Abstract/Notes: Preschools have become an important beginning step in education. This sequential mixed methods study sought to determine if the Montessori preschool setting provides greater academic achievement in reading readiness, specifically phonemic awareness, in preschoolers as compared to a conventional elementary standards-based preschool setting. Social constructivist theory and sociocultural theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Qualitative data was comprised of interviews with kindergarten teachers who agreed unanimously that preschool had a positive impact on students’ academic ability upon entrance to kindergarten. However, all four teachers had a negative connotation pertaining to Montessori students and the Montessori Method based solely on students’ behavior and students’ lack of conformity. For the quantitative data, multiple two sample t-tests were conducted to determine the effect of preschool experience on all 90 participants’ reading readiness scores upon entrance to kindergarten based upon DIBELS FSF and PSF and their KRA assessment scores, while taking socio-economic status into consideration. T-tests were used to compare the results from 30 Montessori students, 30 conventional standards-based elementary students, and 30 students with no preschool experience. All three sub-groups were matched equally based on socio-economic status. Montessori students outperformed the other two school groups on all three assessments. The difference in scores when separating Montessori students by socio-economic status is the most significant finding to come from this study. Montessori students considered low income had statistically lower scores on all three assessments when compared to Montessori students who are not considered low income.

Language: English

Published: Findlay, Ohio, 2019

Language: English

ISSN: 1354-1498

Abstract/Notes: This study aimed to examine the effects of Montessori Education on children’s self-regulation skills in the preschool period. The study had a 2 × 2 mixed design, wherein the dependent variable was self-regulation levels of 3, 4, 5-year-old children (experimental group: 62, control group: 53) and the independent variable was education based on the Montessori Method whose influence on children’s self-regulation skills was examined. The study employed the Demographic Information Form, the Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment (PSRA). The study results yielded a significant difference in posttest mean scores for Self-Regulation and Attention/Impulse Control between experimental and control group children, while there was no significant difference in Positive Emotion. There was a significant difference for Self-Regulation and Attention/Impulse Control between the pretest and posttest mean scores of experimental group children, whereas the analyses indicated no significant difference between pretest and posttest mean scores of control group children for Self-Regulation, Attention/Impulse Control and Positive Emotion. Originally published in: Early Child Development and Care, volume 191, issue 7–8 (2021), pp. 1219–1229.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Routledge, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-367-63674-6 978-0-367-63675-3 978-1-00-312021-6

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: هدفت الدراسة الحالية الي قياس مدي فاعلية برنامج تدريبي قائم على طريقة منتسوري في تحسين مهارات القراءة لدي التلاميذ ذوي صعوبات التعلم بمرحلة الطفولة المبكر [The current study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a training program based on the Montessori method in improving reading skills among pupils with learning difficulties in early childhood.]

Language: Arabic

ISSN: 2410-874X

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to see how using High-Leverage Practices with a novice teacher would affect her classroom management skills in a lower elementary, Montessori classroom. Teaching in a lower elementary, Montessori classroom is always difficult as it is a mixed-age environment of first through third grade students. It is also difficult when the teacher is new to the field of teaching. Since many teachers come to teaching from other careers, learning how to effectively manage their classrooms is an on-going struggle. This study focuses on what happens when a master teacher, with more than 20 years of experience, works with a novice teacher who has taught for less than 3 years. The researcher used High-Leverage Practices to model teaching practices in the novice teacher’s classroom based on observed areas for growth. Improvements were seen in the areas selected by the novice teacher, such as giving individual and group lessons, redirecting students who are not engaged, and lesson preparation. Research should continue in this area as there is little history of this practice in Montessori teacher education. Research should also continue to see if the effects of the interventions would be more significant over a longer period of time.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: Plus correction printed in Winter 2001/02 issue (10

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Abstract/Notes: Letter to the editor

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Abstract/Notes: Montessori schooling, created by physician and educator Maria Montessori, is a well-known alternative to the traditional style of teaching. Many researchers have focused on how the Montessori method can produce successful and well-rounded students, not only academically, but within the social realm as well. What is less known is the extent to which Montessori impacts the social development of children and their forming of peer relationships and why it does so. After looking into and discussing the previous literature written on this topic, this thesis project utilizes reviews with two individuals with experience in the primary level Montessori setting to further understand how the Montessori method can possibly benefit the students socially and draw connections between teacher experience and scholarly research. It was discovered that the responses of the participants generally paralleled the claims of previous literature, with specific emphasis being placed on the sense of responsibility and ownership students held in the environment and the reduction of the teacher’s role in constructing how students utilize the environment and interact with one another.

Language: English

Published: Portland, Oregon, 2022

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246