Do STEM and Montessori really go together?
Historically, schools have often taken the approach that each subject is separate and can be taught by rote. English and math never meshed. History and science stayed totally separate. However, a Montessori based curriculum reinforces that everything is related, showing the connection of topics across the five Montessori Learning areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Practical Life, Sensorial, and Geography/Culture
By nature, Montessori education shares many of the hallmarks of STEM education. Children often learn best when they can explore, experiment, and bring concepts together. That’s a reality that Maria Montessori understood quite well, and it’s something we bring to our classes.
Both Montessori and STEM teaching styles are based on the concept of child-led exploration which includes, question-based and hands-on learning, critical thinking, open-ended exploration, and applying self-initiative. It is also a natural place for STEM activities to occur. This is a result of encouraging students to be independent, curious, and innovative.
Our teachers provide guidance to your child that invites the type of programming STEM is known for:
Opportunities for hands-on discovery
Learning through experimentation
Allowing for students to explore areas that draw their interest
Bringing concepts together to create a more holistic academic experience
Development of practical, real-world skills that move beyond rote learning
We offer many daily activities that tie in directly to learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts.
Some learning activities your child may enjoy can include:
Planting a seed and observing its growth from seed, to sprout, to leaves and flowers
Creating and observing rain gauges to learn about natural processes such as evaporation
Blowing bubbles and watching how they respond to different environmental elements, such as breezes and different surface materials the bubbles may touch
Learning about the design of things by playing with materials designed to nest into one another or connect with one another in a clear pattern
Categorizing objects into groups that share the same trait (size, shape, color)
Students learn the core rules of math and science through the discovery of natural laws through manipulation of didactic materials and problem-solving with peers. The work engages the senses and ensures the internalization of concepts, not just memorization of disjointed facts and figures. Through the Montessori concept of a Southern Stars Education, the curriculum reinforces that everything is interrelated; students see how math and science work harmoniously in nature, like in the Fibonacci sequence.
It is worth noting that Montessori education has been linked to some of the greatest technology entrepreneurs of our time, including Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. They have credited Montessori for allowing them to ask questions, discover, and learn on their own terms. In fact, Amazon’s Bezos has committed to funding the growth of high-quality, Montessori preschools.
The possibilities are endless for incorporating STEM into your child’s learning. With our teachers offering thoughtful guidance, we equip your child to do well in a technologically-savvy future and thrive in our ever-advancing world.
Kindergarten Preparation:
At NES our Montessori Curriculum’s Foundation prepares your child for Kindergarten in 4 ways:
IMPROVE CONCENTRATION
Enhanced concentration will help your child perform better as soon as they enter kindergarten. They'll be better able to pay attention to the teacher, sit down during circle time, and engage in the educational opportunities offered by the classroom.
When your child attends Southern Stars preschool they'll gain the pieces to enhance their concentration in several different ways. They will
Be encouraged to continue the learning process when something catches their interest, rather than having their learning time broken up arbitrarily.
Have the opportunity to take advantage of hands-on materials in order to capture and hold their attention.
Engage in solo learning as well as learning alongside their classmates, developing interpersonal skills along with academic learning.
ENHANCE THE DESIRE TO LEARN
Many children enter kindergarten already disenchanted with the learning process. They're "bored," or they aren't interested in what the teacher has to say.
When your child attends a toddler program based on the Montessori foundation, they'll be given the tools, not only to continue learning but also to enjoy the learning process.
There's nothing quite like knowing that your child is engaged in the learning process when you take them to school and drop them off for their first day. Getting to see your child thrive throughout kindergarten is one of the most rewarding parts of offering them a Montessori foundation from the beginning.
INSTILL GREATER SELF-CONFIDENCE
In the context of early childhood education, the prevalent issue of children feeling inadequate in comparison to their peers is a concern. Even those excelling in one area often fixate on their perceived shortcomings elsewhere.
Montessori preschools offer a transformative alternative. Emphasizing individualized learning, these classrooms eradicate the need for comparisons by allowing children to progress at their own pace. This approach not only enhances their self-confidence but also cultivates vital skills in self-guided learning.
Encouraged to explore their interests independently, children develop the ability to seek knowledge from varied resources, fostering both curiosity and autonomy. Montessori education shapes resilient, self-assured learners, laying a strong foundation for lifelong intellectual growth.
Self-paced learning encourages children to proceed at their unique pace, rather than sticking to one arbitrarily created by the teacher and based on all of the students in the classroom.
Pursuing their personal interests in the Montessori classroom will teach your child how to better engage with all of their work, building their passion and giving them the tools they need to pursue it more deeply.
PROMOTE WIDER CREATIVITY
In many traditional classrooms, creativity is quickly squashed out. Children are taught how they're supposed to use each of the materials that have been provided for them, and if they go outside those instructions, they may be reprimanded for it.
The Montessori foundation allows for open exploration, encouraging your child to learn in the way that makes the most sense to them. They'll also be allowed to come at problems from their own direction, increasing their learning while improving their ability to guide the learning process.
As they transition into a traditional classroom, your child will use that wider creativity to approach roadblocks in their own unique way, taking things from a different angle when they don't make sense and working them out again.
HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE TYPICALLY IN A MONTESSORI CLASS?
Unlike some private schools, which strive for very small classes, Montessori values the lessons of community when the size of the class is somewhat larger. Montessori classes for children above the infant & toddler level might include 20–30 students whose ages span 3 years. All members of the community benefit from this set-up. Older students are proud to act as role models; younger ones feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Classes for infants & toddlers are smaller, with typically 10–15 children.
HOW CAN CHILDREN LEARN IF THEY'RE FREE TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT?
Dr. Montessori observed that children are more motivated to learn when working on something of their own choosing. A Montessori student may choose his focus of learning on any given day, but his decision is limited by the materials and activities—in each area of the curriculum—that his teacher has prepared and presented to him. Beginning at the elementary level, students typically set learning goals and create personal work plans under their teacher’s guidance.
WHY ARE MONTESSORI SCHOOLS ALL WORK AND NO PLAY?
Dr. Montessori realized that children’s play is their work—their effort to master their own bodies and environment—and out of respect she used the term “work” to describe all their classroom activities. Montessori students work hard, but they don’t experience it as drudgery; rather, it’s an expression of their natural curiosity and desire to learn.
IF CHILDREN WORK AT THEIR OWN PACE, DON'T THEY FALL BEHIND?
Although students are free to work at their own pace, they’re not going it alone. The Montessori teacher closely observes each child and provides materials and activities that advance his learning by building on skills and knowledge already gained. This gentle guidance helps him master the learning by building on skills and knowledge already gained. This gentle guidance helps him master the challenge at hand—and protects him from moving on before he’s ready, which is what actually causes children to “fall behind.”
DO MONTESSORI TEACHERS FOLLOW A CURRICULUM?
Montessori schools teach the same basic skills as traditional schools and offer a rigorous academic program. Most of the subject areas are familiar—such as math, science, history, geography, and language—but they are presented through an integrated approach that brings separate strands of the curriculum together.
While studying a map of Africa, for example, students may explore the art, history, and inventions of several African nations. This may lead them to examine ancient Egypt, including hieroglyphs and their place in the history of writing. The study of the pyramids, of course, is a natural bridge to geometry.
This approach to curriculum shows the interrelatedness of all things. It also allows students to become thoroughly immersed in a topic—and to give their curiosity full rein.
IS IT TRUE THAT MONTESSORI STUDENTS HAVE THE SAME TEACHER FOR ALL SUBJECTS RATHER THAN WORK WITH “SPECIALISTS” IN DIFFERENT CURRICULAR AREAS?
Montessori teachers are educated as “generalists,” qualified to teach all sections of the curriculum. But many schools choose to also employ specialists in certain subjects, including art, music, foreign language, physical education, and science.
CAN MONTESSORI ACCOMMODATE GIFTED CHILDREN? WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN WITH OTHER SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS?
An advantage of the Montessori approach—including multi-age classrooms with students of varying abilities and interests—is that it allows each child to work at her own pace. Students whose strengths and interests propel them to higher levels of learning can find intellectual challenge without being separated from their peers. The same is true for students who may need extra guidance and support: each can progress through the curriculum at his own comfortable pace, without feeling pressure to "catch up." We might note that from a Montessori perspective, every child is considered gifted, each in her own way. For every child has his own unique strengths—it is all a matter of degree.
ARE MONTESSORI SCHOOLS EXPENSIVE?
Private Montessori schools are independently owned and operated, and each sets its own business practices, including the cost of tuition. Typically, tuition fees vary from region to region and from school to school.
Some private schools offer scholarships for families in need of assistance, and many offer reduced tuition when parents enroll more than one child.
There are also more than 400 public Montessori schools in the United States. These include charter schools, some of which enroll students through a random lottery process. Like other public schools, charter schools are tuition-free.
HOW WELL DO MONTESSORI STUDENTS DO COMPARED TO STUDENTS IN NON-MONTESSORI SCHOOLS?
There is a small but growing body of well-designed research comparing Montessori students to those in traditional schools. These suggest that in academic subjects, Montessori students perform as well as, or better, than their non-Montessori peers. In one study, for example, children who had attended Montessori schools at the preschool and elementary levels earned higher scores in high school on standardized math and science tests. Another study found that the essays of 12-year-old Montessori students were more creative and used more complex sentence structures than those produced by the non-Montessori group.
The research also shows Montessori students have greater social and behavioral skills. They demonstrate a greater sense of fairness and justice, for example, and are more likely to choose positive responses for dealing with social dilemmas.
By less stringent measures, too, Montessori students seem to do quite well. Most Montessori schools report that their students are typically accepted into the high schools and colleges of their choice.
And many successful grads cite their years at Montessori when reflecting on important influences in their life. For more information, see the "Overview of Research on Montessori Education" in our online Research Library.
