Abstract/Notes: There are more than 22,000 Montessori schools in over 100 countries worldwide. Beginning in the 1950s the American Montessori movement was primarily a private pre-school movement. There are more than 5,000 schools in the United States; over 500 of these are public. Montessori schools are an increasingly popular choice in the U.S. for public school districts looking to improve their educational outcomes. Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) can play a pivotal role by integrating Montessori education within their teacher preparation programs. As the demand for Montessori education increases there will be a need for more highly-qualified, culturally and linguistically diverse teachers who have the appropriate credentials and can implement the Montessori approach. Scientific research confirms that children who attend Montessori schools are advantaged academically, socially and emotionally. Communities such as Milwaukee and Chicago are now implementing Montessori education through public schools as part of school reform efforts making the educational approach more accessible to African American children.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1515/mlt-2017-0007

ISSN: 2161-2412

Abstract/Notes: South African studies based on school readiness found that most children who commence formal schooling (from Grade 1) lack the basic skills needed to adapt within the learning environment – these include having challenges to follow instructions, work autonomously or focus on a task. The national guideline for teaching children between birth to 9 years does not specify how early childhood education programmes can facilitate or strengthen executive function (EF) skills through structured play. Structured play, can be understood as play activities that require guidance and instructions for completion. During the activities, the participants have to follow instructions in order to attain the outcome. Hence, there is a need to explore how EF skills can be developed through structured play. From our understanding, EF is an individual’s cognitive ability to regulate thoughts and actions needed to complete a task. Executive function skills assist learners to adjust and work effectively later (Grade 1) in a formal learning environment to perform academically. The study was conducted at preschool sites that follow different educational approaches. They are Montessori, National Curriculum Framework (NCF), Reggio Emilia and Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) preschools. The preschools are situated in affluent suburbs of Pretoria, Gauteng. In this article, learners refer to children aged 4 years in the Grade RRR class. A qualitative multiple case study design was utilised. We interacted with two teachers from four schools who followed different educational approaches. The data collection techniques included individual semi-structured interviews, lesson observation and document analysis, whilst photographs and field notes were taken when the teacher-participants interacted with learners during a planned learning experience. The generated data sets were inductively analysed and interpreted using the theoretical frameworks of sociocultural theory and metacognition. The interpreted data sets revealed that the preschool teacher-participants can facilitate EF using games, songs, movement exercises or racing competitions. The participants explained that indoor, outdoor and learning experiences facilitated EF skills such as self-regulation, working memory and cognitive flexibility during structured play. There is a need for preschool teachers to identify EF in the curriculum and know how to link and intentionally include the skills in daily learning experiences. This will ensure learners acquire EF and apply it in formal learning environments. The contribution to the body of scholarship is the development of guidelines for teachers to intentionally and explicitly develop EF skills using structured play. We confer that teachers play a role in enabling fun, engaging and hands-on activities that promote the acquisition of EF in the early years.

Language: English

DOI: 10.4102/sajce.v12i1.1141

ISSN: 2223-7682

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2421-440X, 2723-9004

Abstract/Notes: In this qualitative, interpretive study, I examine the experiences of African American families in accessing and financing Montessori education in the United States, including African American families who did or did not eventually enroll their child(ren) in Montessori schools. The extant literature notes that African American families are disproportionately underrepresented in Montessori schools, despite an interest in this form of education. Grounded in the theoretical framework of critical race theory, I analyze participants’ perspectives on the role of race, and relatedly class, on what helped or hindered their awareness of, access to, and financing of Montessori education. Through 45–60-minute interviews with 13 African American families characterized as interested in enrolling their children in Montessori education, I found the following themes in regard to my research questions. First, participants’ experiences were noted as the power of social capital, challenge of logistics, and competing tensions in enrollment decision making. Second, hindrances to participants’ access and financing of Montessori education included: financial and financial aid barriers, gaps in equitable communication and marketing strategies, and limited diversity & equity initiatives. Third, participants found sources of support for accessing and financing Montessori education through a guiding belief in the philosophy of Montessori education and external change agents. Implications for theory and practice are included.

Language: English

Published: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2022

Language: English

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

Abstract/Notes: There are currently Montessori schools in 33 African countries, primarily in early childhood education. This brief overview examines the diversity of Montessori practice throughout the African sub-continent, from the 1920s to today including private, philanthropic and government-funded efforts, as a racist, colonial project as well as part of efforts to decolonize education, to make it culturally responsive and empower communities, particularly in African rural areas. There are elite, private Montessori schools around Africa and Montessori practitioners have also developed innovative, affordable models for expanding Montessori, including sponsoring training and creating materials locally. In addition, they have demonstrated how key Montessori components can be aligned with aspects of African culture, including respecting the child, building independence, and cultivating peace, community, and a connection with nature. The chapter concludes with brief case studies of contemporary Montessori practice in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-350-27561-4 978-1-350-27560-7 978-1-350-27562-1

Series: Bloomsbury Handbooks