One of the key ideas behind Montessori schools, as developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in 1929, is that children actively engage with and learn from their surroundings all the time—not just when they're cooped up in the classroom. So why not create a more playful and interactive class, so that the not-so academic stuff can make history and math more creative, too?

 

Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.

Play is Work

One of the interesting features of Montessori schools is their use of a wide range of materials and activities: for example, a special type of toy at Montessori called "manipulatives" work like puzzles that it's the kid's responsibility to put together correctly. This means that the child can learn from experimentation, making mistakes, and trying again—not just memorizing or absorbing information they're told.

This idea of learning through exploration and innovative materials is key in every age range of Montessori schools (they start with infants and move all the way up through high school).

The littlest kids do activities that focus on their senses and moving their own bodies, so that they develop their cognitive abilities through concrete experiences from dancing to tasting to listening to different songs.

In elementary and secondary school levels of Montessori schools, the concrete, sense-based activities of the early years start getting applied to academic subjects and problems in the world, so that the student develops the ability to formulate abstract ideas and ultimately use this creative mode of interpreting the world around them to grapple with deeper issues. It's all about understanding through your own processes of manipulation and creation, and creativity is a big part of it all the way through.

Learn at your Own Pace, and Watch out for the Big Kids

Montessori schools lump kids of different ages into the same room, the idea being the older kids can serve as role models for the younger ones and everyone can learn from each other's development. We'd worry that that could lead to a lot of the little 'uns getting picked on, but apparently it's great for the older kids to build leadership skills and independence and the young ones to grow into those same goals.

Based on those groupings and the types of learning materials the kids have access to, the idea is that this style of education will help build the child's natural motivation to learn by doing. It's about building independence and encouraging students to collaborate, but also to explore things on their own and learn at their own pace.

So what do teachers do in a school where it sounds like kids more or less roam free? The teacher functions as a guide, who helps find activities that are right for the child's developmental level and learning needs at a particular time. Teachers have to be certified in the Montessori Method, and the role of the teacher is to observe, facilitate, and foster community as well as individual growth.

To Montessori or not to Montessori?

Montessori schools can be public or private, and there are more than 4,000 of 'em nationwide. Sure, there have been debates about how the Montessori Method ought to modernize in the wake of new technology (note the concern for fake whale blubber), and that's a debate affecting lots of types of schooling.

But for parents and kids who click with the Montessori Method, these schools are great for helping kids develop independence, critical thinking, and leadership qualities. Plus, who wouldn't want to learn about science and ethics by playing with puzzles?