Reviewed October 16, 2026 · W Montessori Academy

What Is Montessori Education? A Guide for Parents

Montessori is an educational approach in which children learn through purposeful activity, hands-on materials, and increasing independence. Teachers prepare the environment, introduce lessons, and observe each child's progress. Children have choices within clear limits: how to use materials, how to care for the classroom, and how to respect other people.

For a family choosing a preschool, the most useful question is how those ideas appear in an ordinary school day. This guide explains what to look for and where our own program fits.

Where the Approach Began

Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori developed the approach through observation of children and their activity. She opened the first Casa dei Bambini, or Children's House, in Rome in 1907. Her emphasis on an accessible environment, careful observation, and purposeful work continues to shape Montessori classrooms today. Read AMI’s introduction to the Montessori approach.

What You Might Notice in a Classroom

Materials children can reach and restore

Low shelves and child-sized furnishings help children choose an activity, carry it to a workspace, and put it away afterward. Returning a tray is part of the activity: it makes the work available to the next child and builds care for a shared space.

Individual and small-group lessons

A teacher may demonstrate a pouring exercise slowly, then give a child time to repeat it. Another child may be working with number materials. Individual pacing does not mean children receive no instruction; it means the teacher uses observation to decide when and how to introduce the next step.

Mixed-age learning

Children at different stages share a community. Younger children can observe familiar routines, while experienced children may model them. Teachers remain responsible for teaching and supervision; children are not substitutes for adult support.

Time to concentrate

An extended work period gives children opportunities to choose, repeat, and complete activities. It does not mean a young child must sit still or use one material for several hours. The length and rhythm of the work period should suit the age group.

The Five Areas of the Early Childhood Curriculum

• Practical Life: Everyday tasks such as pouring, dressing, washing, and caring for plants support coordination and independence.
• Sensorial: Materials invite children to compare qualities such as size, shape, texture, and sound.
• Language: Conversation, sound games, books, and letter materials support the development of spoken and written language.
• Mathematics: Concrete materials help children explore quantity, sequence, place value, and operations as they are ready.
• Cultural Studies: Geography, nature, science, art, and music help children explore their wider world.

These areas connect. Setting a table can involve counting, remembering a sequence, carrying objects carefully, and considering someone else's needs. See our core curriculum and daily schedules for examples from W Montessori Academy.

Montessori and Other Preschool Approaches

Preschools vary widely. Many approaches value play, relationships, movement, and individual support. Montessori is distinguished by its prepared environment, sequenced materials, mixed-age communities, and extended work periods—not by the assumption that other schools lack warmth or good teaching.

When comparing schools, observe what teachers and children actually do. Ask about curriculum, outdoor time, support needs, communication, and daily routines. Our Montessori and daycare comparison is a starting point; a visit helps you understand the specific program.

What Research Suggests

A national study published in PNAS in 2025 followed 588 children who entered lotteries at 24 public Montessori schools. At the end of kindergarten, children offered Montessori places had stronger results on several measures, including reading, short-term memory, executive function, and social understanding. About half of the offered-place group still attended Montessori in kindergarten.

Those findings are encouraging, but they are not a promise about every school or child. The study does not show that transferring schools necessarily erases learning, or that transferring itself improves outcomes. Its follow-up ended at kindergarten, so it cannot establish lifelong benefits. Implementation, family circumstances, and individual needs still matter. Read the study and its limitations.

How This Looks at W Montessori Academy

Our Elmhurst school serves children ages 2–6 in Pre-Primary and Primary classrooms. The published program includes practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, and cultural work. The Primary program incorporates Mandarin immersion throughout the day.

Use the classroom gallery to see the environment and the team page to learn about the people behind the program. On a visit, ask a guide to explain a material, how a lesson is introduced, and how they decide what a child needs next.

Questions Parents Often Ask

Does Montessori mean children do whatever they want?

No. Choice operates within classroom expectations, appropriate use of materials, and respect for others. Ask a teacher how they support a child who needs help choosing or completing an activity.

Does a child need previous Montessori experience?

Share your child's previous experience with the school and ask how new students are introduced to classroom routines. Placement and available support should be discussed for the individual child.

Is Montessori only for preschool?

Montessori programs exist for other ages, but W Montessori Academy's published enrollment range is ages 2–6. Our starting-age guide explains the programs available here.

Try a Practical Activity at Home

Invite your child to help with a familiar household task, such as matching socks or setting a place at the table. Our five Montessori-inspired home activities explain how to get started and adapt each task.