Language: English

Abstract/Notes: "AMERICANS ARE GIVEN PRAISE Of EDUCATOR. With the intention of establishing four great Montessori schools in California, Dr. Maria Montessori, founder of the educational system that bears her name and world famous for her intellectual achievements, today declared that Americans are more fitted for the work of advancing educational work than any other people. Dr. Montessori is established at the Maryland hotel, Pasadena, where she will make her headquarters during her visit here. One of her schools will be in Pasadena, one in Los Angeles, one in San Diego and the other in San Francisco, and all who attend to learn the famous Montessori technique will be sent from one to the other institution, to avoid routine and bo,t ways. AMERICANS PRAISED "Americans seem more interested In their young than do people of other countries, ’ Madame Montessori declared, through her interpreter, "and they are also more alert. It Is for these reasons that they embrace and develope more quickly what Is for the child's benefit. "My system Is still too new to show positive results," she continued, “but It Is founded on the desire to secure the same Justice for the child that the adult would have, and to d&relop only what Is good In child nature. CHILD BORN GOOD "A child Is born Into the world good. What it develops of wrong doing Is taught It by adults. If left to follow Its original instincts and desires it would be and do only good. 'By encouraging a child to know the Joy of right doing It will never want to do wrong. If a child's parents and teachers never give It wrong precepts It will not be guilty of wrong doing, for the Innocence of child nature is Ignorant of evil till that Is taught from the outside.'"

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Improving academic achievement for students of color has long been the subject of debate among advocates of education reform (Anyon, 2013; Breitborde & Swiniarski, 2006; Payne, 2008). Some scholars have advocated for the Montessori method as an alternative educational approach to address some chronic problems in public education (Lillard, 2005; Murray, 2011, 2015; Torrance, 2012). Montessori programs are expanding in public schools (National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, 2014c) at a time when the American public school population is more racially diverse than ever before (Maxwell, 2014). A review of the literature reflects a lack of consensus about the efficacy of Montessori elementary instruction for students of color in general, and lack of attention to outcomes for African American students specifically (Dawson, 1987; Dohrmann, Nishisda, Gartner, Lipsky, & Grimm, 2007; Lopata, Wallace, & Finn, 2005; Mallet & Schroeder, 2015). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of reading and math instruction for third grade African American students in public Montessori, traditional, and other school choice settings, using end-of-grade standardized test scores from a large, urban district in North Carolina. Stratified sampling was used to select demographically similar traditional and magnet schools for comparison. Group mean reading and math test scores were compared using factorial MANCOVA and MANOVA procedures. African American students at grade three were found to perform at significantly higher levels in both reading and math in public Montessori schools than in traditional schools. No statistically significant difference was found in math achievement between African American third grade students in public Montessori and other magnet programs, although the Montessori group did achieve at significantly higher levels in reading. This suggests that the Montessori method can be an effective pedagogy for African American students, particularly in reading. Based on these results, recommendations are provided for policy, practice, and future research.

Language: English

Published: Charlotte, North Carolina, 2016

Language: Italian

ISSN: 0042-7241

Abstract/Notes: As Montessori programs in public schools expand, Montessori education is becoming available to a more diverse population of American students than ever before. Students of color have a significant presence in public Montessori schools; over a quarter of students in whole-school public Montessori programs are African American. As these programs grow, researchers have increasingly directed their attention to demonstrating that Montessori works in public schools; however, few studies have examined outcomes for African American students at the lower elementary level, when critical reading and math skills are being established. This study sought to answer the question, how effectively does Montessori instruction promote achievement for African American third grade students in reading and math, compared to similar traditional schools and other public school choice programs?

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., 2016

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 0959-4108

Language: English

ISSN: 1470-8647

Abstract/Notes: The linguistic environment of preschools in South Africa is considerably under-researched. In this study, research was undertaken to discover how South African Montessori preschool teachers approach the issue of multilingualism in their classrooms and their perceptions of the value of speaking multiple languages. Teachers working in Montessori schools in Cape Town were interviewed about their experiences and ideologies of multilingualism in the classroom. Data was analysed through a Bakhtinian lens to uncover the tensions surrounding these beliefs and experiences of South African multilingualism. It was found that although many teachers supported the idea of multilingualism, they faced significant practical and administrative barriers to its implementation in the classroom. Furthermore, it was notable that much of the work to teach or introduce additional language in the preschool space was performed by underpaid, undertrained, and under-valued non-teaching staff, such as cleaning staff and classroom assistants.

Language: English

Published: Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2023