This week is Montessori Education Week! Communities across the nation are celebrating, and in our great state of Minnesota, the governor issued a proclamation declaring February 23 – March 1, 2025 to be “Montessori Education Week”, affirming the valuable contributions of Montessori education and stating that the method “uses materials, techniques, and observations that support the students’ natural development while encouraging their learning, independence, and self-confidence and advancing the principles of peace through civic responsibility”. It has been 118 years since the first Montessori classroom (casa dei bambini, or, “children’s house”) opened!
Sometimes called “education for life” by its adherents, the Montessori method does so much more than produce students adept at reading, writing and math. Practical life and social and emotional skills that are foundational to success are cultivated in the Montessori classroom, which values independence, resilience, conscientiousness, collaboration, curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and more. Dr. Steven J. Hughes, a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist, sums it up by saying that there are two things needed to succeed in life: first, to develop and maintain useful habits and second, the ability to respond adaptively to new situations. He observes that these things are nurtured in the Montessori environment.
Montessori is just as relevant today as it was one hundred and eighteen years ago. In a competitive age, we need to take a step back and consider, what is the purpose of education. What do we want for our children? What do we dream of for their future? What does success mean? Most parents would agree that we want our children to be happy, healthy, and successful. The question is, how can our child’s educational journey support those goals? After all, people who enjoy learning are significantly more likely to succeed in both personal and professional areas of life!
Montessori education is a wonderful option for parents to consider making part of their child’s journey. (Did you know that recent research found that adults who attended Montessori schools for at least two years during their childhood reported higher well-being than those who had not been to a Montessori school?) Regardless of what your journey looks like, let’s work together to nurture the curiosity of the child, to encourage their drive to discover and explore their world!
