ERIC Number: EJ1372147
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2378-3923
Children with Disabilities Attending Montessori Programs in the United States
Long, Toby; Ferranti, Nadia; Westerman, Clare
Journal of Montessori Research, v8 n2 p16-32 Fall 2022
Early childhood education plays a critical role in establishing positive social-emotional behaviors and promoting the development of skills needed to succeed in elementary school. Although inclusion of children with disabilities (CWD) in early childhood classrooms is increasing throughout the world, numerous social, logistical, and political factors continue to present challenges to full inclusion. The Montessori educational approach, established at the beginning of the 20th century and now applied widely throughout Europe and the United States, may present a highly suitable learning context for CWD, particularly given its historical basis in efforts to meet the needs of underprivileged and cognitively delayed children. On a theoretical level, the inclusion of CWD should be an accepted practice for Montessori programs, yet reports of the number and characteristics of CWD attending Montessori programs are scarce. This paper reports upon the findings of a survey of the current enrollment of CWD in U.S. Montessori Early Childhood programs. The survey indicated that CWD represent 3.75% of the Infant and Toddler (0-3 years) population and 8.49% of the Early Childhood (3-6 years) population at responding institutions. Additionally, although school directors indicated that their teachers generally feel confident and competent including CWD in their classrooms, they expressed a need for ongoing professional development and additional support from special education experts to further strengthen the inclusion of CWD in all aspects of Montessori education.
Descriptors: Students with Disabilities, Montessori Schools, Preschool Education, Early Childhood Education, Young Children, Special Education, Teacher Competencies, Self Efficacy, Professional Development, Inclusion, Accessibility (for Disabled), Educational Resources, Teacher Education
American Montessori Society. 116 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003. Web site: https://journals.ku.edu/jmr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A