69ý

Education

Finding Value in a Different Way to Learn

By Linda Jacobson — March 13, 2007 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

A recent study of a public Montessori school in Milwaukee provides support for those who believe that Montessori’s philosophy of “freedom with responsibility” can develop children who are at least as successful academically—and in some areas, even more so—than those who are educated in traditional ways.

Conducted by psychology professors Angeline Lillard, from the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, and Nicole Else-Quest of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the study examines the performance of children randomly selected by lottery to attend Craig Montessori Elementary School. The pupils’ scores on a series of tests were compared with those of similar children who applied but did not get slots.

See Also

Return to the main story,

Taming Montessori

On several measures of school readiness, such as letter and word recognition, word-decoding ability, and ability to solve math problems, 5-year-olds in the Montessori school scored higher than those who attended other schools.

On social and behavioral measures, the Montessori children were more likely to be involved in “shared peer play” on the playground and less likely to be involved in rough play. And regarding their school, they were more likely than those in the control group to say they felt a greater sense of community.

The 5-year-olds also were given what is known as a “false belief” test, which determines how well children recognize objective and subjective statements. Developing this skill, the researchers wrote in their study, is a “landmark achievement in social cognition.” Eighty percent of the Montessori students passed the exercise, compared with 50 percent of the control group.

On an essay, the responses of 12-year-old Montessori students were judged to be more creative and sophisticated than those of the control group. And on a social-skills test, the Montessori students were more likely to choose “positive assertive” responses to questions regarding social situations.

“Montessori education has a fundamentally different structure from traditional education,” the authors wrote in the Sept. 29 issue of the journal Science. “At least 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.”

But the researchers said it would be useful to replicate the study in different Montessori schools since the schools can “vary widely.” And they said it would be helpful to know if some aspects of the Montessori philosophy are connected with certain outcomes for students.

A version of this article appeared in the March 14, 2007 edition of Education Week as Finding Value In a Different Way to Learn

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 23, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read