Language: English

Abstract/Notes: A preschool experience was provided for lower-income negro children, and then their gains or losses in IQ and social integration were evaluated in terms of the type of the teaching method used. Thirty lower-income negro children and 17 middle-income negro and white children were separated into three groups and exposed to three teaching methods. Class one was unintegrated (all lower-income negro children) and non-Montessorial in methodology. It was the most unrestricted in terms of teacher control. Class two as integrated and non-Montessorial, but teacher control and restriction was more evident. Class three was integrated and Montessorial. The pupils here were the most disciplined and controlled. A thorough study was made of these classroom procedures, teaching techniques, and pupil activities. The results of the Stanford Binet intelligence tests showed no significant iq gain among the groups or within a group from test one at the beginning of the eight-week summer session to test two at the end of the session. But individual gains appeared. These were found to be an inverse function of distractibility. A winter pre-school session, with new pupils and using only the Montessori method, resulted in IQ gains. This was attributed to an improved classroom atmosphere. In general, the sessions did increase the children's readiness to begin school work and helped them to gain social confidence. Encouraging parental interest and participation was a collateral aspect of the programs. (WD)

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., 1966

Abstract/Notes: This literature review provides a broad examination of the importance of culturally sustaining practices in public Montessori schools. For the purpose of this paper, culturally sustaining practices refers to any pedagogical practice or framework that prioritizes the racial and social identities of children of color, and/or the work that educators must do to strengthen these culturally sustaining practices. Culturally sustaining practices include but are not limited to Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, which Paris (2012) adapted from Ladson-Billings' (1995) Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Specifically examining the experiences that children of color experience in public Montessori education in the U.S., the author proposes that culturally sustaining practices combined with the Montessori method will lead to more humanizing and uplifting school experiences for Montessori families and educators. The research questions guiding the review are: (1) How does public Montessori education intersect with racial justice, social justice, and CSP, specifically as it serves children of color? (2) What is the internal work required of adults who want to employ CSP in their practice with children? The themes that arose from the literature were: the racial and economic challenges facing public Montessori in the U.S.; the varied experiences of Montessori students of color; the need for more social justice and culturally sustaining practices; and the aspects of culturally sustaining practices already existing in Montessori. The paper ends with recommendations for schools and Montessori teacher preparation.

Language: English

ISSN: 1916-8128

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to investigate why some Hawaiian language and culturebased (HLCB) educators perceived the Montessori approach to be congruent with their goals and values and to determine the salient features of the Montessori approach used by HLCB teachers who received Montessori training. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 40 HLCB participants, including 15 key informants who had at least 180 hours of Montessori training. Data also included classroom and school visits and analyses of school documents. Data analysis revealed six themes and two linkages that related the themes and their elements. Four themes were related to why HLCB educators have perceived the Montessori approach to be congruent with their values and goals. These were (a) similar views regarding their work as a lifestyle, (b) common pedagogical practices, (c) shared values and beliefs as educators, and (d) an overlapping world-view. One theme described the distinctions between the approaches. The final theme included challenges to implementing and maintaining HLCB programs. The findings suggest that researchers and teacher educators interested in culturally congruent education should take into account the underlying world-view of both the research paradigm and the participants involved, and that school reform should be comprehensive, culturally congruent, and generated from within communities and other stakeholders. They also indicate that culturally congruent, place-based education may enhance academic self-efficacy and could serve as a bridge between seemingly disparate educational approaches.

Language: English

Published: Manoa, Hawaii, 2006

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to investigate how Montessori educators in a public school setting in California address the pluralistic nature of their students’ cultural, racial and linguistic backgrounds. The Montessori method of education has been an alternative approach to education used around the world for 100 years. In the U.S., teachers’ backgrounds are often culturally and linguistically different from those of their students. How aware of these differences are Montessori teachers as they use the materials, curriculum, and method of the Montessori approach to education? The participants were six Montessori elementary teachers from the same public school, including the researcher. The participants met weekly for one hour focus group meetings which were audio recorded and transcribed by the researcher. Other data included researcher’s field notes in the form of reflections written after focus group meetings. Data was analyzed for generative themes and are presented here framed in theory from the literature on critical pedagogy and the Montessori method of education.

Language: English

Published: San Francisco, California, 2007

Abstract/Notes: In 1954 the Supreme Court, in Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education , ruled that the legal segregation of schools based on race was unconstitutional. Sixty-six years later there still exists an academic achievement gap between white students and students of color. Given that this gap exists in Montessori schools with high standardized test scores, this capstone project examines how the use of Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Montessori Learning environment may help eliminate the academic achievement gap ? This capstone reviews literature pertaining to the role culture plays in education and the alignment of Culturally Responsive Teaching with Montessori teaching practices and philosophy. The information in the capstone was presented at three professional development sessions which consisted of a slideshow and a teacher toolkit. The goal of the project was to motivate Montessori teachers to incorporate the ideas of Culturally Responsive Teaching into their lessons, thereby giving all students the opportunity to see their cultures reflected throughout the school.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: This article was originally published as an entry in Early Education, eds. R. D. Hess and R. M. Bear (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 105-118.

Language: English

Published: Lexington, Massachusetts: Ginn Custom Pub., 1981

Edition: 1st ed.

ISBN: 0-536-03647-0

Abstract/Notes: This article was originally published as an entry in Early Education, eds. R. D. Hess and R. M. Bear (Chicago: Aldine, 1968), p. 105-118.

Language: English

Published: Lexington, Massachusetts: Ginn Custom Pub., 1983

Edition: 2nd ed.

ISBN: 0-536-04367-1

Language: English

Published: Chicago: Aldine Pub. Co., 1968

Language: English