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Montessori in the News
Montessori better, Science journal reports
From http://www.mthemagazine.com.
According to a study reported in the September 29th issue of Science, Montessori educated children have better social and academic skills than children who attend traditional schools.
The authors, Virginia University psychology professor Dr Angeline Lillard and former Wisconsin University graduate student Dr Nicole Else-Quest compared the outcomes of children at a public inner-city Montessori school with children at traditional schools.
Children came from families of similar incomes and were evaluated at the end of the two most widely implemented levels of Montessori education: preschool (3-6 year-olds) and primary (6-12 year- olds). The children who attended the Montessori school, and the children who did not, were tested for their cognitive and academic skills, and for their social and behavioral skills.
“We found significant advantages for the Montessori students in these tests for both age groups,” Lillard said. “Particularly remarkable are the positive social effects of Montessori education. Typically the home environment overwhelms all other influences in that area.”
Among the 5-year-olds, Montessori students proved to be significantly better prepared for primary school in reading and math skills than the non-Montessori children. They also tested better on “executive function”, the ability to adapt to changing and more complex problems, an indicator of future school and life success.
Montessori children also displayed better abilities on the social and behavioral tests, demonstrating a greater sense of justice and fairness. And on the playground they were much more likely to engage in emotionally positive play with peers, and less likely to engage in rough play.
Among the 12-year-olds from both groups, the Montessori children, in cognitive and academic measures, produced essays that were rated as “significantly more creative” and using “significantly more sophisticated sentence structures”. The Montessori and non-Montessori students scored similarly on spelling, punctuation and grammar, and there was not much difference in academic skills related to reading and math. This parity occurred despite the Montessori children not being regularly tested and graded.
In social and behavioral measures, 12-year-old Montessori students were more likely to choose “positive assertive responses” for dealing with unpleasant social situations, such as having someone cut into a queue. They also indicated a “greater sense of community” at their school and felt that students there respected, helped and cared about each other.
“When strictly implemented, Montessori education fosters social and academic skills that are equal or superior to those fostered by a pool of other types of schools,” the authors concluded.
Lillard plans to continue her research by tracking the students from both groups over a longer period of time to determine the long-term benefits of Montessori versus traditional education.
Montessori education is characterized by multi-age classrooms, a special set of educational materials, student-chosen work in long time blocks, a collaborative environment with student mentors, absence of grades and tests, and individual and small group instruction in academic and social skills. Montessori is the single largest pedagogy in the world with more than 8000 schools worldwide.
Japanese help Montessori program expand its world
The Charlottesville Observer; Gary Grant, Observer Staff Writer
Yasuko Kawasaki's children are living half a world away from their native culture, but a Charlottesville area school is helping them double up on their education.
Her children are among 15 enrolled in the Charlottesville Japanese Program for Children at the University Montessori School on Fontaine Avenue Extended.
The new program was born of necessity in April. “There is a Japanese school in Richmond and one or two in D.C.,” says the part-time biology technician. “That's too far to drive. A couple of us were complaining about it until one day someone said, 'why don't we start a school of our own?'” Now every Thursday afternoon Charlottesville-based Japanese students from four to 12 years of age huddle around five teachers to study and practice their native language and do mathematics. "The teachers speak only Japanese and use Japanese textbooks and the children usually learn the language while they play," says Kawasaki.
Michele Mattioli is the director of the University Montessori School and has welcomed the opportunity to host the Japanese program. "We're thrilled to have them. Their activities are certainly developmentally appropriate and their presence has been a real plus for our children." Montessori students and Japanese children have been able to play with each other, share uncommon snacks and do origami together. "The jumping frog was a big hit," says Kawasaki. "Our teachers' babysitters have had to make a lot of origami frogs for the Montessori children."
The school's connection to the local Japanese community did not just begin this year. "A few summers ago," says Mattioli, "our summer camp was one-third Japanese children. Internationals have a very good grapevine for figuring out how to function in new places. If you get a Brazilian family, then you have this little Brazilian trail. If you get one Japanese family, then that trail begins. We've been very happy with the way international families have come to think of us."
The success of the Japanese program at University Montessori has brought inquiries from non-Japanese families who want their children in language and cultural classes. "There's going to be a Japanese culture class here in January," says Kawasaki, "There will be a small fee and it will be taught in English." Mattioli, who speaks Portuguese, says her school's global orientation may expand even further. "We have some folks interested in starting a German group and also a Chinese program, and my interest is in Spanish. "We are thinking about programs for both parents and children by having a conversation group for adults whose children are in another classroom."
The school will host its first Japanese Program party and potluck this Friday afternoon at 4:30. University Montessori families and parents and children from the Japanese program will get together. "It's a chance to get to know each other better," says Mattioli. "A Japanese lady is going to play traditional harp music for us, and we'll probably teach them the Hokey-Pokey."
Sounds like meeting someone halfway around the world for double the education.
