Academic Research

• Montessori schools consistently surpassed norms in most districts on state tests from largest districts around the country (Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Harford, Chicago, and Denver).

• Montessori gains are evident even after 7 years of traditional schooling. In Milwaukee Public Montessori children were tracked from the ages 3-11 with a matching public school demographic. In high school Montessori students showed equal test scores with peers in English and Social Studies and better than peers on math and science. The conclusion was that Montessori has positive long-term impact on math and science. Students successfully moved from Montessori to mainstream education.

• Classic Montessori yielded strong early childhood education (ECE) results as researched by Angeline Lillard. She looked at fully implemented Montessori programs in comparison with those not fully implemented. 172 children aged 3-6 participated. Classic Montessori schools were determined by the use of prescribed Montessori materials. Classic Montessori students showed higher results in executive functions, reading, math, etc.

• A small scale experiment supports focus on “Classic” materials – 52 children in 3 Montessori classes with supplementary materials. When non-Montessori materials were removed advances were shown in early reading, the development of executive functions and early math.

• Latino children saw most benefits. 14,000 children in pre-K programs in Miami as compared with High Scope programs looked at socio-emotional and behavioral skill, and pre-academic academic skills. Latino Montessori children began at most risk, and had greatest gains.

• These findings were observed: comparing the means of the scores obtained from the IQ tests of children educated according to the Montessori method revealed they enjoyed a higher level of intelligence than the children educated according to the traditional method. Furthermore, the present study is in line with the findings of Lilard (2006, 2012), Dohrmann et al (2007), and Dohrmann (2003), who had shown that Montessori method helped students to have a significantly higher level of IQ compared to other students.
  
  Non-Academic Skills Research

• Study in Turkey found cognitive style benefits of Montessori education. Looked at 63 children, 40 in the treatment group and 23 in the control group. Groups at the same school were similar at pre-test. At the year’s end Montessori children increased reflection time and reduced number of errors. Results were still evident at a 6 -week follow-up. Likely a result of attention and concentration that underlie the Montessori method.

• Montessori students had higher creativity scores. This was done in France, 40 children in elementary in the same socio economic group. The results found that Montessori students scored better than traditional and Freinet schools. Creativity in the Montessori environment is not taught directly, but likely due to socio-cognitive context in project work emphasizing self-initiative. The highly creative children in the study were Montessori students.

• Montessori preschoolers more active – 301 children in 9 Montessori and 8 traditional preschools in SC using accelerometers. Montessori kids more active both at school and when they went home. In private Montessori schools the activity is even higher.

• Montessori students show superior fine motor development – 50 five year olds in 4 Montessori schools and 50 in high performing suburban schools were studied. Moderate to large effects on fine motor development were shown. Accuracy, speed, consistent use of dominant hand were shown in the Montessori students.

Examining Like Montessori Practices in Non Montessori Schools

• An experiment of over 100 students in a traditional school found that when the students were shown how to trace numbers their math skills improved.

• The use of materials enhanced attention of students with ADHD – they performed the FTFK attention test. They measured then worked with them on Montessori materials and noted the improvement.

• Montessori models best practices using math manipulatives. Cognitive science finds four principles for maximizing the effective use of math manipulatives – use of manipulatives consistently over a long periods of time, begin with highly transparent concrete representations an move to more abstract representations over time, avoided manipulative that resemble everyday objects offering distracting, irrelevant features, (Sage Open), and explicitly explains the relations between the manipulatives and math concepts.

• Handwriting (cursive) is important for early recruitment of brain regions known to underlie successful reading. (James and Engleheart, 2012).

Sources:
Expanding Access to Montessori Education: An opportunity for disadvantaged students available here (CUNY Institute for Educational reform)

Prosocial and academic effectiveness for ECE and Elementary by Angeline Lillard (looks at 5 year old and 12 year olds)

For more research on Montessori outcomes please visit AMS’s research page.