This is the second article in a series about diversity and inclusivity in Montessori environments. The series addresses the necessity of intentional, anti-bias-oriented teachings and practices and highlight some of the movers and shakers the authors have identified as working for social justice in Montessori. Before analyzing the realities of…

Although Montessori is the most common unconventional education model, no multi-state study has compared standardized test proficiency of Montessori schools with districts. Here we report on this for the 10 states/regions with the most public Montessori schools (n = 195). In 3rd grade, Montessori schools were less proficient in math but more…

"Children have the potential to create a world we cannot imagine. This is our hope." In choosing Montessori, O'Shaughnessy says that we are choosing the road less traveled. We are choosing education as an aid to life. We are choosing an approach that respects the innate and unique potential of each child and that calls upon us to serve…

In order to achieve the goal of observation, preparation of the adult, the observer, is necessary. This preparation, says Hilla Patell, requires us to "have an appreciation of the significance of the child's spontaneous activities and a more thorough understanding of the child's needs." She discusses the growth of both the desire to…

The purpose of this embedded-descriptive single-case study was to provide insight into one prekindergarten school's efforts to build teacher capacity in foundational skills. An embedded-descriptive single-case study was a suitable design for the study because the researcher could not manipulate the school's efforts; the setting was contemporary…

School reform is an important national and international concern. The Montessori alternative school system is unique in that it is well-aligned with the science of healthy development and learning, has strong social-emotional "and" academic outcomes, is virtually unchanged in over a century, can be applied across all the school years,…

Bookending her article with questions for the Montessori practitioner, Judith Cunningham provides a theoretical overview of how the Montessori child is empowered to enact social change and is inspired to work for the betterment of the world. Cunningham lays the foundation by describing the world in which Maria Montessori lived and how the events…

In this talk, Linda Davis discusses observation at the adolescent level. She explains that we must "adjust our approach for the third plane of development, for when they are becoming adults." Using examples, she discusses the characteristics of this plane, which are helpful to recall when thinking about what to expect when observing…

The New Zealand schooling system is well-known for its progressive and innovative approach to education (Couch, 2012; Mutch, 2013; Wells, 2016). Their national curriculum is inclusive and flexible, allowing schools and teachers to select the content they deem necessary to meet the competencies in the designated learning areas (Ministry of…

The identity of public school systems changed dramatically over the past 25 years, as standards-based reform held schools accountable for more equal and academically demanding education for poorer and more diverse students. We argue that identity also changed in private and hybrid school systems. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 40 school…

In this research, it is aimed to examine the effects of Montessori education on the mentally retarded individuals in the special education who have had Montessori education and who have not had it. 24 trainable mentally disabled male students who had and did not have Montessori education in a private school in Kayseri participated in the study.…

This article presents an interview with Sonia Manzano, who, for 44 years (1971-2015), played the role of Maria on "Sesame Street." A range of issues were discussed--children, learning, politics, entertainment-- as well as her transition to a writing life, through her several children's books and her lyrical and captivating memoir of her…

This father gives some brief observations of his daughter beginning at the time of her entrance into a Montessori school at the age of three years through the age of six. Through his observations and interactions with his daughter, he gains an awareness of the beauty of the work of the child and leaves the reader with a simple yet powerful…

In this third article in a series exploring diversity and inclusivity in Montessori, the authors build upon their previous treatises on why this work is imperative and how identity formation sets the stage for supporting the nuances of diversity. As a Montessorian educator, there is a need, as adults, to be willing to lean into one's own…

In 2019, educators at Beehive Montessori School (Beehive) in Western Australia implemented their self-defined digital literacies framework. The framework guided their approach to, and use of, digital technologies in their classrooms. Doing so came out of a whole school action research project in which the school became a hub for inquiry and…