While there were several factors that distinguished high performing children from others who participated in Project Star (peers, smaller class size and higher socioeconomic status all contributed to better results), none of these factors explained the drastic variation in class performance. This led researchers to determine that teachers were the key, and as NYT writer David Leonhardt points out, “Some are highly effective. Some are not. And the differences can affect students for years to come.”

It’s true that The Times may have simply reported what many educators already know, but we thank them just the same. While it’s generally understood that you can’t put a price tag on someone’s worth, sometimes numbers make the point better than anything else.

Read the full NYT article here.

For more research regarding the impact of quality early childhood education, please visit the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Some of the most enlightening, purely joyful moments happen during more spontaneous circle time.  Children are given an opportunity to express themselves in a “public” forum.  Having their classmates and a teacher listening to them is both empowering and necessary; it helps children to feel more invested in the classroom environment and reminds them that they are indeed an important part of the world.  The mere act of joining together with friends in a familiar place also seems very comforting.  As such, I almost always make time for some sort of circle activity during both my Montessori and children’s dance classes.

-Maria Montessori

One of the main concepts which defines the Montessori philosophy is that of the prepared environment.  Dr. Montessori emphasized the importance of creating a learning environment that allows children to explore independently.  Children should be able to freely move from one activity to another with very little teacher interruption.  For the Montessori directress, preparing the environment is one of the primary responsibilities; however, it is also one of the most wonderful and inspiring activities in which one can partake.

As the new school year begins and I complete the preparation of my learning space, I reflect on how exciting it is to carefully construct the activities for each area of the classroom.  Placing items on shelves may seem mundane to some, but it is actually one of the greatest joys in being a Montessori teacher!

-E.M. Standing

Of all the areas of the Montessori classroom, it is perhaps the practical life activities that receive the most attention.  Many first-time Montessori explorers have questions about this area.  These questions often include: “What is the purpose of this area?” or “How will these works help my child?”

Dr. Montessori considered the exercises of practical life to be the most vital area of the classroom.  In many cases, it is indeed the area that is most alive.  Montessori called the practical life activities exercises of everyday living, a natural way to exercise.  Montessori noted that the development of muscles is encouraged through daily living, through movement.  She believed that while these exercises might be considered work, they were enjoyable for every child, as he delights in movement.  Furthermore, the physical movement encourages mental stimulation and psychic development.

There are two main objectives to the practical life exercises:  first, to help develop the child’s concentration, coordination, order and independence (direct aims).  Secondly, these activities help children to master increasingly difficult and developmentally appropriate tasks (indirect aims).  In addition to the numerous physical and psychological benefits of the practical life exercises, there are numerous social objectives which are taught and reinforced throughout the curriculum.  To some, the practical life activities may seem like meaningless work.  But these activities have great purpose, which can be discovered through the observation of the Montessori child.

“Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour.”

-Ovid

We all know that patience is a virtue, but it is also a necessity in Montessori education.  Maria Montessori believed that all educators, including parents, should quietly observe and patiently guide the developing child, as he is developing at his own pace in his own time.  She noted that the child will be drawn to the materials that appeal most to him in his current developmental stage (sensitive period).  And while the child may not gravitate towards the math materials when we desire it to happen, it will indeed happen.  Sometimes we may choose to create clever variations of a material to invite the child to explore new works, but the Montessori philosophy demands that we allow the child the freedom to make his own choice.

Unfortunately, our current education system does not encourage patience.  School districts teach to the test as quickly as they can, and design their curriculums solely around state standards.  Most of us realize that these are but a few of the reasons that our system does not work for many children.  Even though Montessori schools are now a part of many districts, the patience cornerstone has been forgotten.  Perhaps we could gain something from inviting more patience into our lives, especially as it relates to the children we guide.  Let’s allow the children to teach us once again the value of this great virtue.

“One who would assist a child does not need to have recourse to elaborate observations or fancy interpretations.  One must simply have the desire to help the child and fund of common sense.”

-Maria Montessori

Designing an educational plan to meet every child’s needs seems complicated, but does it need to be?  Every year, new curricula, standards and tests are created and often adopted in schools and states throughout the country.  There’s no doubt that the people behind these new philosophies are invested in the future of education and are committed to helping children succeed.  However, Maria Montessori might note that while we, as educators and administrators, are spending precious time wading through test scores, the child is patiently waiting to show us the way.  The foundation of the Montessori philosophy can be summed up in one powerful statement: “Follow the child.”  While this “method” may seem too easy to be believed, the successes of many Montessori children validate Dr. Montessori’s simple yet profound wisdom.  Perhaps years of advanced research cannot teach us any more than careful, quiet observation.  Perhaps Maria Montessori was right…the true teacher is the child.  Common sense, isn’t it?