• Children are given guidance from their teacher and allowed to choose an activity.  Self-discipline is encouraged and students can explore in their own ways.

• The Montessori classroom encourages social development.  The teacher shows respect for the children, and children model that behavior.  Children can work alone or together, and older students often help younger ones.

• Dr. Montessori first developed her educational approach while working with a preschool population. She gradually extended her approach to children and youth of all ages.  Today, some Montessori schools provide all levels of learning, from infant and toddler through the secondary level.  Others offer only certain levels.

• 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/her learning by building on skills and knowledge already gained.  This gentle guidance helps him/her master the challenge at hand-and protects hi from moving on before he's ready, which is what actually causes children to "fall behind".

• 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.

*Information obtained from  American Montessori Society (www.amshq.org)