“Progressive Montessori”--What Does It Mean?

At Caedmon we use the phrase “progressive Montessori” to describe our approach to Montessori, particularly in grades K-5. If you’re not exactly sure what this phrase means, read on!  

For us, “progressive Montessori” refers to our effort to complement Montessori philosophy with other progressive educational methods and to modify some Montessori works or lessons in the light of education research. In our 3s and 4s Early Program, for example, although the teachers have American Montessori Society certification, their classrooms don’t completely adhere to a “pure” Montessori philosophy. One of the reasons for this is that the classrooms contain a block corner, a book nook, an art area, and an area for imaginative play with items such as a toy kitchen. Another departure from very traditional Montessori in our 3s and 4s program comes in the form of specialist classes. Our 3- and 4-year-olds all take yoga, movement, and music classes outside the classroom, and our 4-year-olds also have STEAM and art classes.

The inclusion of other progressive curricula and materials becomes more pronounced in our older grades, increasing the relevance of the “progressive Montessori” description. The shelves in our classrooms for students in Kindergarten or in our Mixed-age First and Second Grade house a combination of Montessori and other progressive materials. For math in the younger elementary grades, we make extensive use of TERC’s Investigations 3 curriculum, and Investigations materials such as pattern blocks and Unifix cubes are employed alongside math beads, the hundreds board, and other Montessori math materials. Similarly, our phonics-based Language Arts classes in K-2 involve Montessori elements (e.g., Montessori grammar materials are employed in the teaching of the parts of speech), while also making significant use of an Orton-Gillingham literacy program firmly grounded in Science of Reading principles.

Finally, students in the oldest grades at Caedmon, grades 3-5, encounter still more materials and programs from other progressive curricula and are exposed to a still greater variety of teaching strategies, including more frequent tests and quizzes. Through this diversification of the curriculum as our students move through their last three years at Caedmon, our program prepares them for the wide variety of middle schools to which they move on.