Although Montessori education is often considered a form of playful learning, Maria
Montessori herself spoke negatively about a major component of playful learning--pretend …

Pretend play and fantasy are staples of childhood, supported by adults' provision of
encouraging tools (like dress‐up clothing and play kitchens) and by media. Decades ago …

The freely chosen spontaneous activity of young children, the activity adults call play, is
arguably the foundation stone on which the contemporary field of early childhood education …

The Montessori educational method has existed for over 100 years, but evaluations of its
effectiveness are scarce. This review paper has three aims, namely to (1) identify some key …

Montessori education was developed over 100 years ago, and persists as a marginal 'niche
reform'of the standard model. Here I discuss two unresolved dichotomies in early childhood …

Traditional American schooling is in constant crisis because it is based on two poor models
for children's learning: the school as a factory and the child as a blank slate. School reforms …

This article examines the practice of Montessori education through the lens of ritual.
Anchored by description and analysis of a lesson in an elementary classroom, the lesson is …

This review examines the quantitative behavioural studies that have evaluated the effects of
Montessori pedagogy on children's psychological development and school learning. The …

Responding to current debates on the place of play in schools, the authors have extensively
revised their groundbreaking book. They explain how and why play is a critical part of …