The Riverbend School Blog

Why Montessori

Thanks to our friends at The Cobb School, we just finished reading the New York Times education article, What You (Really) Need To Know, by Lawrence H. Summers, former president of Harvard University and former secretary of the Treasury. 

"A PARADOX of American higher education is this: The expectations of leading universities do much to define what secondary schools teach, and much to establish a template for what it means to be an educated man or woman. College campuses are seen as the source for the newest thinking and for the generation of new ideas, as society’s cutting edge....Suppose the educational system is drastically altered to reflect the structure of society and what we now understand about how people learn...Here are some guesses and hopes..."

Guess and hope #4 reads:

"Not everyone learns most effectively in the same way. And yet in the face of all evidence, we rely almost entirely on passive learning. Students listen to lectures or they read and then are evaluated on the basis of their ability to demonstrate content mastery. They aren’t asked to actively use the knowledge they are acquiring." 

We cannot help to proudly state, Maria Montessori created a method some 100 years ago that answers the questions of modern day education reform. Let's break #4 down, Montessori style. 

1. "Not everyone learns most effectively in the same way." 

Yes, yes, yes! Maria Montessori's method is based on the fact that every child is unique, and learns at their own pace. It is the educator's role to nurture each student's individual learning style.  

2. "...we rely almost entirely on passive learning."

The Montessori Philosophy relies and exists on active learning. Our students are "actively" engaged on a daily basis--whether they are learning how to scoop solid items from left to right,

or making a mobile out of atom models of the first 9 elements in the Periodic Table.

There are no limits to their curiosity and wonder. Montessori schools are completely devoted to helping their students reach their full potential by guiding them as they answer their own questions through hands-on activities and tasks. 

3. "Students...are evaluated on the basis of their ability to demonstrate content mastery."

Evaluation takes the form of observation in a Montessori environment. Montessori teachers are trained to observe their students--following their footsteps of learning and fostering progress. 

4. "They aren’t asked to actively use the knowledge they are acquiring." 

Montessori students use their knowledge in every task or activity they engage in. They make connections and are expected to put their questions to the test. A student may ask, "Can a triangle be more than 180 degrees?" A Montessori teacher would respond, "Let's find out together. Try making a triangle that isn't!" (True story, by the way.) 

Want to know more about Montessori? Come see it in action. Join us for a Walk in Wednesday, or ask us for more information.