(800) 655-5843 / 1 (941) 729-9565 | Fax 1-941-745-3111 info@montessori.org
To access this page, you will need to log in or become a member.
Maria Montessori Biographies for Children, a Series of Reviews

Maria Montessori Biographies for Children, a Series of Reviews

by | Book Reviews, Book Reviews TC February 2023, MFA, TC February 2023

Maria Montessori book cover
Note: A while ago, I was wondering: Why aren’t there books for children about Maria Montessori’s life and work? So, I began to do some research. It turns out that there are quite a variety of books from which to choose. There are paperbacks, hard covers, cartoon-ish, realistic, factual, factual-ish, etc. I am going to review four of them and you will probably be able to find even more.

Each of these books has its own value for children. Some contain more accurate information than others; some have more of a story than others; and some are illustrated more realistically. All books about Maria Montessori will help children to understand what she did to change the way children are educated. By providing more information about Montessori, readers gain a better understanding of why the Method works so well for so many children and how the core value of respect leads to a more peaceful world.

Maria Montessori: A Biography for and by Children

Written by Ney, Seeley, Sesto, & Children’s House students from Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School

This is a paperback book. The teachers/guides wrote the content, and the children illustrated the pages. It seems like it was a wonderful project for the Stoneridge school. This little paperback is full of information about Maria Montessori’s life and work. It includes a timeline and a couple of activities for children. It was published ten years ago so, unfortunately, the website that is mentioned is no longer available.

The Life of Maria Montessori

Written by Jane Kent

Illustrated by Isabel Muñoz

This is a hardcover version of Montessori’s life with quite realistic illustrations. This book is written in the first person as an autobiography. The content brings out Montessori’s determination, intelligence, and forward thinking more than other books. This book is a much more thorough account of all that she achieved during her lifetime. At the end of the book there is a four-page timeline for children to review and some questions to help children remember some of the details of the story.

Maria Montessori and Her Quiet Revolution

Written by Nancy Bach

Illustrated by Leo Lätti

This is also a paperback edition. I like the style of the illustrations regarding how the characters look in modern times (2013) and during Montessori’s time. I also appreciate how the modern Montessori classroom teacher is sharing the story of Maria Montessori’s life. However, I do question some of the information in this book. I also noticed that the classroom looks more like a traditional classroom. I did not see any Montessori materials and the children were sitting one in front of the other rather than in a circle or other shape as is usual for a Montessori school. The book does include some additional information about Maria Montessori’s life and a short quiz.

Little People, BIG DREAMS™ Maria Montessori

Written by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

Illustrated by Raquel Martín

This one is a hardcover edition with quite accurate text and illustrations that used soft colors and characteristic images of the times in which Montessori lived and worked. The book includes a brief history and timeline with actual photographs of Maria Montessori.

Return to Table of Contents

Soup Day

Soup Day

by | Book Reviews, Book Reviews TC February 2023, MFA, TC February 2023

cover of Soup Day book
Soup Day

Written by Melissa Iwai

Melissa Iwai is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! She writes and illustrates engaging books about preparing food with the family. Some of the many attributes of her books are:

• they have sturdy, hard-to-ruin pages, which is important when the recipe is included, and the book will be used as you prepare the food;

• the illustrations are realistic;

• they offer ideas for spending time together while the meal cooks;

• they include the process for getting the ingredients, whether it be from planting seeds to harvesting foods or going to the grocery store to find and gather them to take home;

• the illustrations show the steps to preparing the food;

• the parent allows the child to choose certain ingredients, such as which kind of pasta to use;

• the author includes using the senses of taste, sight, and hearing as the food is being cooked; and

• clean-up is part of the process.

Can you see why I love this book and others that she has written?

I recommend it for children two years old through lower elementary. It can be purchased from most book suppliers.

Return to Table of Contents

Who Are You? A Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity

Who Are You? A Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity

by | Book Reviews, Book Reviews TC February 2023, MFA, TC February 2023

cover of Who Are You? book

 Written by Brook Pessin-Whedbee

Illustrated by Naomi Bradoff

The author has included suggestions about how to use this book. She also includes resources and activities to help parents and caregivers define gender and to learn more about the topic.

Brook suggests that this book may or may not be the first introduction to gender discussions that you have with your child. I have learned that gender identification may be different than the sex assigned to a person at birth. It is more than the physical body. It includes what a person likes to do, how they like to dress, and how they express themselves. I love the way the book ends in bold letters:

There are lots of ways to be a boy. There are lots of ways to be a girl. There are lots of ways to be a kid.

This book allows adults and children to think about the question in the title, Who are you? It can be purchased from most book suppliers. Suggested for children four years old through the elementary years.

Return to Table of Contents

Why Montessori Elementary?

Why Montessori Elementary?

by | MFA, Mixed Ages, Montessori Education, TC February 2023

child labeling a map

Our kids are the most important people in our lives. Many of us strive for our children to have better lives than we had, even when we’ve led wonderful lives. Therefore, making a choice different from the norm can be challenging. Though Montessori education has been around for over one hundred years, most people don’t have a direct experience with it. Even those who pursue college degrees in education often hear no more than a basic explanation of Maria Montessori’s contributions to the field. When making such an important decision for your child, it helps to equip yourself with knowledge.

In the 116 years since the first Montessori school opened its doors, only a few changes have been made to the materials and approach. That is because it is rooted in core principles of child development. Montessori is based on an understanding of the human brain and the incredible capabilities of children. While traditional education has its buzzwords and seems to change its mind about the best way to teach every ten years or so, Montessori programs have remained consistent and effective. Why is this?

Maria Montessori was a scientist and physician before she was a teacher. She applied her knowledge of observation and psychology to her work with children. While observing the children in her care, Montessori developed theories about how they learn. She designed materials the children could use independently. She created a curriculum that followed the child’s natural development.

One of Montessori’s core ideas is “follow the child.” Many people unfamiliar with this philosophy misinterpret this to mean “allow the child to do whatever they want.” They may imagine a classroom where the children run amok, doing anything they please and ignoring the more challenging learning in favor of having fun.

In reality, “follow the child” means that we recognize the child as a fully capable human being and respect their ability to construct themselves.

This idea is supported by another of the key concepts: “freedom with responsibility.” Essentially, we teach children what so many adults still struggle with: “How do I do what needs to be done in a way that works for me?”

From an early age, we work to instill an understanding of balance, expectations, and self. With these components, a child can decide between working in the math or language areas, what work will be most appropriate, and how to engage with it to support their growth.

One child might opt for work in the math area because they’ve recently had a lesson on adding with the Stamp Game and want to practice it. Another child might be determined to memorize a series of sight words, so they invite a friend to quiz them. A third child might be in the library with a stack of books about snakes beside them, devouring one after the other. This sometimes leads parents to ask, “What if my child only wants to read nothing else but books about snakes?”

First, it must be said that this is a delightful “problem” to have. It is here that Montessori guides prove their worth.

A guide is trained to observe, just as Maria Montessori did. We watch the children and note trends, moments of discovery, and behaviors that indicate what type of guidance a child needs from us. In the example of a child who only wants to read, we ask ourselves questions, such as:

• How focused are the children on this task? Are they genuinely reading or using a book to look busy?

• Are they inviting others to read or be read to, or are they reading alone?

• Have they recently had a lesson that they are applying or a breakthrough in understanding?

• Are they avoiding other responsibilities? If so, why?

After observing and questioning, the guide will act accordingly. This might mean connecting the child’s interest in reading to an area they need to work in, conferencing with the child to give a mini-lesson on time management, or redirecting a child “looking busy” to a task with which they will genuinely engage. It could also mean that the child is left to read, trusting that they will move on when they’ve gotten what they need from it.

When choosing between a Montessori school and a traditional school, there are several key differences to keep in mind.

In a traditional school, all of the children of the same age learn the same content at the same time. They follow a schedule, such as working on math at 10 am; language at 11 am; and science or social studies at 1 pm. They follow this work schedule regardless of the child’s interests, needs, or internal urge to focus at length to reach a new understanding.

Imagine for a moment what this would look like as an adult. Let’s say that you’ve noticed your kitchen needs some work. You’ve gotten inspired from HGTV, have all the tools and materials you need, and even have time to work on it. Now imagine that you can only work on the kitchen project for half an hour daily. You’re told you must pay equal attention to the bathroom, the bedroom, and the living room. However, your bathroom is pristine; your living room is satisfactory; and you have no new ideas for your bedroom. You wind up with a demolished kitchen that you can’t stop thinking about, twiddling your thumbs in the bathroom, and bored or frustrated in the other two rooms. This isn’t how the real world works. Why should it be so for our children?

Let’s continue playing out the scenario. In the real world, does everyone need to remodel their kitchen at the same time? Not at all.

Does everyone need to regularly maintain their kitchen by cleaning, organizing, and stocking it? Absolutely.

In a Montessori classroom, students are expected to maintain growth in every area, but they may have a strong, specific focus on a particular subject. This will change as they do — as they satisfy their interest, learn what they want to learn, and become intrigued by something new.

If you’re interested in working on your kitchen, but your bathroom is ruined, you’d shift your priorities to that area. Children usually need support to understand when and how to do this, and the Montessori guide recognizes when this is the case and gives the child tools to notice it for themselves and take steps to address it. With an observant Montessori guide, parents don’t need to worry that their child will fall behind in one area because of their passion for another.

As adults, when we take on a big project like remodeling the kitchen, we can benefit from working with others and observing others (usually on YouTube) doing what we want. The elementary child is in a prime developmental stage to socialize and learn to work cooperatively with others. In a traditional setting, the child may be assigned to work in small groups or with a partner, or they may not. The child rarely has a choice in the matter.

In a Montessori classroom, they decide who to work with or if they want to work alone. They can watch others do the work or join lessons on topics of interest. They also have the freedom to decide when to work on the project, for how long, and in which way. Their responsibility is to do it; their freedom is how.

In a traditional school, children are sorted according to their age and are kept with others of the same age. There needs to be more mixing between grades. In a Montessori school, children are in multi-age classrooms of the same developmental stage. Consider for a moment: are the others you work with all the same age as you? Are all of your friends your age? The answer likely is no. You have groups based on other commonalities, such as: interest, experience, or location.

The Montessori multi-age classroom replicates real-world experiences and also creates a sibling dynamic. Even if your child is the eldest in your family, they will still experience what it feels like to be the youngest and middle child. Each child will know the struggle of being the newcomer, the comfort of being in the middle, and the confidence and leadership of being the eldest. They learn how to receive help and how to give it.

This also reduces and often eliminates competition and the stigma of learning differences. In a multi-age classroom, everyone is working on what they need, and it is less evident to the other children when someone is struggling. This greatly benefits all children, particularly those with learning differences, anxiety, or low confidence.

In traditional schools, the focus is almost exclusively on academic achievement. Since the days of “No Child Left Behind,” public schools have been bound by the scores their students produce on standardized tests. Those scores affect the school’s budget, the teacher’s evaluation, and the district’s reputation. Naturally, it follows that the school becomes singularly focused on improving those scores. They aren’t set up to educate and support your child — your entire child.

Your children may learn a lot in a traditional school. They may achieve high grades and hit specific academic targets. In a Montessori school, however, they’ll hit academic targets and have a say in how they do it. They’ll learn to read and how to manage their workload. They’ll memorize math facts and learn the basics of cooking, cleaning, and tending the garden. Their brain will grow, and their hearts and souls will, too. Which would you rather have for your child?

Return to Table of Contents
How to Have a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

How to Have a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

by | Family Resources, MFA, Mixed Ages, Montessori Education, Montessori Parenting, TC February 2023

Every child deserves an environment conducive to learning, irrespective of their social status or learning difference. A quality environment exists only when there is effective collaboration with parents. Some parents may come to us with concerns regarding challenges they believe their child experiences. It is important for teachers to understand that these concerns are coming from a place of deep-rooted love, worry, and affection for their child. It is important to remember that, together, we are a team, and our goal is the best outcome for the child.

That being said, we will undoubtedly come across some ‘interesting’ situations during our school year. During such times, we need to remind ourselves to have an open mind and seek opportunities for learning. It is vital to make a conscious effort to check in with our reactions and find a time that is suitable for both parents and teachers to meet.

Parent-teacher conferences are a perfect way to work together for the betterment of children and set them up for success. This is the time to build stronger relations with each other. The first conference is always impactful and sets the tone for the rest of the school year.

At our school, the first parent-teacher conference is in October. You can find below some of the concerns and comments that were expressed during these conferences. Each conference is about 25 minutes long. Below, I have tried to compile the main points of our conversation. The children’s names have been changed for privacy reasons, but the concerns and scenarios are real.

Does Ziana still flip her letters? Is that normal? How can we help improve her penmanship?

Yes, it is a normal developmental process for preschoolers to reverse some of their letters and numbers. Children in their early childhood years are busy taking in information, and they are learning the correct orientation of letters and numbers. The letters and numbers most commonly observed to be reversed are b, d, p, q, and 2, 5, 9, 3. It is normal to see this reversal being carried on to Grade 1.

Some of the common reasons for reversals are directional confusion, lack of spatial-perceptual orientation, and, lagging visual discrimination skills. Many exercises from the Practical Life, Sensorial, and pre-Language shelves help children with visual perceptual skills, directionality, and orientation. As she continues working with these exercises we can certainly see improvement.

To improve penmanship, first, we need to make sure the child’s visual acuity is within the normal range. The next step is to observe how the child is holding the writing tool, and if she is seeing her own writing. We observed that Ziana is only partially seeing what she is writing, as her hand covers most of it.

We have shown her to keep her paper at a 45-degree angle. Ziana is practicing writing in this style, and we have already seen great improvement in her penmanship.

The teacher’s observation was that when Ying is building words with the Moveable Alphabet, she cannot process and discriminate between i and e sounds. She spells nit for net, rid for red. How can we, as parents, support her at home to improve her auditory discrimination skills?

Ying speaks Mandarin at home. When she started school last year she did not speak English. She has picked up a lot since, and by the end of the last school year, she was communicating in English. She had to pause and think for a word to complete a sentence. But since the beginning of this school year, Ying has been communicating confidently and fluently in English. She is also able to analyze and break down the sounds in a word and build phonetic words. We are extremely happy and proud to see her progress. Because of the Mandarin dialect, she stresses more on some vowels. We have advised parents to write down the vowels i and e and help Yin enunciate. We also asked parents to write three-letter words with i and e vowels and to have Yin stretch out the vowel as she blends and reads so that she is able to hear herself.

Language development in an early childhood classroom is a process of integration of senses. It is a step-by-step process that comes naturally to many children. When a child sounds out a word, the word is translated from the auditory message to the visual image of the letter system. Then she uses the motor system of the hand to build the words with the Moveable Alphabet or write them. It is a very complex process, and at any point, the child may mis-process resulting in incorrect spelling. Montessori Language exercises are designed specifically to provide this multi-sensory experience for children.

How to help the child be independent and intrinsically motivated to choose more challenging work?

Charlie seems to avoid challenging work and prefers to sit and observe his friends, unless prompted by a teacher. It is okay for children to observe in Montessori classrooms as they learn so much through observation. But since this is Charlie’s kindergarten year, we expect him to be choosing work that challenges him and take up leadership roles. After meeting with his parents, it has been noted that Charlie does a lot of worksheets at home and he is also enrolled in at least five extracurricular classes. Charlie is showing all the symptoms of work overload and fatigue. He is not motivated to do any work because of this exhaustion. We have advised his parents not to provide worksheets at home, as this is clearly confusing Charlie with some of the concrete work he is doing at school. We have also asked them to cut down some of the extracurricular activities.

How to help my son get over social anxiety? He comes home and says no one wants to play with him and the teachers are not helping him either. Help us understand the situation, please.

Before answering the question, here is a brief description of Adrian. Adrian is a 4 1/2 year-old boy. This is his very first experience in a school environment. Due to the pandemic, his parents opted to home-school him. His mom had expressed anxiety over Adrian removing his mask and eating lunch with his friends indoors and even requested if it was okay for him to sit outside the classroom to have lunch.

As a teacher, I sensed a noticeable amount of stress and anxiety in the mom. It is essential to acknowledge the parents’ feelings for their children. Once they understand that we are here for the children and want to provide a secure and safe environment for them, we start to gain their trust. Now, Adrian’s mom was open to suggestions.

We typically give 6 weeks for children to normalize and get accustomed to the new environment. During that period, Adrian preferred to sit next to teachers and talk while watching his friends play. We wanted Adrian to feel safe and trust the adults in charge of him and allowed him to be beside teachers. Once the 6 weeks period passed, we noticed Adrian still preferred to hang out with adults. Now it was time for us to encourage him to venture out and make friends. It was vital for us to see how he takes on this challenging task. While the adults were there to support him, it is an important life skill for him to master on his own. Even though at first it felt like no one was helping him, once he crossed the hurdle, he was able to make many friends and enjoy playground time. Today, Adrian is a happy boy who doesn’t shy away from making new friends.

My child wants to please all his friends and sometimes can take in some unpleasantries and smile through it, all the while hurting inside.

David is a sweet boy who has lots of energy to expend throughout the day. He was transferred from another class last year to our room. He made a smooth transition and has made lots of friends in his new environment. However, he has to be redirected throughout the day to make the right choices and use impulse control. Sometimes he can get himself involved in situations involving multiple children, where they tend to use his name upfront to get away from troubling situations (e.g., “David pushed me.”)

As a Positive Discipline Classroom Educator, I am extremely careful not to label children. I also understand why children tend to call out David’s name a lot due to his previous history of being labeled. I sat the boys down and talked to them about friendship, honesty, and integrity. While some are trying to seek attention (negatively) by placing their friend upfront for things he hasn’t done, it is vital for David to be emotionally strong and know that he doesn’t need to soak up everything his friends are pouring on him. He is made aware that he has a choice and it is up to him to exercise these choices. He is doing extremely well in the classroom’s structured environment. However, he needs reminders when he is with other groups to practice impulse control or in our very special words: “Listen to your peace light and let it shine brighter.”

When Emma is asked to redo work or make a challenging choice, she always insists that her mom wants her to do it that way. We want to know a little more about how you handle such situations at home.

while it is a beautiful sight to see Emma have a strong, secure attachment to her mom, we also want to ensure that she is not heading toward an insecure attachment or reflecting her mom’s emotions.

Emma is a diligent and hardworking student. She does her work very meticulously. However, when she is asked to redo work or re-write letters and follow the correct orientation, she is a bit hesitant.

It is important to introduce constructive criticism to children in their formative years. It is a means by which we learn from our mistakes and find strategies to determine ways to better ourselves. At the same time, it is also important for children to differentiate negative criticism from constructive criticism. With constructive criticism playing a vital role in childhood, it is important for children to learn to take positive feedback and deliver them graciously.

Emma has come a long way. She is open to correcting or redoing her work now at the same time confident enough to let us know if she wants to do it now or later. She knows that we give the freedom to choose between now and later as long as the work is taken care of independently. 

Return to Table of Contents
30 Reasons Parents Stay with Montessori

30 Reasons Parents Stay with Montessori

by | Family Resources, MFA, Mixed Ages, Montessori Education, Montessori Parenting, TC February 2023

three children gardening

 1. The Montessori Guides: Montessori guides develop an uncanny ability to connect with each student. They are problem solvers, coaches, and guides. They do so much more the just present lessons.

2. The Three-Year Cycle: The three-year cycle strengthens connection and understanding among students and guides, as well as allowing each student to have an opportunity to learn from others and help others.

3. The Montessori Materials: The beautiful materials encourage self-guided learning as well as using a variety of senses to teach information.

4. The Montessori Lessons: Each lesson is a small step to new information, helping students find success as they are learning and building a strong foundation.

5. Opportunities for Independence: Independence is not something that should happen all at once for humans. All Montessori levels provide safe opportunities to practice independence.

6. Going Out: Opportunities to plan a trip away from the school are a regular part of Montessori classes from elementary and beyond. Students may buy groceries for a project, arrange for the whole class to have a tour of the local baseball stadium, or figure out transportation for a trip to New York City.

7. Passion Projects: The opportunity to follow your own interests, along with the classroom curriculum, taps into student interest and encourages them to stretch themselves in a subject of their own choosing.

8. Practical Life Skills: From pouring to sewing and baking, Practical Life skills provide a foundation for and enrich the more academic areas of the classroom. As we saw during times of shutdown, Practical Life skills came in handy and also brought some calm and peace to an uncomfortable situation.

9. Sensory Education: Development of the senses, color, size, smell, taste, and the vocabulary around those skills, develops pre-math and reading skills.

10. Geometry: Introduction to geometric concepts begins as early as three in the Sensorial work, and lessons continue to be presented in all of elementary, when students are interested and open to skills often not presented until high school.

11. Building on Strengths: All humans have areas and strength and areas of weakness, but if we only focus on developing the areas of weakness, that development is no fun. Montessori guides encourage movement in areas of strength as well as development in areas of weakness.

12. Connection: Working with students and guides for a three-year cycle presents opportunities to make real, sustained connections with close-in-age friends and adults.

13. Fun: Lessons, when presented with a hands-on approach often feel more like play than learning. Of course, since play is learning, we can just enjoy both.

14. Taking Turns: Montessori classrooms often have a “class set” of a material. If a friend is using what you want, you wait until it is available. Daily practice with taking turns and sharing makes two important skills easier to learn.

15. Socialization: Montessori classrooms are often small, and students are working individually or in small groups. At the same time, they are taking turns, looking out for others, sharing their excitement, asking a friend not to interrupt them, and regularly practicing daily social skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

16. Interrupting Respectfully: With a classroom of individual lessons and individual work happening, learning how to interrupt respectfully is necessary for the class. This lesson may be a favorite of parents when young children share it at home.

17. Art Appreciation: Young children are drawn to art, so sharing images, artists, techniques, and vocabulary from a young age engages them and builds a foundation in something that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

18. Confidence with Numbers and Math: Many adults share that they, “Are just not good at math,” yet, Dr. Montessori observed that humans were born with a mathematical mind. Lessons in Sensorial, numbers, and learning math with objects first helps develop a comfort with, and sometimes even a love of, math. lesson cycle begins with taking the work from the shelf and ends with returning it to the shelf.

19. Grammar: Learning grammar with activities involving movement is fun, and the knowledge helps strengthen later reading and writing skills.

20. Phonics: Teaching letter sounds to develop reading skills has been a benefit for Montessori students for over one hundred years.

21. Speaking Skills: From early elementary, students share work they have done and demonstrate skills they have learned to their classmates as well as their guides. This development of public speaking skills helps Montessori students feel secure sharing their knowledge and ideas.

22. Brain Development: It turns out that Dr. Montessori’s observations over 100 years ago, continue to be supported by neuroscience research. Movement, moving between more difficult and easier skills, making choices, and developing skills with smaller steps have all been shown to benefit learning.

23. Ability to Move: Being able to move allows children autonomy over their own body and helps them learn to balance their needs with the needs of others. 

24. Cooking Opportunities: Measuring, using fractions, stirring, pouring, all of these Practical Life and math activities are used when cooking. In many Montessori schools, even toddlers make bread and high school students may create gourmet meals.

25. Friends: We often assume that a large group of same-age and same-gender students are necessary to create friendships, yet most Montessori classrooms have examples of longtime, deep friendships with a variety of friends of different ages and genders.

26. Group-Work Opportunities: As adults, we often work in groups. Montessori classrooms help students develop this skill by creating a variety of ways they can work together, without worrying about a grade at the end of the project.

27. Educating the Whole Person: Montessori guides try to connect students to work through skills and interests they already have. If you are a soccer player, you won’t get to just play soccer, but you may be invited to reading biographies of soccer players, connected to geography through soccer teams, or introduced to averages through soccer statistics.

28. Individualization: Students are encouraged to follow their own interests and work at their own pace. Not needing to be the same as the rest of the class in every lesson encourages self-confidence and acceptance of differences.

29. Community: With a three-year cycle, changes in the people of the classroom happen each year, yet the class is not starting from scratch each year. When students are encouraged to be role models and support their peers, community becomes an important part of the class.

30. Global Citizenship: Each cycle of Montessori education takes an appropriate cosmic view, looking for the similarities and admiring the differences in people, animals, locations, housing, and families around the world and in our own school. 

Return to Table of Contents
Reflections on Montessori & Whether it Prepares Children for the Real World

Reflections on Montessori & Whether it Prepares Children for the Real World

by | MFA, Montessori Education, Montessori Graduates, TC February 2023

How do Montessori students succeed when they leave the Montessori environment?

Here are some interesting responses shared with us 30 years ago and some much more recently. It is fascinating to see how much their answers, given so many years ago, dovetail with what we hear today in Montessori schools worldwide.

David Kahn

Former Executive Director of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association

Montessori is the real world! The Montessori classroom is very true to life. Children pursue their interests in the context of choice. Montessori children see their own growth and respond to their own needs.

Some say that Montessori classrooms are devoid of competition and, therefore, not part of the “real world.” Still, competition, like cooperation, is natural to life and thus emerges naturally in the Montessori classroom. There, children freely compare and contrast each other’s work. Montessorians are careful not to exploit the natural competition but to note how children build or lose self-esteem in relation to how they perceive themselves or others. And while the multi-age grouping softens comparison because of the variety of stages present in each classroom over a three-year age span, I would hardly consider the Montessori classroom a shelter from the real world.

They will learn tolerance and respect as modeled by the Montessori-trained teacher; they’ll learn about fairness, different approaches for different needs, and individuality in relation to group cooperation.

‘Success’ is in the eyes of the beholder; it is primarily formed privately, individually, and compassionately by the child and the family. Even the Montessori classroom cannot substitute for the parent’s faith in their child or the child’s faith in following their own star.

Nancy Rambusch, Ph.D.

The late founder of the American Montessori Society and one of the founders of the Montessori Foundation

Montessori education prepares children for the real world, but it allows children to meet themselves and the world in a particular way.

Both of my children, who had a Montessori education, have a quality of daring and competence in their own ability that has enabled them to approach new problems and challenges with appropriate confidence, great enthusiasm, and focus. This is one of the dispositional outcomes of Montessori, which has never been measured but is palpable in most parents’ experience.

Feland Meadows, Ph.D.

The late President of the Pan-American Montessori Society

We cannot prepare children specifically for a world that is yet to be. We live in a world of change. The only constant in our life is change. We have no way of knowing what the world will be like when they become adults because, between the time they are three and twenty, there will be so many changes that we cannot possibly foresee.

When teachers focus exclusively on the skills they will give children, they lose sight of the picture Montessori offered us. The whole concept of the Montessori classroom is a place where children can create themselves to their fullest potential. They are not just learning to write and read. They are developing themselves as individuals.

Two children came to me in the first grade at a school in Mexico City, where Montessori began in the 1960s. They both had been in Montessori from the time that they were three. They went on to a middle school run by a private organization with 1,000 students. They entered in September. In November, the children in that middle school elected their officers, and they elected one of these children president and the other treasurer.

Now, what a coincidence that two kids out of 1,000, who came out of a Montessori school, were chosen by their peers to be their leaders. Montessori is not designed to make you the best mathematician or anything in that sense. It is designed to help each person become the most complete human being she can be, and all those other things come along without them even having been the focus of our primary effort.

Elisabeth Coe, Ph.D.

Former President of the AMS & Director of the Houston Montessori Center

From my experiences with students who leave the programs and the feedback that I get from high schools and parents, they are academically pre- pared, but more than that, what I see is diversity. They are fearless in taking calculated risks on trying out for the play. They become student leaders directed towards activities like beginning a service project. The other feedback I get is that given a project, they know how to choose a topic and work it through until completion, while the other kids are still sitting around trying to figure out how to begin. They are self-starters and have the skills to break down and complete a task without total direction from teachers. In terms of college, the groups I’ve observed have been successful. Montessori students have learned to feel good about math and sciences. They enjoy it, and there’s no stigma attached to it. In other environments, there often is.

When those students who have been in Montessori for a long time take a learning preference test, they are in the middle because they have many options, modalities, and avenues. They also tend to be the outspoken ones. They are the ones that come up with the petitions or will take a stand on moral issues.

Joseph Purvis

Former Principal of the Hall School, Minneapolis

The answer to the question of whether or not Montessori prepares children for the real world depends on what we see as the real world. If the real world as we see it is that people interact well with each other and that we treat each other as a person, not as a statistic, then Montessori prepares them for the real world.

Suppose the real world is where we want people to think for themselves, figure out solutions, work in groups, and interact with other people peacefully. In that case, Montessori prepares them for it.

So we need to ask ourselves, “What type of real world do we want for the future?” and then prepare them for it. If it’s global peace that we’re looking for, then Montessori prepares children for it.

Alexandra Rambusch

Doctoral candidate and former Montessori student

Editor’s note: Keep in mind, Alexandra wrote this 30 years ago.

My experience with Montessori matched how I learn best. I recently applied to a doctoral program, and one of the things that they wanted us to talk about was to situate our experience and how we got to this point. The real pivotal experiences for me were my Montessori experiences and some college experiences because Montessori allows you to become an autonomous learner for the rest of your life. You carry it on the job and bring it into any other school setting. It permits you to select what you will do, begin it, complete it, and get closure in a way you are not allowed in many settings. It’s a very adult skill to develop.

Marc Seldin

Administrator of the Center for Guided Montessori Studies and former Montessori student

In a Montessori classroom, the student takes final responsibility for learning. Certainly, subjects are introduced by the teacher; undoubtedly, students will need and receive assistance from time to time, and their progress will be checked. But the majority of the work each student performs is done individually, and the drive to achieve comes from that individual. Montessori instills in children the belief that we should do excellent work because we want to, instead of the common practice of doing poor work because we can.

Frances Merenda

Barrie School 1990 – Sustainability Engineer

“I started in Montessori at age two. I’m a product of the entire system. I did well, but still, many people wondered if I had been prepared for college and whether I could ‘make it’ in a ‘real school?” The skepticism was so disconcerting that I never bothered to step back and see what 15 years of trust, respect, teaching, and learning had done for me. When I went off to Northwestern University, I left my support system and community behind and entered a world that was much colder and uncaring.

At first, I deeply missed that sense of belonging. I didn’t realize that Barrie had not only given me a second family but had also taught me how to build new friendships, support systems, and community wherever I go. I now use my years of experience in community building to cultivate secure relationships with people I have come to know.

Celma Perry

Former Director of the Training MECA-SETON Teacher Program (writing 30 years ago)

My daughter, Anna, started Montessori at two, discovering a world of respect. Montessori allowed my child to discover that she was a very important person, who was to be aware of the world and become a member of the bigger human community. Today, Anna is the Director of the MECA-SETON Teacher Program.

Ben Bogard

NewGate Montessori High School 2018 – Radio Frequency Engineer at SpaceX working on Starlink

I went to Montessori school from 18 months until first grade. I took a break for a couple of years and came running back as fast as possible to finish the rest of everything from third grade to high school. I graduated in 2018 with only three other seniors and then studied electrical engineering at Georgia Tech. I now live in Seattle and work for SpaceX, focused on Starlink radio communication systems.

I distinctly remember that we did a school project about barrier islands. We went out to the beach in Florida to take some measurements of the slope of the shore and what kind of sand and rock material there was. I had been watching videos on making flaky salt because I was interested in making salt, just curious about it. So I brought two big five-gallon water jugs to the beach with me and filled them with ocean water.

My teachers let me boil ocean water in the cafeteria kitchen over the next week to concentrate the water to make flaky salt. I still use that jar of salt. I was allowed to explore my interests. That curiosity led me to learn something you wouldn’t learn in a traditional school.

In addition, to a rigorous academic course of study. I earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma and got college credit for a large majority of the courses that I took in high school. I earned, overall, a 3.88 GPA in undergraduate electrical engineering at Georgia Tech, finishing in three and a half years. Only about 10 percent of students graduate in four years. Following our curiosity is separate from more traditional academics. It prepares us for the real world things that aren’t solving math equations, such as how do you fix your car when it breaks down?

I don’t have children yet, but people have begun asking me about my experience and if I recommend Montessori. I highly recommend it. Montessori does a great job from early childhood up to high school. Those higher-level programs are hard to find, but it’s worthwhile if you can find one. The style of learning is fascinating. I think back to when I was young, using the Pink Tower, the Bead Frame, and all of these very tangible materials.

From an engineer’s perspective, it’s nice to think back on it because that is what engineers do. We take something theoretical that exists as numbers and equations on paper and build a tangible system that represents that information. And that’s what Montessori has already done. They have designed materials that take these abstract concepts and put them into tangible formats.

Having that wide array of exposure, with a lot of emphasis on field trips and experiential learning, was a lot of fun and contained many life skills through being exposed to all these different environments and situations.

I always enjoy telling people that I came from Montessori, with a high school graduating class of four people, and, yes, I’m very successful in a technical field. There are no limitations. Montessori doesn’t limit you to one side of the spectrum in terms of STEM versus the arts; it does an outstanding job of teaching those skills that are required to solve problems and look for different ways to come up with a solution.

Brendan McGrath

Montessori schools in CT & FL 1987-1996 – BS

LEED Commissioner, Environmental Engineer

My connection and draw to environmental science was through math and Montessori. I don’t know how I would’ve turned out without Montessori being in my life. When I think about math and solve math problems, I can visualize those concepts in my head because the math materials and lessons make them so real.

I went to a Montessori school when I was very young. The whole experience is more like a background and foundational thing. Wanting to do something to make the world a little bit better or connect to the outdoor, natural environment didn’t come to me in a flash. It was a way of living in a community and developed over the years. I think it was just always there in the background. When it was time for me to decide what I would do, I thought, “If I have to work 40 hours a week, I better make it something good for the world.”

Braeden Allen

NewGate Montessori High School 2017, Environmental Science Graduate, currently teaching in Madrid

I started Montessori school when I was not quite three and living in Cape Cod. My Mom became a Montessori teacher while I attended the Sandwich Montessori School. When I was in upper elementary, we moved to Florida, where I attended the NewGate Montessori school through graduation. I was among the first group of people to earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Seven of us graduated that year. My first experience of a more traditional school was in college when I went to the University of Florida.

I have always loved animals and nature. I always read books about the jungle. As I grew up, I realized that I really liked science. I didn’t love math that much, and environmental science is a connection between loving nature, the environment, and science.

Did any experiences from my Montessori classes encourage my study of environmental science? I remember those long timelines with drawings of early humans and all the dinosaurs, prehistoric and geological eras that interested me. When I was in Montessori kindergarten, I remember that I would walk across the parking lot to the lower elementary building, and I was allowed to pick out chapter books. My reading level was ahead of my classmates, and I got to pick Magic Treehouse books.

Allowing me to pursue what interested me helped me follow the environmental science track. Deciding what to do with our lives has much in common with Montessori philosophies and values.

A benefit that I got from school was the social aspect. As I got older, I formed close connections with my classmates, teachers, and the whole community. It also influenced my path, because I learned that valuing my relationships was just as important as academic and professional skills.

Madhavi Sabnis

Barrie School 1996 – Marketing and Customer Support Coordinator at IndiSoft

Montessori teaching is the best way to learn! At Barrie, the teaching styles of Maria Montessori were prevalent from day one. The materials not only made the lessons easier to understand but also made me realize that self-motivated education and being more independent in thinking was the best way to learn and grow. Also, the ability to call your teacher by their first names made them more approachable and available, which made learning exciting and fun.

The idea is that a toddler, pre-teen, teenager, or high school student can develop strong learning skills at any level, which will help guide them in continuing their education in and outside the classroom.

After graduating from Barrie in June of 1996, I felt prepared for what lay ahead for me in college and the best way to approach the teaching styles of the professors during my bachelors at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, and later, during my master’s program at Howard University in Washington, DC. In both experiences, from my first class until my last, I was able to think for myself, learn from my mistakes, and, most importantly, take away the crux of a Montessori education, which was being more independent and not always having to rely on others to solve issues.

Return to Table of Contents
I Think I Can

I Think I Can

by | Book Reviews, MFA, TC February 2023

Written by Karen S. Robbins

Illustrated by Rachael Brunson

Well, I read this book several times, and I think this could be an introduction to reading together (an adult and a child) The aardvark shows confidence in its abilities and potential, and the mouse is delighted.

There are two characters – the aardvark, played by an adult, and the mouse by a child. The aardvark’s words are printed in blue, and the child’s in black. Many of the child’s words are the same as the aardvark’s and the child just repeats them, often only changing the nouns. It ends with a song that they sing together to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The illustrations are simple, clear, and fun.

This book could introduce reading together as just fun for young children and adults. It can be purchased at amazon.com.