Montessori Education Can Develop Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
Montessori Middle School Las Vegas | Private School Las Vegas
In a recent scientific study, scientists were able to determine that Montessori students develop more critical and creative thinking than students from traditional academic backgrounds.
While this may be controversial, it finally qualifies what many proponents of Montessori have been saying for decades.
What Did the Study Find?
The study looked at children ages 6-12, and was not actually designed as a “Montessori” study. Instead, the goal was to help develop an understanding of how children learn by comparing relatively opposite approaches to education.
Students with a Montessori background scored higher on creative thinking tests, and also demonstrated more flexibility in creative problem solving. Specifically, they showed a stronger ability to not only create a single, optimal solution to a problem (convergent creativity), but also to generate multiple solutions to problems that had several possible answers (divergent creativity).
In other words, the Montessori educated children demonstrated a higher proficiency in skills that are very applicable to success in life and the work place, regardless of specific career path.
How Does Montessori Develop Critical Thinking?
Montessori differs from a traditional education in several ways. These differences may contribute to the development of critical thinking and creative problem solving in ways that traditional education does not.
For example, Montessori approaches the teaching of concepts by emphasizing physical experience, involvement, meaning, and personal understanding. This differs from a traditional approach which commonly emphasizes rote memorization and lecture.
At Innovation Academy, for example, we embrace the Montessori approach by guiding our students through their own self discovery of various concepts. We include a physical, hands on portion, which reinforces the mental connection of a lesson. Additionally, we teach a concept across several different subjects, so that students can identify and see the application of the material in different ways.
This may look like a math lesson that combines drawing out fractals, applying time changes in music class, and experiencing that math physically in dance or other physical activities.
Is Montessori Right for My Middle Schooler?
Montessori is not only a great foundation for elementary school aged children, but is also great for Middle Schoolers. Montessori empowers students to take control of their education and discover for themselves how they best learn new concepts. They get to interact with age groups above and below them, to get exposure to different thought processes and to apply their learning by “teaching back” to their peers. Additionally, we incorporate STEAM into our curriculum to ensure our students are prepared for the future!
Innovation Academy invites you to CONTACT US for a tour of our campus to see our school in action. Our team is happy to answer all of your questions, and more importantly, to let your student see the fun, energy, and experience that we can offer them!
Keep up to date with Innovation Academy by “liking” our FACEBOOK page!
Learn more about Innovation Academy!
- Tips for Distance Learning During COVID-19
- A Better Way to Manage Students with Food Allergies
- Montessori is Not Just For Little Kids
Montessori Middle School Las Vegas | Private School Las Vegas