Montessori schools may be best known for their programs with young children, but the underlying educational method describes programs for students up through high school.

No. Montessori educates children without reference to religious denomination. As a result, Montessori classrooms are extremely diverse, with representation from all peoples, cultures and religions.

There are many differences, including:

• Montessori programs work on three-year cycles. Children stay in the same classroom and have the same teacher for three years.
• Montessori classrooms have children of mixed ages. Multi-age classrooms encourage cooperative learning and allow for broad emotional and social development.
• Because children develop and master skills at their own pace, Montessori students work according to their developmental levels rather than their biological ages.
• The Primary role of the Montessori teacher is not the transmission of information, but rather to nurture development and to guide activities, resources, and materials that allow the child to take the next step in learning.
• Montessori students are always free to move around the classroom instead of staying at desks. There is no limit to how long a child can work on a lesson, and the lessons are taught to one student or to a small group of students.
• The Montessori teaching materials are unique. Most were developed by Dr. Montessori to meet specific developmental needs of children of different ages.
  

The term "work" is used in the classrooms to give dignity and respect to the students' activities. Their time is spent on purposeful lessons. The children have free choice to decide what work they will complete. They have many options, and are empowered to do what interests them most. And yes, they do have fun!

The different arrangement of a Montessori classroom mirrors the Montessori method’s differences from traditional education. Rather than putting the teacher at the focal point of the class, with children dependent on her for information and activity, the classroom shows a literally child-centered approach. Children work at tables or on floor mats where they can spread out their materials, and the teacher circulates about the room, giving lessons or resolving issues as they arise.

Maria Montessori called her first school in Rome the "Casa dei Bambini", or the Children’s House. It truly was just that. Everything was designed for 3-6 year olds, with child-size furniture and materials. To this day, Montessori Primary classrooms around the world are referred to as Children’s House classrooms.

Montessori children are free to choose within limits, and have only as much freedom as they can handle with appropriate responsibility. The classroom teacher and assistant ensure that children do not interfere with each other, and that each child is progressing at her appropriate pace in all subjects.

Yes; Montessori classrooms encourage deep learning of the concepts behind academic skills rather than rote practice of abstract techniques.

Classroom teachers keep extensive records of lessons given and work practiced, and also offer the benefit of their individualized observations of the child’s work in the classroom. Parents of children at all levels at Hollis Montessori meet at least twice a year in conference with their children’s teachers to learn more about classroom work and behavior.

Montessori education is experiential and hands-on; children work with specially designed materials in the classroom before learning abstract pencil-and-paper methods. As students grow into the Upper Elementary and Middle School years, written resources make more and more appearances, though usually in the form of novels or reference books. Students tend to do their own research rather than relying on a class textbook’s descriptions.

Montessori homework does not necessarily show up on worksheets or on assignment pages at the end of each day, but yes, Montessori schools do have homework! Many activities are considered to be appropriate homework. These include activities such as reading, keeping a garden, taking music lessons, taking a hike, keeping a journal, or playing a sport. It's considered important not to over-schedule a child’s time and to leave plenty of time for free play.

In addition to this work, Montessori students may be asked to complete components of some class projects at home.

Montessori classrooms emphasize competition with oneself: self-monitoring, self-correction, and a variety of other executive skills aimed at continuous improvement. Students typically become comfortable with their strengths and learn how to address their weaknesses. In older classes, students commonly participate in competitive activities with clear “winners” (auditions for limited drama roles, the annual spelling bee, etc.) in which students give their best performances while simultaneously encouraging peers to do the same. It is a healthy competition in which all contenders are content that they did their best in an environment with clear and consistent rules.

Increasingly, the world of modern education and business favors creative thinkers who combine personal initiative with strong collaborative skills: exactly the characteristics which Montessori education nurtures. Cultural movers and shakers from Julia Child to the founders of Google have spoken of how their childhood experiences in Montessori gave them not only the ability to work cooperatively in existing settings, but also the skills of confidence, creativity, and communication needed to make innovative and ground-breaking changes.

Yes; see our Resources page for extracts from and links to some of the latest publications.