I wholeheartedly believe in the Montessori Method, and I am sure my future school experiences would have been drastically different had I not had a Montessori foundation. Montessori is an especially effective way of learning for naturally kinesthetic learners, but I also think that Montessori, with its emphasis on self-guided, self-paced learning through works (which often results in students with a Montessori foundation being significantly ahead of their peers, as both my brother and I were!), tends to breed kinesthetic learners, while also encouraging visual and auditory learning through a classroom environment. It truly prepares students, who will eventually make the transition to a “traditional” classroom environment, to be able to learn in any style that is presented to them.
The other most notable difference, to me, between the Montessori Method and “traditional” schooling is that children are encouraged to explore and develop skills for all areas of their life, not just a textbook and classroom. My most vivid memories of works include the number roll, pouring, the fraction burger, and assembling the solar system, as well as always designating our work space with trays and mats. The Montessori saying, “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” has stuck with me through the years. Montessori deeply instilled in me the value of lifelong exploration and learning; when I have my own children one day, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my husband and I will bring them up with a Montessori foundation.