Abstract/Notes: This study examines the influence of Montessori-based literacy curriculum and instruction on student achievement in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I studied 71 matched pairs of urban charter school students (n=142) to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in reading achievement, as measured by the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), between students who were instructed by their teachers in Montessori literacy methods and curriculum and students from a nearby charter school who were instructed by their teachers using a basal reading method. T-tests were used to compare the mean scores of the combined grade levels from each cohort on the 2011-2012 Maryland School Assessment (Reading section). The results of this study suggest that there was no significant difference in reading achievement between the two groups of students. There is very limited empirical research available examining reading achievement in Montessori public charter schools. Further research is recommended with similar groups of students from public Montessori school settings, or in this same setting with a different comparison group or a different evaluation tool.

Language: English

Published: South Orange, New Jersey, 2013

Abstract/Notes: A study examined the effects of multi-age/grade instruction, compared to the traditional single-grade approach, on the reading achievement of fourth graders. Subjects, 22 fourth-graders in a single-grade class, were divided into instructional groups based on chronological age while the instructional grouping for 22 students in a combined fourth and fifth grade class at a neighboring school cut across age and grade levels. The Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills was used to measure the growth in "total reading" over a 1-year period. Results indicated no statistically significant difference between means of the two groups, although a positive mean score in favor of the multi-age instructional design was noted. (A 50-item bibliography, and the themes of study and sample lesson plans for both groups are attached.) (RS)

Language: English

Published: Danbury, Connecticut, 1989

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.

Language: English

DOI: 10.7709/jnegroeducation.86.4.0439

ISSN: 0022-2984, 2167-6437

Abstract/Notes: Differences in cognitive developmental level and reading achievement of elementary school children in multiage programming and traditional classrooms were explored. There is controversy regarding the benefit of multiage classrooms for learning academic subjects. According to previous research (e.g., Almy, Chittenden, & Miller, 1967; Brekke, Williams, & Harlow, 1973; Cromey, 1999), cognitive developmental level, reading achievement, and classroom type all seem to be related entities. This study assesses the effects of multiage classrooms compared to traditional classrooms on cognitive developmental level and reading ability of kindergartners, first graders, and second graders. The effects of cognitive developmental level on reading ability were also explored. The results support the connections among cognitive developmental level, reading ability, and classroom type.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/02702710490271800

ISSN: 0270-2711

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

Published: Claremont, California: Claremont graduate school, 1981

Language: English

Published: Chicago, Illinois, 1992

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English