Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius

Review Praise for the previous edition:"A stimulating evaluation of Montessori philosophy and practice, exploring some of the basic principles in relation to modern scientific research. . . . In particular, anyone wanting to take a detailed and critical look at Montessori education would surely benefit from reading this book."--Montessori International"Angeline Lillard may have changed the rules of engagement for debates on educational reform."-- Dennis Schapiro, Editor, The Public Montessorian"Dr. Angeline Stoll Lillard has clearly summarized the research that explains why, after 100 years, the Montessori approach to education continues to be a phenomenal worldwide success."-- Tim Seldin, President, The Montessori Foundation, and Chair, The International Montessori Council"Lillard provides a visionary framework for those currently working to advance Montessori education and those committed to furthering school reform initiatives. This is an illuminating, thoughtful, and extremely important book. "-- Richard A. Ungerer, Executive Director, American MontessoriSociety"This is a great book. It is beautifully written, and expertly uses the psychological research literature to evaluate Montessori theory and practice. What an original and important contribution."-- Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University and author of Mindset: The New Psychology ofSuccess"Lillard has masterfully explored the basic tenets of Montessori education and how they are validated with todays scientific findings. The result is a long-awaited and important contribution that contrasts with traditional education and offers evidence in support of a method that works. A stunningachievement!"--Virginia McHugh Goodwin, Executive Director, Association Montessori Internationale, USA Product Description One hundred and ten years ago, Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, devised a very different method of educating children, based on her observations of how they naturally learn. In Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard shows that science has finally caught up with Maria Montessori. Lillard presents the research behind nine insights that are foundations of Montessori education, describing how each of these insights is applied in the Montessori classroom. In reading this book, parents and teachers alike will develop a clear understanding of what happens in a Montessori classroom and, more importantly, why it happens and why it works. Lillard explains the scientific basis for Montessori's system and the distinctions between practices in traditional, "Montessomething," and authentic Montessori education. Furthermore, in this new edition, she presents recent studies showing evidence that this alternative to traditional schooling does indeed make a difference. Montessori is indispensable reading for anyone interested in teaching, training, or considering Montessori schooling, in developmental psychology, or in understanding about human learning and education overall. About the Author Angeline Stoll Lillard is Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. An authority on learning and development, she was awarded the Developmental Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association's Outstanding Dissertation Award in 1992 and its BoydMcCandless Award for Distinguished Early Career Contribution in 1999.