Abstract/Notes: This study sought the effects of educating parents on Dr. Maria Montessori's first plane of development in a mixed-age kindergarten classroom in Southern California, USA. Students withdrawing before completing the Montessori kindergarten year formed the basis for tailoring an action research project that informs parents about the importance of Montessori's first plane of development through the lens of Parent Development Theory. The researcher first explored past action research on relevant Montessori parent education studies. Next, twenty-five parents from a mixed-age Montessori kindergarten class participated in a six-week study. The research concluded that parents' understanding and valuing of the Montessori kindergarten year or final year in their students' early childhood education increased based on pre-and-post parent surveys and hands-on parent education experiences. The increase in parent knowledge resulted in the participants utilizing tailored information to make informed decisions about their student's kindergarten year on whether or not to keep their students enrolled for the full three-year period of the Montessori program. The researcher developed a more streamlined, focused, and comprehensive parent education plan than before the study began.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The ultimate goal of Montessori educators is to prepare the child, the whole child. One who is not only excelling academically, but also is independent, a critical thinker, and can collaborate with people from all different walks of life. The role of the Montessori educators is to prepare and guide children to independence, this is an increasingly difficult goal to achieve independence and self-regulation especially in the three to six, and six to nine age group. The Montessori guides have grappled with the disconnect between the home environment and school environment, citing it as the major obstacle to children’s independence. In this paper, the literature about parent involvement and its impact on children independence and self-regulation in a Montessori classroom are reviewed. This paper explains the research tools that were employed throughout the research period as well as the methodology, and findings and conclusions.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The following research assesses how reading and discussing stories that counter gender stereotypes can increase cooperation and decrease conflict between primary- and elementary-aged students of different genders, as well as to expand students’ conceptions of self and others beyond traditional gender expectations. The six-week study involved 50 participants total, 21 between the ages of 3 and 6 and 29 between the ages of 6 and 9 at two separate Montessori public charter schools in Minnesota. Each participant completed an activity pre- and post-intervention concerning the feminine and masculine traits that they would choose to describe themselves and those that could describe someone they’d want to be friends with. 10-minute observations were taken daily to record instances of cooperation and conflict between children of different genders. Pertinent quotes were recorded during observation periods and in discussions about the counter-stereotypical stories. Results showed an increase in the number of friendships between genders, and a greater number of traits chosen to describe selves and potential friends at the elementary school level. Further research in the area is needed to discover the long-term effects of counter-stereotypical literature, the importance of adults examining their own gender biases, and interventions beyond literature to counter patriarchal norms in classrooms.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research was to study the effects of goal-setting as a strategy on student motivation and academic achievement in a fourth-grade classroom. The study was performed at a rural public elementary school in South Carolina, consisting of eighteen students in a general education classroom. This study used a preassessment/post-assessment set-up in order to collect data for math achievement and reading comprehension. An attitude survey was used to collect data on student’s motivation towards academic work. The data shows that the goal-setting strategy had a positive effect on math achievement and motivation towards academic work and may have an effect on reading comprehension.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research project was to explore how the implementation of bucket filling could affect self-regulation in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. The bucket filling theme is character education children’s literature. The collection of data for this action research utilized a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative, including the pre- and post-Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment, daily observation reflections, and tally sheets of behaviors. The data collected and analyzed in this study use of bucket filling can have some effect on self-regulation skills in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. Self-regulation is essential to success in the classroom and in the world at large, any intervention that supports self-regulation is vital for students and teachers.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of Tootling without external rewards on negative behaviors during whole-class lessons in a Montessori lower elementary classroom. Twenty-four students, ranging from six to nine-years-of-age, including five who received outside assistance, were the subjects of this study. The students participated in a self-assessment pre- and post-intervention. The researcher gave lessons on whole-class lesson etiquette, the importance of being a supportive community, and how to report their classmates’ positive behaviors after whole-class lessons using Tootles. The results suggested Tootling without external rewards had minimal positive effect on students’ negative behaviors during whole-class lessons. A slight increase occurred in students’ positive opinions about their own and their peers’ behaviors during whole-class lessons. Limitations, directions for future study, and implications are discussed.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: Children in an early childhood Montessori classroom were taught songs that included words to label emotions and phrases for solving social conflicts. The purpose of this research was to find out if children’s emotional vocabulary and problem-solving strategies would be affected by learning words and phrases from songs about feelings and communication for six weeks. Data was collected through comparing words known to describe emotions on faces of an emotion chart, phrases known to communicate feelings, and records of children’s behaviors and conflict resolution strategies both pre and post-intervention. The results showed an increase in both the amount of words and variety of words known, and an increase in independently attempting to problem solve, while non-verbal reactions to problems. such as crying and hitting, decreased. Songs were found to be an effective tool to use to teach children in early childhood about emotional literacy. Because songs are shown to be an effective way to communicate important messages, teachers could consider using them to teach about other sensitive information, such as about privacy and strangers.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: This action research was carried out to determine if parent education of sleep and routine had an effect on classroom behavior (physical contact and defiance). The research was completed in two full day 4K (four-year-old) Montessori classrooms in a Pee Dee Region elementary school. Students and parents were included in the research. Data from parents was gathered using assessments and sleep diaries. Teacher data was gathered using reflection journals and tallying charts. Parents were provided weekly education on sleep and routine importance. There was no conclusive data to show that parent education directly affected classroom behavior. The researchers believe the outcome was due to a lack of consistent parental participation.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: It is a typical Monday morning. As students enter the classroom wearing brightly colored polo shirts embroidered with the school logo, their smiles are equally bright. This Title I public school in the heart of the city where 96% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch has recently opened a Montessori option. Walking into the classroom, one 5th grade student eagerly asks, “Who’s on the bread committee this week?” Baking bread is a weekly occurrence in the upper elementary (4th – 6th grade) Montessori classroom. During the first week of school, this same student vehemently threw materials to the floor declaring, “I HATE fractions!” In an effort to positively engage students in mathematics, the weekly bread-making tradition was implemented. Through cooking, students experience the importance of fractions in everyday life. Each week, two students work together, read several recipes, select one, and submit a precise written list of needed ingredients. The next day, with the aid of a bread machine bought for $10 at the local thrift store, the students work together to follow directions, read fractions, measure ingredients, and bake bread. Once baked, students divide the bread into equal portions and serve. After several months of this routine, some recipes will need to be doubled or halved, and on it goes… The bread committee provides a “hook” for some resistant students. It is also a practical application of the role of literacy in mathematics. The choice to focus on mathematical literacy and the effect of journaling on student understanding was influenced by research around mathematical vocabulary as well as the instructional practices of noted educators and researchers. The rigor of upper elementary math as defined in the common core requires students to not only perform calculations with accuracy, but to demonstrate strong reading comprehension through the interpretation of real-world word problems, and to articulate an understanding of MATHEMATICAL LITERACY 3 mathematical reasoning through clear and concise writing. Achieving grade level proficiency has practical life implications for students because research showed mathematical knowledge during elementary school as a strong predictor of financial stability in adulthood, and understanding fractions in fifth grade as a predictor of overall achievement in mathematics (Siegler & Lortie-Forgues, 2015).

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The following research assesses how daily singing and music in an elementary classroom impacted the sense of community, care of materials and cooperation during clean up time. This study involved daily singing of a set of songs with lyrical themes of cooperation and unity, and then playing of recorded versions of the same songs during clean up time. The eight-week study involved 16 participants between the ages of 6 and 9 at a private school in Minnesota. Each individual completed a pre and post-survey. During clean up time, observations of helpful behaviors were recorded, and any relevant quotations noted. Results of the surveys showed an increase in student enjoyment of group singing, and in the understanding of the terms “cooperation” and “community.” There was also an increase in observed helpful behaviors throughout the intervention, particularly in material care. Results show that daily group singing has a positive affect on building community, and increases cooperation levels while caring for materials. Further research may include using group singing to teach other topics such as environmental care, racial equality or academic subject matter.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016