ERIC Number: EJ1444878
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1054-0040
EISSN: N/A
Is Montessori Truly for All Children?
Laura Flores Shaw; Dana Baker
Montessori Life: A Publication of the American Montessori Society, v36 n3 p24-33 2024
As every Montessorian knows, Dr. Montessori's pedagogy evolved through her work with "phrenasthenic," or disabled and neurodivergent, children in Rome (Trabalzini, 2011). This historical knowledge may lead to the assumption that Montessori education epitomizes inclusive education--that Montessori is indeed education for all children, both neurotypical and neurodivergent. However, this assumption, while logical, needs to be examined, as there are three things that can influence teachers' practice without their awareness: (1) the pathology paradigm; (2) the information processing model of cognition; and (3) educators' own biases and neurology. In this article, the authors scrutinize these three areas of influence to help illuminate approaches to practice, including biases some are unaware of--because, as Dr. Montessori stated, "The real preparation of education is the study of one's self " (Montessori, 1967, p. 132). Additionally, the authors discuss alternatives to the pathology paradigm and the information processing model of cognition--namely, the neurodiversity paradigm (Walker, 2021) and an enactive model of cognition (Varela et al., 2016)--to help move Montessori education in current practice toward true inclusion.
Descriptors: Montessori Method, Student Diversity, Cognitive Ability, Inclusion, Pathology, Ability, Social Influences, Student Behavior, Behavior Standards, Students with Disabilities, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A