At age 13, Montessori acted on her interest in mathematics and her vision of studying engineering, and convinced her parents to enroll her in a technical institute, in a class where she was one of two female students. This article presents how Maria Montessori broke through barriers to leave an innovative educational method. A timeline of her life…

Although some have attempted to appropriate elements of Montessori education to select groups of adults (e.g., for learning disabilities, second language acquisition, dementia patients), there have been no comprehensive attempts to validate the adaptation of this approach to the adult learner in general. This exploratory study attempts to provide…

Maria Montessori's work remains popular and influential around the world. She provided fascinating descriptions of her observations of children's learning. Yet at the heart of her work is a lacuna: the issue of how children learn their first language. For Montessori, it was a marvel, a miracle--but a mystery. We argue that the later philosophy of…

Montessorians, with their long history of careful attention to children's developmental possibilities, can and should develop materials and pedagogical methods that can help children not merely use but master the technologies of the future. This does not mean putting a computer in the hands of every 3-year-old; quite the contrary. Rather, it means…

My personal exploration of how digital technology can support my Montessori practice has been a 20+-year journey. This journey has taken me to many places-- some fascinating, some frustrating. One place I never imagined it would take me (because I didn't even know this place existed) was to a lake in Massachusetts.

In 1951, when Maria Montessori described the pattern of human development as the Constructive Rhythm of Life, marking each of four chapters or planes of development with an inverted triangle, she colored the first and third planes red to represent their intensity (Grazzini, 1996). These two red triangles are referred to as creative periods and…

Montessori was very specific about the value of observation. Observation may feel like a never-ending chore--a routine that is difficult to fit into the day that results in data that is difficult to use once collected. No matter the reason, observation can inspire feelings of discomfort, inadequacy, and confusion. Viewed from this perspective,…

Action research is an essential practice that aligns deeply with how Montessori tasks educators with being scientists, saints, and servants. These three roles anchor educators' understanding and efforts as they seek to incorporate action research into Montessori pedagogy. In this article, the author offers a way to incorporate critical reflection…

Action research is characterized by research that is done by teachers for themselves. It allows teachers to study their own classrooms in order to better understand them and to be able to improve their quality or effectiveness. Montessori modeled and laid the foundation for teachers to carefully observe, reflect on their observations, plan for…

In this article, the author describes her personal Montessori experience. As welcome and in love with her primary Montessori school as she was and still is, there has always been the question of identity. The author says that each of us belongs to intersecting identities that affect how we conceptualize our place in the world. The spiritual…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate how Montessori educators describe maintaining the fidelity of the Montessori Method when implementing the Louisiana Student Standards influences their ability to provide learning opportunities through social interactions that stimulate multiple senses for students in their…

Creative thinking is critical to overcome many daily life situations. As such, there has been a growing interest on how creative thinking develops during childhood. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms driving its development. Indeed, almost all research has focused on divergent thinking, leaving aside convergent thinking, and…

In this historical study, the author explores the racial views of Maria Montessori as expressed in her largely forgotten 1913 book, "Pedagogical Anthropology." As a physician and physical anthropologist, Montessori espoused three racial beliefs that were in wide circulation during the late nineteenth century: biological racism, racial…

Educators, experienced or novice, Montessori or otherwise, have genuine concerns about working with neurodivergent children, including having the necessary education, adequate resources, and time to accommodate students. Yet a shift in perspective can minimize these concerns: Montessori educators, who are trained to observe, reflect, design the…

In this article, the author explores the question: did Montessori actually espouse an uninterrupted work period of 3 hours?