The study, ‘Montessori Preschool elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes’, was carried out in a high-poverty American city which offered random lottery-based admission to two state-funded Montessori pre-schools.
Researchers tested 70 children from these schools and 71 ‘control’ children from other, non-Montessori pre-schools at four time periods, including once at the start of their first semester at the age of three, and once at the end of pre-school three years later.
The tests assessed a variety of cognitive and socio-emotional skills including:
Although both groups were equal at the start of pre-school, the Montessori group consistently advanced at a higher rate than the control group in academic achievement, theory of mind and school enjoyment, and at certain time points in executive function and mastery orientation.
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