Frequently asked questions
About Montessori education and about this directory
Here you will find answers to some of the most common questions about Montessori education and about the schools listed on The Montessori World.
What is Montessori?
Montessori is an educational approach developed by Maria Montessori from her work with children in the early twentieth century. It rests on the observation of child development and on preparing environments where children can work actively, independently and with concentration.
Montessori schools can differ considerably from one another, by country, by educational stage, by the training of their staff and by the way they organise the project.
Who was Maria Montessori?
Maria Montessori (1870–1952) was an Italian doctor and educator. From her first educational experiences she developed an approach that later spread to many countries.
Her work covered different stages of development, from the first years of life to adolescence.
Is it spelled Montessori, Montesori or Montessory?
It is spelled Montessori, with two s's and one t: it is the surname of Maria Montessori, the Italian doctor who gave the method its name.
«Montesori» and «montessory» are common typos when searching for it. If that is how you spelled it to get here, you are in the right place.
What ages can attend a Montessori school?
Montessori education spans from the first months of life to the age of 18. The most common environments are Nido, Infant Community, Children's House, Elementary and Adolescent Community.
Not every school offers every stage. Some specialise in a particular age and others accompany their students for several years.
Is Montessori only for early years?
No. Although Montessori is best known for its application in the early years, there are Montessori programmes for every stage up to adolescence.
What is actually on offer depends on each school: some have only Nido or Children's House, while others also have Elementary and an Adolescent Community.
What is the difference between a Montessori school and a traditional school?
There is no single way of understanding the traditional school, nor do all Montessori schools work in exactly the same way. Even so, some differences come up often.
In Montessori, children usually work in mixed-age groups, have long periods of work without interruption and use materials designed to encourage exploration and independence. The guide's role is to observe, accompany and present activities suited to each student's stage of development.
In more conventional models, it is more common to find groups organised by year of birth, timetables divided into subjects and activities aimed at the whole class at the same time.
Can any school call itself Montessori?
In most countries, yes. Montessori is not a protected title or an official accreditation, so a centre can use the name regardless of how it works.
That is why two schools that describe themselves as Montessori can work quite differently. To get to know a centre it is worth looking beyond the name and asking how the day is organised.
How can I tell whether a school is Montessori?
There is no single international accreditation that applies to all Montessori schools.
When you visit a school you can observe, among other things, how the environments are organised, how the children are grouped by age, how much uninterrupted time they have to work, what materials they use and what training the people accompanying them have.
At The Montessori World we have gathered five questions that can help you during a school visit.
What is a Montessori environment?
The prepared environment is one of the central elements of Montessori education. It is a space organised so that children can move about independently, reach the materials and carry out activities suited to their stage of development.
How it is arranged changes with age. An environment for young children does not have the same characteristics as one for Elementary or for adolescents.
What are Montessori materials?
They are educational materials designed so that children can explore particular concepts concretely and step by step. Many let the child notice mistakes for themselves and work out how to carry out an activity correctly.
Among the best known are the Pink Tower, the Brown Stair, the Number Rods, the sandpaper letters and the golden bead material.
That a school owns some Montessori materials is not enough to tell what its educational approach is like, though. How they are presented, how they are used and how the material fits into the environment as a whole matter too.
What training do Montessori guides have?
Montessori training varies by country, by educational stage and by the organisation delivering it. There are training programmes offered by international organisations, specialist centres and universities.
Among the references you may come across are AMI, AMS and programmes accredited by MACTE, as well as various university qualifications and trainings recognised in each country.
When a school provides this information we include it on its profile, so families can see the training of the people who accompany the children.
What is the Montessori work cycle?
It is an extended period of time in which children can choose activities, concentrate and finish them without constant interruptions.
In Montessori, having broad blocks of work is considered important for concentration, independence and the continuity of the activity. Its length varies with the students' age and with how each centre is organised.
Do Montessori schools follow the official curriculum?
It depends on the country and on the type of centre.
Many Montessori schools meet the requirements set by the education authorities and cover the content their regulations demand. What tends to change is how it is presented, organised or worked on day to day.
On each The Montessori World profile you can consult the information the school itself provides about its project and its educational stages.
Are there grades in a Montessori school?
In Montessori, everyday classroom work is not usually organised around grades, rewards or punishments. Some centres, however, are required by their country's education regulations to issue official marks or reports, especially in the later stages.
So it is worth asking each school how it monitors and assesses learning.
Do Montessori children get homework?
It depends on the school and on the educational stage.
Many Montessori schools try to keep most of the learning within the school day and reduce or avoid homework, especially in the early years. Others may suggest reading, projects or activities to do at home.
The best thing is to ask each centre directly what its policy is.
Are there public Montessori schools?
Yes. There are public or publicly funded Montessori schools in various countries, though how they are funded and run changes considerably from one education system to another.
For example, there are public Montessori programmes in the United States and Montessori schools within the public education system of the Netherlands. In other countries private centres predominate, or different forms of public funding exist.
If you are looking at a particular school, check its profile to see how it is run and funded.
How much does a Montessori school cost?
There is no single price. Fees depend on the country, the city, the educational stage, the type of centre and its funding model.
In some countries there are public or publicly funded Montessori schools, while fees at private centres can vary considerably.
When a school publishes its fees, they appear on its profile. If you are comparing schools, it is worth also asking which services are included in the fee and whether there are additional costs.
How do I choose a Montessori school?
A good way to start is to visit the schools you are considering and observe how the day unfolds. You can ask about age groupings, uninterrupted work periods, the materials, the guides' training, assessment and the relationship with families.
Not all Montessori schools are alike, and a school that works well for one family may not be the best fit for another.
What questions can I ask when I visit a Montessori school?
You can ask, for example:
- What Montessori training do the guides have?
- How are the children grouped by age?
- How much uninterrupted work time do they have each day?
- What materials do they use and how are they presented?
- How is learning monitored?
- Is there homework, are there grades, are rewards and punishments used?
- What educational stages does the school offer?
- What curriculum does it follow and how does it relate to the country's education regulations?
Are the schools listed on The Montessori World certified?
The Montessori World does not certify, audit or score schools. We are an international directory specialising in Montessori education, and we publish the information each centre provides.
A school listed in the directory may nonetheless hold a Montessori accreditation or recognition granted by an outside association or body. Some organisations, such as the American Montessori Society (AMS) or the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), run school accreditation or recognition programmes.
When a school provides information about this kind of accreditation or recognition, it appears on its profile.
How can I search for a Montessori school?
You can search for schools by country or city and consult their profiles to see the educational stages they offer, the languages, the contact details and other data provided by each centre.
The Montessori World brings together schools from different countries so that you can discover options both close to home and elsewhere in the world.
Search schools in the directory
How can I add my school to The Montessori World?
If you run a Montessori school and want it to appear in the directory, you can create an account and fill in its profile yourself.
We review the information before publishing it and, once it is listed, the school keeps its data up to date whenever it needs to.