Montessori Education and Higher Level Thinking ~ Some Current Research

Last week, February 21 - 25, marked Montessori Education Week.  To celebrate, The Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA), sponsored an evening with Dr. Steven J. Hughes.  Dr. Hughes is an assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.  His research interests include measurement of attention and executive functioning in children and the neurodevelopmental benefits of classical Montessori education.  He is also a Montessori parent.

Dr. Hughes's research has found that Maria Montessori's brain-based approach to education provides an unparalleled foundation for the development of academic, social and executive functions critical for advanced problem solving and lifetime success.  His research has demonstrated how Montessori education parallels what we now know about brain development and fosters the development of advanced cognitive functions, social cognition and such higher-order competencies as empathy and leadership.

Here are some clips of Dr. Hughes discussing Montessori and his research findings.

Is there any current research on the benefits of a Montessori education?

 Dr. Steven Hughes Discusses Montessori - Part 1 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcNvTPX4Q08 

What role will Montessori play in the future of education? 

Dr. Steven Hughes Discusses Montessori - Part 2  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTwP-UL18sQ&feature=related 

Dr Steven Hughes: Montessori and the Future of Education  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faYco1b-IJI