Abstract/Notes: This is an unpublished manuscript presented at the 1990 OMEP Conference in Lahti (Finland).

Language: English

Published: [S.I.]: [s.n.], 1990

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the benefits that math manipulatives offer in Montessori and traditional environments in order to highlight the strengths of each setting and learn from each other. Both traditional and Montessori teachers were interviewed using a narrative inquiry framework to gather information about their use of math manipulatives in their classrooms. This process brought attention to areas of need and the impact of manipulatives on student learning. Based on the research and the interview data, math manipulatives are beneficial in the Montessori setting. The Montessori math manipulatives allow the child to go from concrete to abstract, they are color-coded, repetitive across grade levels, and presented to the child based on their stage of development. A pictorial inventory of the elementary math manipulatives and their purpose is included in Appendix A. The data showed evidence suggesting there are critical needs that would improve student learning in mathematics. The results proved that we, as Montessorians, need to make more connections between the language and the manipulatives to check for understanding of concepts and standards; we need to be intentional when using observation as a tool to collect data; we need do more regular assessments, and finally, we need to supplement traditional materials where there are manipulatives missing in the Montessori math curriculum. This study provides initial evidence that there are clear benefits of using math manipulatives in the Montessori setting, but there are also changes that need to be addressed to improve our teaching practices which would help our students develop their mathematical mind and mathematical learning.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2021

Abstract/Notes: A growing interest in the benefits of youth meditation has led to new research in early childhood and elementary classrooms. The results of the existing studies are promising, but the body of research is limited and does not include children in a Montessori setting. Youth meditation studies have reported improvements in social-emotional behaviors, self-regulatory skills, executive function, and attention as a result of consistent meditation practices. An action research project was designed to determine if ten children, between the ages of two and a half and six years, in a Montessori classroom would demonstrate an increase in focus and concentration after six weeks of daily meditation practice. Data collection transpired via teacher observations, rating scales, and checklists. The results of this study denoted favorable variations in focus and concentration after the implementation of daily meditation. Future considerations include completing a lengthier assessment to determine the full effects of meditation on students' behavior as well as conducting a comprehensive study that incorporates additional Montessori schools.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2019

Abstract/Notes: Previous studies have examined the effects of different forms of sensory input on young learners’ cognition. This study is based on theoretical models of coding, information processing theory, and depth of processing theory. These theories suggest that multiple sources of sensory input at the time of learning establish deeper neural connections which in turn, aid in retrieval of information. This action research project examined two forms of sensory input, auditory and kinesthetic, and their effects on the retention and recall of novel French vocabulary words. Phase I of the experiment tested the effects of gestures on recall of vocabulary words while reciting a poem. Phase II examined the impact of singing on vocabulary recall. It was hypothesized that both gestures and songs would positively effect retention and recall of novel French vocabulary. This study also considers theories of bilingual learning and second language acquisition in early childhood learning environments. Specifically, comparisons are made between simultaneous and sequential bilingualism and the home and school environment respectively. Previous research in the field of second language acquisition suggests that L2 learners build on the linguistic foundations of their native language (L1). This action research project was carried out in a private Montessori school in Northeastern Iowa. Models of bilingualism are situated within the context of Dr. Montessori’s pedagogical methods of teaching language, and this thesis provides examples of bilingual Montessori learning environments.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2021

Abstract/Notes: In today’s world of education, there is a growing interest and emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts in the classroom. Montessori education is well known for its hands-on, student-direct approach to learning. STEM also encourages hands-on, active participation from students. The purpose of this action research study is to observe the effects of technology and engineering activities on the Montessori environment. More specifically, how do these supplemental materials affect student engagement with traditional Montessori materials? STEM, more specifically Technology and Engineering, materials were introduced into a Montessori Children’s House classroom over a period of five weeks. Data was gathered through parent and student surveys, observation journals and a scientific engagement checklist in which the teacher observed student engagement with classroom materials over a period of at least two minutes. The results show an increase in student engagement overall, but a decrease in engagement with Montessori-specific materials. Once the technology and engineering activities were introduced into the classroom, the students seemed to gravitate toward those materials over traditional Montessori materials. A small-scale study such as this would benefit from more time to determine if the attraction to these “new” materials in the classroom would diminish over time. However, this study could link STEM activities to higher student engagement in the classroom.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2020

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Noting that the recent call for holistic models of schooling dictates a thorough investigation of more natural groupings of students, this collection of articles reviews available literature on multiage, nongraded, continuous progress classrooms. Divided into six sections, the chapters explore the overriding concerns and the pros and cons of such instruction, delineate the procedures and practices associated with multiage instruction, illustrate actual classroom practice, and examine issues of evaluation and accountability in such classrooms. The chapters are: (1) "The First 30 Years Were the Fairest" (Connell), tracing the history of schooling from Sputnik to the late 1980s; (2) "The Dual-Age Classroom: Questions and Answers" (Woelfel); (3) "The Return of the Nongraded Classroom" (Anderson); (4) "The Pros and Cons of Mixed-Age Grouping (Lodish); (5) "On the Merits of Multiage Classrooms" (Pratt); (6) "A Study of Multi-Age or Family-Grouped Classrooms" (Milburn); (7) "The Benefits

Language: English

Published: Palatine, Illinois: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc., 1993

ISBN: 0-932935-71-0

Abstract/Notes: The major purpose of this study was to determine if and how Montessori classrooms differentiate instructional and curricular practices for gifted and talented students. The Classroom Practices Record (Westberg, Dobyns, Archambault, 1990) was used to determine the degree of differentiation. Observations were made of gifted and average children in four private elementary AMS affiliated Montessori classrooms in Indiana. The collected data were analyzed descriptively. The results indicate that little differentiation occurred in verbal or curricular practices for gifted and talented students within the observed classrooms.

Language: English

Published: Waco, Texas, 2000

Abstract/Notes: In this article, the author discusses multiage education. Multiage education hailed as recently as 10 years ago as a promising way to restructure schools and boost student achievement but now has fallen on hard times. Interest in the issue has waned, with new research on the topic virtually nonexistent and attendance at national multiage conferences a fraction of what it once was. Schools across the country are cutting existing multiage programs, or choosing not to begin new ones. Even the state of Kentucky, which in 1990 heralded ungraded primary education as a linchpin of its sweeping school reform effort, has seen the scope of its multiage initiative reduced by half. Some trace the decline of multiage education to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its emphasis on standardized, grade-level testing. A list of additional resources and Web sites concludes this article.

Language: English

ISSN: 0036-6439