Montessori taught her how to learn, not just memorize facts.

Montessori schools have an edge

Let me begin by saying “Montessori trained teachers are taught to look to instill certain traits in their students as the result of Montessori; these are known as characteristics of an authentic Montessori experience”.

They are:

• independent thinking
• self-assured/self-confident
• mature
• critical thinker
• early reader/good reader/enjoys reading
• develops fine-motor skills
• self-motivated
• respectful of others
• knows how to learn/loves learning
• creative

The above list shows that the Montessori method does just what it says it will do but for many people, the observations of parents and teachers aren’t enough. They want hard data to prove that Montessori works.

Research suggests that children who attend Montessori schools may have an edge over other children in terms of both academic and social development

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/28/health/webmd/main2050676.shtml

Steven J. Hughes, PhD, LP, ABPdN has done extensive research on cognitive development, and he has concluded that the Montessori style fits the way our brains process information. http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~doetter/lib_stud/pubs/stoudenmier_0905.pdf

There are many ways to quantify the effects of the Montessori method, and they all have value.

• The scientific studies give validity to our observations
• Our observations bring life to the scientific studies
• Montessori method of education is something special

As one parent said,

“Give your child the best gift of their life, give them a Montessori education.”