Montessori & Assessment

It is often thought that in a Montessori classroom, the children do whatever they want and that we, the educators, do no use any kind of evaluations on the children.  

That statement is a myth.  

There are many kinds of assessments used in a Montessori classroom, but there are 3 that stand out more than others.  The first and probably the most written about topic with regards to assessment is observation.  The whole foundation of Montessori is based on the cornerstone of teacher observation.  Through consistent and frequent objective and formalized observation, the teacher can note: a child’s knowledge, skill level, and capabilities such as concentration, problem-solving, resilience and self-correction.  Through observation a teacher is able to recognize that the child needs another presentation of the work, a new lesson, or just more practice.  

I remember when I was applying for my first job in a Montessori classroom; the director gave me a legal pad and asked me to sit for at least 30 minutes and do nothing else but write down what I observed in the class.  This was just for applying for the job, I wasn't expecting to work during the interview.  In my readings and teacher training, I discovered the importance of observation, but when I practiced it, I learned though it was simple in action, it comes with challenges as well.  Although my children had gone to a Montessori school, this was my first experience observing children formally.  I deducted that observation goes hand in hand with record keeping.  Through observation, I could perceive more than the fact the children were working, I could gain insights to their experiences and deduct where further assistance was needed.

A second way in which we assess students in a Montessori classroom is through our interactions with our students.  For instance, we ALWAYS will check for level of understanding and knowledge before we present a lesson.  We ask questions and engage in a conversation about the work we are focusing on.  Sometimes this shows us we need to move back a step to offer further explanation or we learn this child already knows this material, in which case we can either present in a new way or choose a new lesson.  

We use a "three-period lesson" that helps children learn vocabulary and concepts.  In short, the three periods are naming (introduction), recognizing (identification), and remembering.  This basically translates to the first period determining, "This is _____."  The second period can be explained as, "Show me _____."  While the third period gives us the chance to ask, "What is this?"

The third way in which we assess children is when we watch the child teach, or when we observe the child giving a lesson to another child.  When we see this, we know that the child is truly proficient with this material.  We remember things better when we teach the concepts to others.  This concept is often discussed as adults, but it very well applies to children also.

In our school, we have defined 'learner outcomes' for each year that the child is in our classroom (see previous post about the multi-age classroom).  These learner outcomes were created based on state standards, but we have also added a few of our own that we have extracted from training and observation ourselves.  We are able to take note about where the child stands academically, socially, physically and emotionally.  These are based on the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Executive Functioning Skills, because education is so much more than just cognitive and academic learning.  When looking at a child’s progress, emotional intelligence and executive functioning skills have more bearing and influence on a child’s ability to transfer with ease from our school as they approach their elementary years.

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