“Executive functions” (EFs) refer to the cognitive-control abilities dependent on the prefrontal cortex, such as selective attention, self-control, problem-solving, reasoning, and not getting into trouble. These abilities can be improved through training and practice. They are also particularly susceptible to disruption by stress, lack of sleep, loneliness, or lack of exercise. Conversely, what nourishes the human spirit, it turns out, is also best for the exercise of EFs.
Key elements of a public Montessori school.
Convincing your local public schools to establish a new program is essentially an exercise in the American democratic process. Ideally, a core group of parents will find support from among some of the teachers, administrators, and local members of the school board.
Making the case for an alternative program within the public schools is rarely easy. In the case of Montessori programs, parents may find the challenge even greater. On the other hand, almost all of the public programs that have developed and succeeded are the result of a determined group of parents. The primary challenge is to plan correctly and implement fully a complete Montessori program.
In this report, The Hanover Research Council examines the ongoing performance of
a cohort of students who participated in APS prekindergarten programs, including
Montessori, Virginia Preschool Initiative, Special Education, and Dual Enrolled
Special Education, along with students who did not participate in such programs.
Performance measures include a variety of assessments conducted between
kindergarten and the fifth grade, such as PALS, DRP, and SOL tests.
Montessori
education is a 100-year-old method of schooling that was first used
with impoverished preschool children in Rome. The program continues to
grow in popularity. Estimates indicate that more than 5000 schools in
the United States--including 300 public schools and some high
schools--use the Montessori program. Montessori education is
characterized by multi-age classrooms, a special set of educational
materials, student-chosen work in long time blocks, collaboration, the
absence of grades and tests, and individual and small group instruction
in both academic and social skills. The effectiveness of some of these
elements is supported by research on human learning.
A study comparing outcomes of children at a public inner-city
Montessori school with children who attended traditional schools
indicates that Montessori education leads to children with better social
and academic skills.
Lillard presents the research concerning eight insights that are
foundational to Montessori education and describes how each of these
insights is applied in the Montessori classroom.
Available scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Metropolitan
Achievement Test-6 tests, administered between 1984 and 1988 to 88
students enrolled in a Montessori magnet program in the Houston
Independent School District, were statistically analyzed.
Addressing the many complex issues associated with culture, race, and
diversity is tough under any circumstances. But such issues become even
more complex in school settings where large numbers of students speak
different languages and reflect diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic
statuses. In this article, the author describes how the faculty members
and the administrators at Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) in Indiana
found a balance between quality education and student diversity. FWCS
offers a district-wide school choice program that features a number of
different educational offerings. Interestingly, as the district's
student population (nearly 32,000) has become increasingly diverse--it
now has about 80 languages/dialects represented by students--its
Montessori magnet program has grown more successful. The author also
relates that FWCS' Montessori magnet program is superbly suited to
prepare students to flourish in culturally and racially diverse
environments. As such, it is highly in demand among parents.
A brief narrative description of the journal article, document, or
resource. At Montessori schools, students are given tasks called
"practical life" exercises. In these exercises, students learn to take
care of themselves and their environment. Students at the Robert Goddard
Montessori School are also familiar with the drill of workbooks,
testing sheets, and homework--features that would never be part of a
private Montessori school. The pre-K-8 school in the 134,000-student
Prince George's County school district outside Washington is responsible
for staying true to the teachings of its founder, Maria Montessori, and
also for preparing students to score high enough on Maryland tests so
that the school can meet its target for adequate yearly progress, or
AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The 350-some public
Montessori schools across the country are feeling the same pressures.
This article shares the sentiments of public Montessori schools to the
testing and accountability mandates of the No Child Left Behind law that
run counter to the beliefs Maria Montessori held about how children
learn. It also discusses the concrete changes that they have had to
address under the law.
