Montessori Works

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Wilmington, DE
Montessori Works

Creating a community of learners with the belief that every child deserves a personalized education.

Montessori Works is a school development organization founded to increase accessible, authentic, quality Montessori education in Delaware. The board includes Montessori experts, educators, parents, and others who are working to make Montessori programs a more broadly available option in the public arena. Montessori is a proven educational model traditionally available only to families with the mea

ns to pay for private school. Montessori Works is making Montessori an option for more families by:

*Sponsoring seminars and other opportunities for communities to explore how children learn through Montessori

*Creating a Montessori Training program in partnership with a local university, focusing on dual-certification requirements for Montessori teachers and administrators in public schools

*Offering a toolkit to enable school districts to successfully and easily incorporate the Montessori method as a whole-school approach or a school-within-a-school program

*Providing startup Montessori programs with master school planning services, including development of curriculum, policies, and community connections; operations planning and support; and professional development and human resource assistance

*Supporting and assisting existing public-sector Montessori programs

08/20/2026

What makes this Montessori study different? 🔎

Not all education research is created equal—and that’s part of what makes this study so notable.

Researchers followed 588 children across 24 public Montessori schools nationwide, tracking their progress from preschool through kindergarten.
Rather than simply comparing families who chose Montessori with those who didn’t, researchers used school admission lotteries to create a randomized comparison. This helps researchers better understand the impact of access to Montessori itself.

By the end of kindergarten, children offered Montessori placements showed stronger outcomes in reading, short-term memory, executive function, and social understanding.

One study doesn’t answer every question, but research with this kind of rigorous design gives us an important piece of the picture. 📚

08/18/2026

Working memory might not be the first thing you think of when you think about Montessori—but it matters. 🧠

Working memory helps children hold onto information and use it while learning. It supports following multi-step directions, solving problems, remembering what they’ve learned, and making connections.

And new 2026 research from the University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania, and American Institutes for Research found that children who attended public Montessori preschool showed stronger short-term memory skills by the end of kindergarten than their peers.

What’s especially interesting? The groups started out performing similarly at ages 3 and 4. The differences emerged later—suggesting that Montessori's benefits may build over time.

In Montessori classrooms, children are constantly practicing skills that require them to remember, plan, sequence, and problem-solve independently. They aren't simply being told what to do—they're actively engaging with their environment and taking ownership of their learning.

Research like this gives us more evidence that Montessori supports not just what children learn, but how they learn. 🧠

08/13/2026

New research highlights another key Montessori finding: stronger reading achievement.

A recent national study found that children who attended public Montessori preschool demonstrated stronger reading abilities by the end of kindergarten compared to their peers.

This research reflects what Montessori educators have observed for more than a century: when children are given meaningful, hands-on opportunities to explore language, build confidence, and learn at their own pace, they can thrive. 🌱

At Montessori Works, we’re working to expand access to free Montessori education so more children across Delaware have the opportunity to experience this powerful approach.

08/11/2026

For many families, Montessori sounds like an incredible opportunity... until they see the tuition.

But what if Montessori was a free public school option?

That's why public Montessori matters. 💙

Across the country, more schools are proving that Montessori can thrive in public education. Schools like J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori in North Carolina even offer students the opportunity to continue their Montessori education through high school.

Public Montessori helps:
✨ Remove financial barriers
✨ Give families another public school choice
✨ Make child-centered learning accessible to more children

At Montessori Works, we're working to expand public Montessori charter schools throughout Delaware so every family has the opportunity to choose a Montessori education—at no cost.

Because every child deserves access to an education that helps them thrive. 💙

08/06/2026

For years, many families believed Montessori was only available through private schools.

Thankfully, that's changing.

More public school districts and charter schools across the country are embracing Montessori because they see the difference it makes. In some communities, students can even continue their Montessori education through high school.

At Montessori Works, we believe every family deserves access to a high-quality Montessori education—regardless of income or zip code. That's why we're working to expand free public Montessori opportunities throughout Delaware.

Because Montessori shouldn't be a privilege. It should be a choice available to every child. 💙

08/04/2026

Public Montessori isn't just for preschool anymore. 🌱

In Charlotte, North Carolina, J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori is showing what's possible. As part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, it offers a continuous Montessori education for students in grades 7–12, giving families the opportunity to continue with Montessori through high school.

The program is built around Maria Montessori's Erdkinder ("Children of the Land") philosophy, which combines rigorous academics with hands-on, real-world learning. Students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses while also developing practical life skills through community field studies, sustainable agriculture, and animal science. The campus even includes a greenhouse, chicken coop, pig pen, and goat pen to support authentic learning experiences.

Schools like this are proof that Montessori can thrive well beyond the elementary years—and that families are looking for more public Montessori options as their children grow.

At Montessori Works, we believe every family should have access to a free public Montessori education, from the earliest years through adolescence.

💙 Would you like to see more public Montessori options for older students? Share your thoughts in the comments!

07/31/2026

A new school year brings an exciting new chapter for Montessori Works. 🌿

In this month's newsletter, you'll find:
✨ A letter from our Board of Directors
✨ An exciting look ahead for Montessori Works
✨ Updates from our partner schools, Sussex Montessori School and First State Montessori Academy
✨ Ways our schools are preparing to welcome students back

We're grateful to everyone who supports our mission of making high-quality Montessori education accessible to more Delaware families.

📖 Read the full newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/montessoriworksde/july26

07/27/2026

Did you know there's now data showing how public Montessori schools are actually structured across the U.S.?

The latest Montessori Census found:
🌱 63% of Children's House (PK–K) classrooms serve the full three-year age span.
📚 Lower Elementary classrooms are almost exclusively organized as 1st–3rd grade.
🏫 Just over half of Upper Elementary classrooms serve the full 4th–6th grade span, while many others use a 4th–5th model.
👥 70% of PK–K classrooms have both a teacher and an assistant, supporting authentic Montessori implementation.

As more public Montessori schools participate in the Census, we're gaining a clearer picture of what Montessori looks like in practice—and where there are opportunities to grow.

Research like this helps educators, families, and policymakers better understand how Montessori is being implemented in public schools across the country.

Read more about the findings from the Montessori Census: https://montessoricensus.org/

07/23/2026

For years, families have wondered: Does Montessori really work?

The newest national research says yes.

A 2026 study found that children who attended public Montessori preschool entered kindergarten with stronger:
📚 Reading skills
🧠 Executive function
💭 Short-term memory
❤️ Social understanding

Even more impressive? Those gains didn't disappear over time—they became even more noticeable by the end of kindergarten.

For us at Montessori Works, this research reinforces why we're committed to expanding access to FREE public Montessori education here in Delaware. Every family deserves the opportunity to choose an educational approach that's backed by evidence.

Follow along as we continue working to bring more Montessori opportunities to Delaware families. 💙

07/21/2026

Montessori is about so much more than beautiful classrooms and wooden materials.

In fact, an international study of more than 15,000 Montessori schools across 154 countries identified six essential elements that define an authentic Montessori program:
🌱 A clear Montessori philosophy
👧 Mixed-age classrooms
🎓 Montessori-trained teachers
🧩 Purposeful Montessori materials
✨ Freedom of choice within limits
⏰ Long, uninterrupted work periods

These pieces work together to create an environment where children develop independence, confidence, problem-solving skills, and a genuine love of learning.

As more families look for educational options that support the whole child, it's important to understand what makes Montessori... Montessori.

❤️ Share this with someone who's curious about Montessori education.

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Wilmington, DE
19801

Website

http://montessoriworksde.org/

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