italy’s first female doctor. She worked with children with special needs and it was here that she began her practice of intense observation of children. She opened her first school in 1907 which was revolutionary at the time because education was still quite rigid and teacher-centered. During this time, she developed her curriculum and refined her methods, much as a scientist would. By 1920, her schools had received much attention and had been established in North America, Europe and India.

The basic tenets of a Montessori education

There are a few foundational principles of a Montessori education that are critical to the method that Maria Montessori developed.

Mixed-age classrooms- Children are grouped with children of various ages. You will typically find the breakdown as: Toddlers (18months-3 years), Early Childhood classes (3-6 years old), Lower Elementary classes (1st-3rd grades), and Upper Elementary classes (4th-6th grades). The mixed age classroom has numerous benefits including: younger children learning from and observing the higher-level works of an older student, and older students being good role models and solidifying their own learning by teaching the younger children.
Prepared Environment- The physical setup of a Montessori classroom is carefully organized to support self-directed learning. It includes a variety of learning materials that are designed to be self-correcting, allowing children to recognize and correct their mistakes without adult intervention.
Hands-on Learning- Learning in a Montessori classroom involves a lot of movement and manipulation of materials. You will not find worksheets, but instead, thoughtful materials that build up on each other in a comprehensive curriculum which students interact with using all of their senses.
Independence and Self-Directed Activity- At the heart of Montessori education is the belief that children learn best when they are actively engaged in their own learning process. This means providing an environment where children can choose their activities and work at their own pace.
Holistic education- Maria Montessori believed that education must address the needs of the whole child: social, emotional, physical and cognitive. A Montessori education will therefore have more of a holistic approach rather than focusing solely on academics.

Common Misconceptions of a Montessori Education

In recent years Montessori has become increasingly popular thanks, in part, to social media. You’ve probably seen photos of beautiful Montessori shelves and peaceful classrooms. And while that’s certainly part of it, it’s definitely not the full picture. Here are a few common misconceptions about Montessori:

There is no structure and kids are allowed to choose whatever they want to work on
- While it is true that children in a Montessori classroom have a lot of agency over their own learning, the Montessori environment is actually quite structured. For example, the curriculum is set up in a linear fashion. Students cannot work with a material until they have received a lesson about how to use that particular material. The classroom is governed by expectations about how students select a work, how they complete it, and how they must return it when they are done.
It’s too rigid and doesn’t allow for enough creativity
- As mentioned above, a Montessori classroom is, indeed, very structured. For example, the bead chains are used for introducing the concepts of skip counting and squaring numbers. To use a bead chain, the child would have received a teacher-led lesson about how to complete the bead chain work. If, however, the child thought the bead chains looked like a snake and began pretending to slither it around the carpet, this type of play would likely be redirected. Now does this mean that Montessori doesn’t foster creativity? No. There are many other opportunities throughtout the day for students to be creative, but the materials are to be used as intended. Students often have time in their day to do art, make origami, learn finger knitting, they might color while listening to a read aloud book, and they are also given the choice of how to further their learning by choosing how to complete an extension activity. For example, if a class learned about different land forms (mountains, plains, islands, etc.), they are given the choice for how they want to extended their learning: use clay to sculpt these different landforms, draw a picture of the landforms, make a collage, etc. Creativity actually abounds in a Montessori classroom!
Montessori is just for babies and toddlers
- While you might see a lot of “Montessori toys”, Maria Montessori designed her comprehensive curriculum to extend from birth through adolescence.

Pros and Cons of a Montessori Education

Pros:

Individualized Learning– Students are allowed to move through the curriculum with independence and at their own pace
Hands-on Learning– the thoughtful materials are designed to be manipulated and explored.
Respect for autonomy and independence– students have agency over themselves and their learning by choosing what work to engage with and by actively taking care of themselves, their community, and their classroom environment.

Cons:

Cost (many schools are private)
Lack of standardized assessment– Montessori differs from traditional schools in that they do not take standardized tests to the degree that traditional schools do. Their assessments are much more formative and narrative in nature.
Variability on implementation– It’s important to do your research about the individual Montessori school and ideally, find one that is accredited.

Questions for Parents to Consider

Is a Montessori education right for your child? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Affordability- Many Montessori programs are private. Are you able to afford a private tuition? There are a growing number of public and charter Montessori schools that may be available in your area.
What is your child’s learning style like? Do they enjoy learning through doing? Do they like making choices and exploring at their own pace?
Does the philosophy of a Montessori education fit with your values as a parent? Do you desire for your child to receive a holistic education grounded in real-world experiences?
Do you desire for your child to progress at their own pace?
Does the school you are considering follow the Montessori principles fully? Are they accredited?
Are the teachers Montessori trained at the school you are considering?