Abstract/Notes: Montessori programs are expanding in public schools, serving a large proportion of African American students. Although recent Montessori research has focused on diverse public school populations, few studies have examined outcomes for African American students at the lower elementary level. This quasi-experimental study compares reading and math achievement for African American third grade students in public Montessori and other magnet schools in a large, urban district in North Carolina. Scores from end-of-grade state tests of reading and math are compared using a multivariate analysis of covariance. No significant difference in math scores was identified, but students in Montessori schools scored significantly higher in reading. This suggests that Montessori lower elementary instruction may be beneficial for African American students.
Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the effect of traditional and Montessori methods on perceptual motor activities of elementary school students. This research is applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental in terms of implementation. Abad forms. The sample size in this study was selected using G-POWER software and the sample size was 36 people. It is necessary that three groups of 12 people are selected randomly from them. In this study, there are three groups of 12 people for research, one of which is the Montessori training program; In the second group, the traditional training program and the third group as a research control group, in which the two experimental groups performed the necessary training sessions for 8 weeks and 3 sessions per week. In both traditional and Montessori groups, the changes in pre-test and post-test are significant and this means that both Montessori and traditional methods have been able to improve students' balance. The results showed that the Montessori group had the greatest impact on fine motor skills. Also, the traditional training group was able to create a significant difference with the control group.
Language: Persian
ISSN: 2645-7806
Article
✓ Peer Reviewed
The 'Cosmic' Task of the Youngest Children – Direct, Anticipate or Respect? Experiences Working with Small Children
Publication: Journal of Montessori Research and Education,
vol. 2, no. 1
Date: 2019
Pages: 1–12
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Abstract/Notes: The article derived from Grazia Honegger Fresco’s years in close cooperation with Maria Montessori and Adele Costa Gnocchi. The author illustrates how small children from the moment they start using their hands and are standing unassisted on their own legs must act in their own way. The teacher must observe before acting and intervene as little as possible. Honegger Fresco follows the work of Montessori and Costa Gnocchi and she compares the findings with different fields of science, such as ethnology and neurology. As a result of her observations and experiences she points toward the relationship between a good childhood, and in the long term, human responsibility on Earth, using the concept “the Cosmic Task”. The method in this article is based on autoethnography, as the author shares her personal experience and reflections, both as a teacher and as an educator. The aim is to shed light on aspects regarding the needs of small children and to point at the essential role of adults, educators as well as parents. As Schiedi explains, autoethnography “extends its narrative horizon to a social, professional, organizational dimension of the self” (2016). During Honegger Fresco’s career, she was primarily inspired by Maria Montessori’s research about child development and children’s needs and rights, and she had continuously deepened her understanding by studying other researchers in this field. Thus, the article will share her conviction that by serving the creative spirit of the youngest children we will build a better future for our planet.
Eva-Maria Tebano Ahlquist
(Author) , Per Gynther (Author)
Publication: Journal of Montessori Research and Education,
vol. 2, no. 1
Date: 2019
Pages: 13–23
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Abstract/Notes: In this article we examine the relation between variation theory and Maria Montessori’s didactic theory. Montessori believed that training and sharpening of the child’s senses are crucial for their continued learning; she therefore developed specific sensorial materials to be used in Montessori preschools for such a purpose. As noted by interpreters of Montessori education, a key principle in this material, as well as in variation theory, is the use of variation and invariance. However, in this article, lessons in two different areas than the training of the senses are analysed from a variation-theoretical perspective on learning; these lessons originate from Montessori’s own writings and from extracts from Montessori training courses. The result shows that a systematic use of variation and invariance can be seen as a more fundamental part of Montessori’s didactic theory and is not only applied in the sensorial training. The article will offer theoretical concepts useful when explaining why lessons in various areas should be presented in the way they are described.
Abstract/Notes: This paper is a historical account of the spread of Montessori education in mainland China. It surveys the general picture of early childhood education (ECE) in China and discusses the factors leading to the popularity of Montessori education in the 1990s. Although first introduced into China in the early 1900s, for reasons explained, Montessori education was unsuccessful in catching on as an education method in the early part of the 20th century. Following policy changes and growing interest in western education methods, Montessori education reemerged in the 1990s and has remained a sought-out education method since. In this paper, localization is also discussed as a prominent concern expressed in the Chinese research is ensuring Montessori education promotes and instills values consistent with Chinese society. As is shown, elements of the Montessori method are consistent with Chinese culture, creating a cooperative relationship between these two systems. Of equal importance, Montessori education emphasizes the cultivation of collective identity and societal relationships similar to Chinese culture, the slight difference between them being that Montessori also emphasized the construction of the individual as well.
Abstract/Notes: The Montessori Bibliography Online (MBO) makes information about Montessori education and the Montessori movement more accessible through an online interface that includes links to digitized source materials. Historically, Montessori bibliographies and indexes have been published in physical form and include references to other sources, but a direct link is absent. This database builds on previously compiled indexes to consolidate citations into a comprehensive repository with an intuitive user interface and a robust search capability. Additionally, the MBO provides hyperlinks to digitized source material. Although this type of tool is not unprecedented in the larger research and educational landscape, it is novel within the domain of Montessori education. This methodological essay discusses the steps I took to compile and develop the MBO. Beginning with a review of the literature and legal matters, the discussion describes the methods and processes employed. It concludes by outlining future directions for the MBO. The MBO is accessible at https://montessoribib.ku.edu.
Published: Paris, France:
Association Montessori de France, 1953
Article
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Maria Montessori: The Montessori Method (Introduction by Martin Mayer); Spontaneous Activity in Education (The Advanced Montessori Method, Vol. 1); The Montessori Elementary Material (The Advanced Montessori Method, Vol. 2)
Actes du 24ème Congrès Montessori International tenu à la Maison de l'UNESCO, 2, 3 et 4 juillet 2001: l'Éducation comme une Aide à la Vie [Proceedings of the 24th International Montessori Congress held at UNESCO House, 2, 3 and 4 July 2001: Education as an Aid to Life]
Published: Paris, France:
Association Montessori de France, 2001
ISBN: 2-9518450-0-6 978-2-9518450-0-8
Article
Summer Activities of the Association Montessori Internationale: Study Conference at Woudschoten, XIIth International Montessori Congress [Bad-Godesberg, Germany]
Man According to Maria Montessori: From Love-Teaching Child to Peace-Loving Adult: International Congress (Roma, Italy, 16-17 May, Chiaravalle, 18-19 May 2002)
Opera Nazionale Montessori (Editor)
, Istituto Superiore Montessori di Ricerca e Formazione (Editor)