Our Philosophy

A philosophy of education in service of lives fully lived.

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Core Philosophy

Education from Birth

In recognizing that even the youngest child engages in cognitive activity, and in seeing the child’s development as a unity—as a progression containing certain salient features, with each stage laying the groundwork for the next—Montessori saw the need for a radically altered system of education, one that begins at birth.

Core Philosophy

A Better Future for Phonics

‘Sold a Story’ is the latest salvo from the front lines of these wars. In this short podcast series, journalist Emily Hanford contends that the evidence is clear: phonics is the effective approach for teaching children literacy.

Although this recent case for phonics may seem to vindicate phonics advocates and portend an end to the wars and a better future for literacy education, it carries within it the seeds of its own destruction.

Core Philosophy

Doubling Down on Literacy

Which aspect of Montessori’s approach first made her truly internationally famous? Which one shocked the world and kickstarted a worldwide movement that continues to this day? It was actually a very specific outcome: she taught 4-year-olds how to write.

Core Philosophy

Preparing for Virtue

As parents and teachers, we want to prepare children to face this vast array of decisions with confidence and integrity. Whatever our view of what is right and virtuous, we want them to have the capacity to make choices with conviction and to follow through with corresponding action. Yet, Montessori believed the traditional methods for building this capacity, rather than supporting children, stunt them.

Start With These

Core Philosophy

Our Story

Montessorium's origin story, from a creator of Montessori apps to a Montessori think tank.

Core Philosophy

Our Lanterns

Education is done with a view to the good life. Drawing from Montessori, we offer five lanterns, five constant and guiding values, for understanding what constitutes a good human life: knowledge, work, agency, and trade, all adding up to a life fully lived.

Core Philosophy

Montessori's Discovery of the Normalized Child

Montessori’s most important discovery, the one that enabled all the others, was her discovery of the “normalized” child. It informed her philosophy of education: her ideas on the role of the parent and the educator in the child’s life, the role of the child himself, the role of the environment in his development, and the very purpose of education.

Core Philosophy

Culture of Work, Culture of Knowledge

Knowledge and work—thought and action—are the two fundamental manifestations of human agency. An education that supports agency does so by embodying a culture of knowledge and a culture of work.

Core Philosophy

Place-Value as Soulcraft in Montessori

When children learn column addition and multiplication, they understand why it works, because they understand—because it’s been part of their physical environment and activity since they were 2—what place value is.

Why does any of this matter? It adds up.

Core Philosophy

The Montessori Multiplier

Everyone learns, constantly, over the course of their lives. What Montessori does is multiply the value of this learning. Done right, school isn't a substitute for life experience, it's a multiplier on it.

All Core Philosophy Content

Core Philosophy

Montessori's Discovery of the Normalized Child

Montessori’s most important discovery, the one that enabled all the others, was her discovery of the “normalized” child. It informed her philosophy of education: her ideas on the role of the parent and the educator in the child’s life, the role of the child himself, the role of the environment in his development, and the very purpose of education.

Core Philosophy

The Child's Self-Created Mind

Based on her astute observations of children, Montessori concluded that children had a mind and a mental life from birth. This meant that, to her, education was proper and necessary for infants and young children. Yet, it was clear that education for infants and toddlers could not function in the same way as education for older children and adults. Their unique minds demanded a rethinking of education.

Core Philosophy

Montessori's Philosophy

Montessori believed she uncovered the natural laws governing a child’s development and discovered that he had mental needs from birth. Based on these discoveries, it was clear to Montessori that the traditional ways of interacting with children, educating them, and rearing them were tragically inadequate. It was time to re-think childhood, education, and parenting. It was time to articulate a new philosophy.

Core Philosophy

It's not the 'Montessori' Method– It's the Child's

Montessori asserted that what could be called a ‘method’ was no a priori idea of hers. She emphasized that, in reality, this ‘method’ was the discovery of the children themselves.

Featured Author
Executive Director of Montessorium

Dr. Matt Bateman

Dr. Matt Bateman earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2012 from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught and continued his research at Franklin and Marshall College in the Department of Psychology, on topics ranging from neuroscience to evolutionary theory to philosophy, before joining the LePort Schools as Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy in 2014.

In 2016, Dr. Matt Bateman became a founding member of Higher Ground Education. He is now Vice President of Pedagogy for Higher Ground and the Executive Director of Montessorium.

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