SOURCE: “What if Montessori Education Is Part of the Answer?” in The Education Digest, Vol. 58, No. 7, March, 1993, pp. 40-3.

In the following essay, Schapiro argues that Montessori's methods should be carefully reviewed and considered valid educational options for children in the United States.

You need not think the Montessori Method holds the cure for all that ails American education to regret it has never been given a fair chance to prove just how much it can do.

We talk about needing systematic rather than piecemeal reform. The Montessori approach is integrated across the curriculum and through the ages from preschool through elementary. The benefit may be greatest for children from chaotic homes. By creating respectful, stable, and integrated learning environments for children from early preschool through the elementary years and beyond, Montessori schools can provide a sense of order in an otherwise disordered world.

We talk about reforms...