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Evidence of the Effectiveness of Montessori Education
Evidence of the Effectiveness of Montessori Education

It is always a challenge to provide evidence of program effectiveness in education. The variables are numerous. The researcher must attempt to examine a diverse population which reflects the cultural, economic and racial diversity of the total population if any generalizable conclusions can be made. The researcher must choose a measurable set of tasks that will be useful in considering any given student's progress. While academics are important, there must also be measures of problem solving and social adeptness if we are to gain a sense of how the whole child's development is progressing. Along with these considerations, in the case of evaluating the effectiveness of the Montessori method, there is the added complication of how to determine how well a program meets the requirements of Montessori pedagogy in a country where there are many Montessori training centers and varying standards.

Over the years, the North American Montessori Teachers Association (NAMTA)* has provided surveys of articles that have addressed the effectiveness of Montessori education at the Primary and Elementary years. These studies considered how Montessori pedagogy was carried out in the programs which they examined, all served by Association Montessori International trained guides like ours. The uniformity of the programs examined makes these studies especially useful in addressing not only the effectiveness of Montessori education in general but also, specifically, the effectiveness of AMI affiliated programs, like here at Aidan.

While there is a limited amount of peer reviewed research that is conducted concerning the effectiveness of Montessori education, what does exist supports the success of its pedagogy. Over the years, these studies have reiterated the academic benefits of AMI Montessori environments, their support of student enjoyment of school (our children love to come to school every day), and their ownership of their learning in school. Consistently, Montessori students score above-average ratings in five characteristics: using basic skills, being responsible, showing enthusiasm for class topics, being individualistic, and exhibiting multicultural awareness. Montessori students also chose more difficult puzzle tasks, referring to them as a challenge when asked why they had chosen as they did. They expressed positive feelings about school, showed distinct advantages in academic achievement, desire for challenging work and social competence.

One of the leaders in research focused on the success of Montessori education provided by AMI affiliated programs is Dr. Angeline Lillard of the University of Virginia. She presents eight insights that are at the foundation of our work with your children. For more details, check out her book, Montessori The Science Behind the Genius. Copies are available in the School library. To get your own hands-on experience with materials, come to the Journey & Discovery on October 12 & 13, 2018.

Thanks,

Dr. John Feeley

Lead Lower Elementary Teacher, Red Oak Classroom

*(NOTE: Our teachers are members of this organization, attend many of their conferences, and keep abreast of the latest research via the quarterly Journal.)