“The role of an education is to interest the child profoundly in an external activity to which he will give all of his potential.”  -Maria Montessori

What do we know about Montessori and Constructivism?

Jean Piaget, founder of constructivism, suggested that humans are constantly creating their own knowledge based on what they do with objects they encounter.  He believed that all children were born with basic mental functions, but that knowledge was constructed through one’s experiences and current ideas.   Through observation, Piaget suggested four age-specific intellectual stages of development by which certain abilities are formed in all humans. 

Maria Montessori was the first female physician in Italy who also believed that children construct their own knowledge through their experiences and interactions with the environment.  Like Piaget, she suggested stages of development, though different than those noted by constructivist theorists.  Montessori believed that a child-centered prepared environment should consist of multi-age groupings that support long work periods (typically three hours long) and provide opportunities for independence.  Surprisingly, much of Montessori’s ideas about her whole-child instruction are scaffold and based on zones of proximal development, though Vygotsky was just a child when she opened her first school in 1907.  Check out some differences between Montessori and Constructivists below:

Differences between Montessori and Constructivists: 
 

^{Retrieved from: http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-montessori-part-i.html}

In private Montessori schools, traditional forms of assessment are not employed, nor that of grades, rewards, or punishment.  Instead, children are supported to become independent learners who welcome collaboration and honor diversity in others.  Teachers undergo extensive professional learning to become skilled observers, creative facilitators, and models for exemplary character.  In my district, we have one PreK-8 Montessori building and are in the process of growing a second PreK-6 building at this time. Following many years of observations, I believe a public Montessori serves our children well, but can be a challenge under traditional policies and practices. To see a comparison of Montessori to Conventional school, watch this video:

Other Resources:

A Parent’s Perspective

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori