The Science Behind Montessori

A substantial review. A reason to look closer.

In 2023, Randolph, Lillard, and colleagues published Montessori education’s impact on academic and nonacademic outcomes: A systematic review in Campbell Systematic Reviews. The researchers screened 2,012 articles and included 32 studies that met their criteria, including evidence that comparison groups were similar at baseline through random assignment or statistical adjustment. The included studies were published from 1967 to 2020.

The overall finding was encouraging: modest but meaningful average benefits for Montessori across academic and nonacademic outcomes, compared with the traditional education settings studied. This was a systematic review of multiple studies, not one experiment at one school. Read the full open-access review.

Research is one part of the decision. Your child’s needs, the teacher’s approach, classroom quality, and your family’s experience matter too. Request a visit and ask your own questions.

Learning that goes beyond memorizing an answer

The review found positive average differences in several academic areas. Its evidence ratings describe confidence in the research estimates—not a guarantee for every child or every Montessori school.

• Mathematics: g = 0.22; high-certainty evidence. Montessori often introduces quantity and number relationships through concrete materials before abstract notation.
• Language: g = 0.17; high-certainty evidence. Tactile letter work, spoken language, and purposeful reading and writing are familiar Montessori approaches.
• General academic ability: g = 0.26; high-certainty evidence. This was a broader academic outcome category, not a CogAT result.

These classroom examples explain Montessori practice; the review did not isolate each material as the cause of an effect. Our Montessori learning benchmark guide shows the areas families can explore at Little Sprouts, from practical life and sensorial work to language, mathematics, and cultural learning.

Confidence, concentration, and connection matter too

A child’s experience of school matters alongside academic learning. The review examined several nonacademic outcomes, with different levels of certainty:

• Executive function: g = 0.36; moderate-certainty evidence. These skills include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.
• Creativity: g = 0.26; moderate-certainty evidence. Exploring possibilities and approaching problems in different ways are valuable parts of learning.
• Students’ inner experience of school: g = 0.41; low-certainty evidence. This category included aspects of children’s experience and well-being at school.
• Social skills: g = 0.23; low-certainty evidence. The positive average finding is promising, but the lower certainty calls for caution.

For families, the useful question is not “How far ahead will my child be?” It is “Will this environment help my child practice useful skills, feel supported, and enjoy learning?” Explore how Montessori connects with kindergarten readiness.

Why look at Montessori in the preschool years?

Little Sprouts Montessori Schoolhouse serves children ages three to six in Springfield, Illinois. These years offer daily opportunities to practice caring for materials, talking through a problem, noticing patterns, and doing more for oneself.

In the review’s subgroup analyses, effects were generally larger in preschool and elementary settings than in middle and high school settings. Private Montessori settings also showed larger average effects than public Montessori settings.

Those comparisons do not prove that being private caused the difference, explain why differences occurred, or establish an advantage for Little Sprouts. Differences in children, programs, settings, and study methods can matter. The review is a reason to investigate classroom quality—not to assume all private programs outperform all public ones.

Ask what a typical morning looks like, how teachers support a child who needs help, and how families hear about progress. Meet the Little Sprouts team and bring those questions to a visit.

Five Montessori principles to explore on your tour

“Montessori” is not a trademarked label, and programs vary. Rather than treating a research average as a promise, look at the learning environment in front of you. These five principles make useful conversation starters at Little Sprouts:

1. Mixed-age learning. Ask how younger and older children learn together, and how teachers balance peer learning with each child’s needs.
2. Time for concentrated work. Ask about the daily rhythm, opportunities to stay with an activity, and how children are supported when their attention shifts.
3. Hands-on, self-correcting materials. Look for concrete ways to explore concepts. Ask how a material helps a child notice and work through a mistake.
4. Shared materials and respect for others. Ask how children practice waiting, taking turns, and caring for the classroom. Do not assume every program stocks only one of every activity.
5. Choice with thoughtful guidance. Ask how teachers introduce new work, observe progress, and help children broaden their interests without relying only on prizes or grades.

These are features to discuss and observe—not a claim that this review independently verified Little Sprouts’ implementation or proved which feature produced each outcome.

Request a classroom tour to talk with us about your child and see the environment in person.

Questions parents ask about Montessori research

See whether Little Sprouts feels right for your child

You do not need a research background to choose a preschool. You need clear information, a chance to ask questions, and a school that takes your child seriously.

At Little Sprouts Montessori Schoolhouse in Springfield, you can explore our approach for ages three to six, meet the team, and talk about your family’s next step.

• Request a classroom visit to see the environment and discuss your questions. Your preferred visit time needs confirmation from the school.
• Explore our curriculum to understand the learning areas.
• Start an enrollment application if you are ready to take the next step. Applying does not guarantee a place.
• Contact our school for questions before applying.

The source—and the limits worth knowing

Randolph JJ, Bryson A, Menon L, Henderson DK, Kureethara Manuel A, Michaels S, Rosenstein DLW, McPherson W, O'Grady R, Lillard AS. Montessori education's impact on academic and nonacademic outcomes: A systematic review. Campbell Syst Rev. 2023 Aug 7;19(3):e1330. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1330. PMID: 37554998; PMCID: PMC10406168. Read the full study free.

The review searched studies published through February 2020; a 2023 publication date does not mean it includes all research published since then. Included programs and comparison schools varied. Evidence certainty differed by outcome, and the authors noted a possible publication-bias signal, while reporting that a sensitivity analysis supported the overall positive findings.

This page is a parent-friendly summary of that review, not a claim to summarize every Montessori study or a claim that Montessori is the best fit for every family. The research was not a Little Sprouts-specific outcomes evaluation.