The Fundamental Choice

by Heike Larson | Montessori Blog

It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once
was.Dr. Maria Montessori
Last May, I had the opportunity to observe a kindergarten and first grade class at the local
elementary school my then 5-year-old daughter would have attended in fall, if we went the
public school route.
The school I observed is about as good as it gets in public education. Its a Blue Ribbon,
California Distinguished school, with standardized test scores in the top 5% of the state. It has
families all over the city vying for spots. The principal, whom I had the pleasure to talk to at
length, is a kind man and a good listener; he struck me as the type of educator deeply dedicated
to providing the students in his charge with a quality education.

MariaMontessori.com
Generally, public schools are reluctant to allow observations by prospective parents. After I
shared that my daughter attended Montessori school, and that I was concerned how she would
transition to the public school environment, the principal made an exception to his usual policy
and invited me to observe some of his best classes.
I saw a lot in the time I spent in each of two classrooms. The kindergarten students were working
on individual letter sounds q, v, and z. The 1st graders were writing 3-4 sentence paragraphs and
working with numbers up to 100. The contrast with a Montessori classroom was dramatic.
Kindergarten-aged children in a Montessori environment are reading real books and writing
multi-sentence stories in cursive, and elementary 1st year students are writing page-long stories,
reading chapter books and doing arithmetic into the thousands.

But while the contrast was dramatic, it wasnt surprising to me. I went in expecting this
difference in academic progress. What really took me by surprise was just how deep the
difference between the programs went. The traditional classrooms I observed were, in a thousand
ways large and small, training students to conform passively to adult rules and expectationsa
completely opposite behavioral mindset than the active-minded independence we encourage in
Montessori preschool and elementary programs.
Let me share just two small observations among many, one from each class.
First grade: Teachers as guides or as servants? Children as independent actors, or passive
observers?
In the first grade class, the children were studying how seeds grow into plants. Each child was
asked to observe how a few lima beans and sunflower seeds germinated, and to record their
observations in a science journala project that you might well find in a Montessori lower
elementary classroom.
But here is how the project was implemented in this classroom: the teacher walked around the
tables in the room, stopping by each child. She tore off a paper towel, put it on a plate, and
sprayed it with water. She then had the child put the lima beans and seeds on the paper towel.
After that, the teacher folded the towel, and inserted it into a zip lock bag, upon which the child
had written his or her name. Over the entire 15 minutes I observed, the teacher was occupied
making these kits for the children, while children were apparently supposed to be working
independently on other tasks, but in fact spent much time chatting and mingling without a clear
purpose, as the minutes ticked by. The teacher completed the kits of approximately 6 out of the
30 students in the room, suggesting that she was going to be occupied by kit making for well
over an hour that afternoon.

 MariaMontessori.com
As someone familiar with Montessori rooms, I could not believe that the children had such a
passive role! This was a class of 6 to 7 -year olds, fully capable (one hopes!) of tearing off
paper towels, of wetting them by using a sprayer, of counting out beans and seeds and placing
them on a towel, and so on. These children could have and should have made these science kits
by themselves! Instead, the teacher did it for them. The teacher was in charge, the students,
outside observers of their own education.
I couldnt help but contrast this with how the same experiment would happen in a Montessori
classroom. The teacher might take 10 minutes in the morning, collect a group of students ready
for this experiment, and give them a brief introduction, describing the purpose of the work and
demonstrating how to assemble the experiment. She would then set up a table with all the
materials, and invite the children to make their own kit. The children would autonomously make
their own bags, taking turns at the table. They would have ownership of their work, and reinforce
many practical skills in the process. They would help each other if one got stuck, with the teacher
monitoring from afar to ensure that the peer interaction was to mutual benefit. The teacher would
gain over an hour to dedicate to her actual job, helping students learn, rather than spending her
time in essentially the role of an unwanted nanny or servant, doing things to children perfectly
capable, and almost certainly eager, to do them for themselves.
Kindergarten: Respect for intellectual independence, or conformity and obedience?

In the kindergarten class, I arrived during a silent work period. I was pleasantly surprised at first:
after all, independent, engaging, self-initiated work is the core means to develop concentration
skills in children!
But when I observed more carefully, heres what I saw: these 6-year-old children were totally
silent. Not one word was spoken. They were glued to their desks, upon which were found things
like play dough, simple coloring pages and other very basic activities typically undertaken by 3or 4-year-olds in a Montessori class. Some children were engaged, but many more seemed bored
and disengaged.
And then the work period ended. The teacher turned on the light, and started counting, loudly:
Five, four, three, two, one. All eyes on me! Without giving children time to process her
expectations, she immediately started directing her students: Sara, put that down. Ian, stop.
Look at me, now. Come on class, remember our agreement: when I count, you stop working.
Lets try that again. Put your fingers on your noses, all eyes on me!
I stood, stunned, as I saw these twenty-odd six-year-olds touch their noses, line up, and stare at
the teacher. I cringed as they were ordered to clean up, pronto (you have three minutes to clean
up, then please find your spot on the carpet and Peter, you are late, pick up your pace.)
Compare this scene with the work periods I observe regularly in Montessori classrooms. There,
children have 2-3 hours of uninterrupted work time, twice a day. During this time, the classroom
is calm, but not eerily silent, as children are free to move about, talk in appropriate volumes as
they work with friends, and select from a wide range of stimulating activities much more
engaging than play dough or coloring pages.

MariaMontessori.com
In such a Montessori room, heres how the work period might end: the Montessori teacher would
ring a small bell, and speak gently in a quiet voice, Children, I invite you to finish up your work
and put it away if you are interested in coming together in circle. After this request, children are
free to complete their activity, and to put it away on their terms. A child immersed in an
advanced task might continue with it, even as the other children join the circle and the teacher

starts reading a book or singing a song. Another child might leave his work out, with his name
badge on it, so he can continue and finish it in the next work period.
Consider the difference. In the public school class I visited, the implicit theme is obedience to
adult rules. In practice, students learn to conform habitually and unthinkingly to cues and
prompts and commands. In a Montessori class, in contrast, the theme is respect for each
individual, and the result is that a child develops the ability to responsibly take care of his own
work, learning how to act freely while also considering the needs of others.
I cannot be sure how representative my observations are of public schools in general. As a
parent, if youre considering public school, you should definitely make the time to observe the
school and classroom your child would be joining. What I know is that this was a highly-rated
school, and the two classrooms I observed were chosen by the principal as examples of what a
good public school education can look like.
If what I saw is indeed indicative of a pervasive characteristic of public education (and sadly, I
suspect it is), then the implication is that in choosing between a public school and an authentic
Montessori school, you are making a choice that goes far deeper than just the difference in
academics. You are choosing the type of implicit values that will be emphasized to your child:
respect vs. obedience, creativity vs. conformity, active-mindedness vs. passivity.
As Dr. Montessori put it, it is the child who makes the man. Id encourage you, in judging your
childs future classroom, to ask yourself what kind of man or woman you want your son or
daughter to become.

Heike Larson is the Vice President of Parent Outreach at LePort

Schools, a group of six private Montessori schools in Orange County, CA. She lives in Oakland,
CA, with her husband, and her two children, who both attend a Mandarin immersion Montessori
program. She writes about education in general and Montessori in particular on the LePort
Schools blog.
12 Comments
1.

Franoise Sansoni says:

December 8, 2012 at 9:24 am

Many thanks for this article and your identification of the key differences in Montessori
vs. traditional education and their respective outcomes. I will never forget the time I
observed a Magnet High School, when my son was about to transition out of the
Montessori Adolescent Community (Middle School). He and I went to an Open House.
The Principal of this very well-known school with an excellent reputation, stood up and
announced Here at XXX, we know how to successfully instruct and test your highly
gifted child. I just froze. We ended up moving across the country so that my children
could attend the Montessori High School in Cleveland, OH.
2.

SJ says:
December 8, 2012 at 9:45 am
This makes me sad, as I teach at a Montessori school where we have mandatory group
times, where I have to force children to stop work and come to a large group during
transition times. There is no three-hour work cycle. I am AMI-trained and it kills me to
have to do this, but there are also no true Montessori schools in my city, and I do have
to help provide financially for my family.
It seems there are a lot of pseudo-Montessori schools out there, and Im sure Im not the
only guide who has to adapt to schools that have taken on the mainstream model rather
than staying true to Montessori principles.
The other issue Im thinking about comes from reading this and other stories where the
author is affiliated with an expensive private school. Many of us cannot afford private
Montessori schools and do have to send our children to our local public schools. How can
we in the Montessori community get the word out without belittling or demonizing our
local public schools, and also while realizing that most schools and families struggle
financially, and cannot necessarily afford the beautiful environments that I have seen in
affluent private schools?
Thanks for listening!

3.

Katrina says:
December 8, 2012 at 10:03 am
I was fortunate enough to work at a public Montessori that earned honor of being a Blue
Ribbon School. It is possible to be both, with a lot of hard work and dedication.
K

4.

Katrina says:

December 8, 2012 at 10:11 am

I was blessed to work in the first public Montessori school in North Carolina for 19 years.
Park Road Montessori has been a pioneer for our state and weve watched the Montessori
experience, public and private grow over the years.
Im proud that our public Montessori school earned the Blue Ribbon. The staff and
families are so dedicated to bringing as close to an authentic Montessori program as we
can being held to public school mandates.
To my fellow Montessorians at Park Road, Kudos my friends for earning such a
prestigious award.
K
5.

Lori Smart says:

December 8, 2012 at 11:32 am
Montessori elementary education is not available in our immediate area and something
we hope to have in the future. Authentic Montessori Childrens House programs are not
widely available. We are working to change this in our community. As a Montessori
guide, we can work to provide a genuine Montessori experience with the resources we
have. Make the best of it, and advocate for change in your school, your state and
community. ~ Good Luck

6.

Camille says:
December 8, 2012 at 12:05 pm
I, too, would like to speak out and second SJs concern about affordability. Im not
concerned with the families who have the privilege to make a choice in their childrens
education. Im concerned about the families who dont. The majority of children attend
public education, so how can we best support that system with the values exercised in
Montessori schools?

7.

PJ says:
December 8, 2012 at 12:29 pm
SJ, I am stuck by your thoughtful comments. While you teach in a Montessori school
that is not all that you would like it to be, you cant afford to send your own children
there. I assume the suggestion about getting the word out, is to help the public schools
improve in these areas, because so many people CANT afford these schools.

And while I think it speaks to her strong beliefs that one of the commenters above moved
across across the country so that her children could attend a Montessori high school in
OH, this is NOT a realistic option for most people.
8.

Pilar Bewley says:

December 8, 2012 at 3:26 pm
This reminds me of a former student who went to a public school after three years of
Montessori education When she came to visit us, she told us: My teacher doesnt let
me write in cursive and she doesnt let me do multiplication. If I get 100% on a spelling
test I get tickets I can trade in for toys. That right there was what motivated me to move
to Italy to study the AMI Elementary course.
I am going to share this article with every parent I can These observations are not only
true of public schools, but also of MOST traditional private schools for which parents pay
thousands of dollars a year!
As for the AMI-trained teacher/commenter who works at a pseudo-Montessori school,
my heart goes out to you. I was in your shoes and it was demoralizing. I think what you
can do is to gently educate the administrators and parents; everyone wants whats best for
their children but if they dont know there are alternatives they will keep doing what they
know. There is a reason for everything we do in the classroom, and if you can show the
benefit it might convince others to accept the change. Good luck, its not an easy fight but
its one worth fighting!

9.

elise says:
December 8, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Pilar, my third grader (who has been in public school for the past 3 years after completing
3 years of Montessori primary) recently came home from school excited to show me that
he was now learning cursive, that he practices each week for his spelling tests. I admired
his work, then pulled out an old notebook that I had kept, filled not only with words, but
entire stories that he had written when he was 5, and in YOUR classroom : ) He was
amazed. So was I.

10.

Natalie says:
December 10, 2012 at 3:08 pm
SJ, my children actually attend LePort Schools and I am definitely not of the privileged
type, but merely a hard working small business owner doing whatever it takes to provide
my children with the best fundamentals for their education. In fact the organization is

very compassionate and their goal isnt to be an expensive private school, but to provide
a working model for education that can be translated to the public school systems and
they started by launching a Financial Aid Program for families who could otherwise not
afford tuition. http://www.supportleport.com. I dont think her motive was to demonize
public schools, however when you highlight and identify the differences in an effort bring
awareness to Montessori of course it isnt going to look good.
11.

Donna Bryant Goertz says:

December 11, 2012 at 2:01 pm
An article well with sharing far and wide. Thank you!

12.

Alexa says:
January 23, 2013 at 10:58 am
Thank you so much for this article! I plan to share it far and wide.
I did want to say thought that, actually, an elementary guide might not even bring the
seeds, paper towels, etc. out and set them up on a table. She might show the students how
to get a tray, gather the materials they need from the shelves, and then how to clean up
after they are finished with their work. The children would be free to repeat the
experiment as many times as they wanted over the ensuing days, or months. Who knows?
Maybe one of them will discover that the plants grow differently at different times of the
year, or in different places in the room, and become a future botanist.

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