Host Jess Davis of Montessori Minds and AMS Living Legacy Dr. Gay Ward discuss the optimistic research landscape in part two of the Montessori Research series on the Roots and Wings Montessori Podcast.
Resources and Citations from the show:
Ward, G.C. & Bray, P. (2023). Interdependent Impact: Contemporary Teacher Education and the Influence on Montessori Trajectories In A. Murray, M. McKenna & E. T. Ahlquist.
Bloomsbury Handbook of Montessori Education. London: Bloomsbury, Chapter 54 Bray, P. & Ward, G. C. (2025).
Equity-Based Assessment Practices in Montessori: Dialogues in Higher Education and Community Educator Preparation Pathways. AERA ConferenceDenver, Colorado. April. Hansen, U. J. (2021).
The future of smart : how our education system needs to change to help all young people thrive / Ulcca Joshi Hansen. Capucia, LLC.
https://www.furman.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/195/rileypdfFiles/MontessoriOverallResultsFINAL.pdfCulclasure, B., Fleming, D.J., Riga, G., & Sprogis, A. (2018). An Evaluation of Montessori Education in South Carolina’s Public Schools. The Riley Institute at Furman University. Unpublished manuscript.The Lillard Hartford study is open access so can attach it. Lillard, A. S., Heise, M. J., Richey, E. M., Tong, X., Hart, A., & Bray, P. M. (2017). Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1783–1783. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01783 This is another Lillard study to site:Lillard, A. S. (2012). Preschool children’s development in classic Montessori, supplemented Montessori, and conventional programs. Journal of School Psychology, 50(3), 379–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2012.01.001This is the S. Denervaud MRI study to site: Denervaud, S., Fornari, E., Yang, XF. et al. An fMRI study of error monitoring in Montessori and traditionally-schooled children. npj Sci. Learn. 5, 11 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-0069-6
Attaching the Furman Study. They gave it out readily so think it is okay to link it or put the websitehttps://www.furman.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/195/rileypdfFiles/MontessoriOverallResultsFINAL.pdfCulclasure, B., Fleming, D.J., Riga, G., & Sprogis, A. (2018). An Evaluation of Montessori Education in South Carolina’s Public Schools. The Riley Institute at Furman University. Unpublished manuscript.The Lillard Hartford study is open access so can attach it. Lillard, A. S., Heise, M. J., Richey, E. M., Tong, X., Hart, A., & Bray, P. M. (2017). Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1783–1783. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01783 This is another Lillard study to site:Lillard, A. S. (2012). Preschool children’s development in classic Montessori, supplemented Montessori, and conventional programs. Journal of School Psychology, 50(3), 379–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2012.01.001This is the S. Denervaud MRI study to site: Denervaud, S., Fornari, E., Yang, XF. et al. An fMRI study of error monitoring in Montessori and traditionally-schooled children. npj Sci. Learn. 5, 11 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-0069-6
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gay-WardTwo Montessori Life articles.
Ward, G. (2024) Tool for Equity in Spring Montessori Life.https://amshq.org/Blog/2024-03-14-Action-Research-A-Tool-for-Equityand Ward,G.C. & Miller, M. (2019) Action Research: A Tool for Transformation. Montessori Life. 31 (3).
Dr. Ward email: gay.ward@uwrf.edu