The American Montessori Society (AMS) desires to define Montessori education as it is practiced in AMS accredited schools, taught in AMS teacher education programs, and articulated in AMS-sponsored publications, symposia, and seminars.

The American Montessori Society is committed to promoting quality Montessori education for all children from birth to 18 years based on these key concepts:

• The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.
• Learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self- and teacher-initiated experiences.
• Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn by manipulating materials and interacting with others.

These meaningful experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of ideas.

• The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important.
• Respect and caring attitudes for oneself, others, the environment, and all life are necessary.

The Montessori teacher is educated in these areas:

• Human growth and development.
• Observational skills to match students’ developmental needs with materials and activities. This allows the teacher to guide students in creating their individual learning plan.
• An open-ended array of suggested learning materials and activities that empower teachers to design their own developmentally responsive, culturally relevant learning environment.
• Teaching strategies that support and facilitate the unique and total growth of each individual.
• Classroom leadership skills that foster a nurturing environment that is physically and psychologically supportive of learning.

A Montessori classroom must have these basic characteristics at all levels:

• Teachers educated in the Montessori philosophy and methodology appropriate to the age level they are teaching, who have the ability and dedication to put the key concepts into practice.
• A partnership with the family. The family is considered an integral part of the individual’s total development.
• A multi-aged, multi-graded, heterogeneous group of students.
• A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities, and experiences, which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative, and social independence.
• A schedule that allows large blocks of uninterrupted time to problem solve, to see the interdisciplinary connections of knowledge, and to create new ideas.
• A classroom atmosphere that encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching, and emotional development.

© Copyright The American Montessori Society. The American Montessori Society (AMS) is a nonprofit educational society founded in 1960 whose purpose is to help children develop their potential through the educational principles of Dr. Maria Montessori. This includes the following: developing Montessori programs, accrediting schools, granting credentials, encouraging research, organizing seminars and symposia, and promoting all other areas which relate to the dissemination of Montessori philosophy.