Montessori education was developed by Maria Montessori around 1900 and centers on learning through hands-on play and given materials. Children who attend Montessori schools are given the freedom to choose how they engage with the materials, and generally play in groups or individually. One unique aspect of Montessori schooling is that it does not use any reward or punishment system. It also focuses on the entirety of a child’s abilities, rather than just academic ability.

Recent research on the effectiveness of Montessori education is limited, yet the literature that exists displays the many benefits of Montessori schooling. Montessori education has been shown to correlate with higher reading and math scores, increased social skills, and heightened executive functioning in preschoolers. Montessori education has also been shown to have delayed effects on young children who enroll in it, as 3 years after completing Montessori school, the same preschoolers displayed increased growth in academics, theory of mind and mastery orientation.

Research on the advantages/disadvantages of enrolling children in Montessori education is still sparse and much remains to be studied within this domain.

Kylie Robinshaw

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

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