CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A U.S. study comparing children at a public inner-city Montessori school with children at traditional schools found Montessori children had better outcomes.
Montessori education is characterized by multi-age classrooms, a special set of educational materials, student-chosen work in long time blocks, a collaborative environment with student mentors, absence of grades and tests, and individual and small group instruction in academic and social skills, according to study authors Angeline Lillard, a University of Virginia professor, and Nicole Else-Quest, a former graduate student at the University of Wisconsin.
The children who attended the Montessori school, and the children who did not, were tested for their cognitive and academic skills, and for their social and behavioral skills.
"We found significant advantages for the Montessori students in these tests for both age groups," Lillard said. "Particularly remarkable are the positive social effects of Montessori education. Typically the home environment overwhelms all other influences in that area."
The findings are published in the journal Science.
