A Montessori early childhood classroom environment is unique in the way teachers assess children. You won't find testing, quizzes, and grades within a Montessori environment. Most of you reading this article are proud and happy that our children don't have to face the wrath of these tests but where does that leave us?

How can we adequately assess a child's progress and development?

Without formal tests and quizzes, how does a Montessori guide know the progress of a child?

How does he or she know what lessons to plan for that child?

Assessment in a Montessori Environment

The focus of assessment within a Montessori environment, like many things in a Montessori classroom, is not on the end product but, instead, the focus is on the process.

Related Read: 24 Brilliant Classroom Hacks Every Teacher Should Know

This explanation resonated with me:

“In a Montessori environment, the teacher works in concert with the children to drive the curriculum. While we naturally follow a rich scope and sequence for teaching across the content areas, we are also constantly assessing to see: (1) if the content is resonating with each child, and how; (2) where each child’s own interests resides and how to support this self-discovery; and, (3) in what other ways content can be shared with children so that learners of all styles can find meaning in their work. This process of Scientific Observation is the cornerstone of assessment in a Montessori environment.” (Source: Montessori Madmen)

Formative assessment considers the whole child development and makes assessments based on observations of the child. This type of assessment is essentially ongoing progress monitoring every day to check for mastery and understanding.

Related Read: My Top 20 Must Have Montessori Classroom Essentials!

Summative assessment measures a child's progress at a specific end period of time (such as the end of a month, or quarter) often using diagnostic and standardized tests. With the exception of Montessori public schools, you will rarely find summative assessment tools within a Montessori environment.

So, now what?

Good news! The Montessori environment lends to assessing a child naturally.  In fact, assessment tools are used on a daily basis within a Montessori early childhood classroom.

Here are a few examples where assessment naturally occurs in a Montessori early childhood classroom:

1. The Guide's Daily Observations
2. Lesson Progress of the Child (assessed through observation & presentations)
3. Control of Error within the Materials (provides automatic feedback for the child & the guide)

Areas of Focus for Assessment in a Montessori Environment

Work Engagement

1. How is the child choosing work?
2. How is he utilizing the work?
3. How does he ask for assistance?

Social & Emotional Behavior

1. Is he wandering?
2. Is he interfering with other children's work?
3. Describe his interactions with peers.
4. Is he fidgety? Does he have trouble sitting still?

Order of the Environment

Assessing your environment is just as critical as assessing the child (and yourself for that matter).

This checklist is a fantastic resource to assess the environment: Environment Assessment Checklist

Montessori Assessment Tools & Resources

Assessment Tools

1. Use a lesson tracking document (like this record keeping document from Montessori Printshop) that indicates presented to the child, assistance required, and mastery of the work.
2. Examples of the child's work give good indication of progress made and where attention needs focus
3. Written observations are narrative of your daily, weekly, and monthly observations of the child.

Assessment Resources

• Formative versus Summative Assessment
• General Montessori Assessment Outline
• Shiller Math Diagnostic Tests
• Thoughts on Assessment within the Montessori Environment
• Classroom Assessment Rubric
• Primary Observation Assessment Rubric
• Transparent Classroom & 9 Other Montessori Record Keeping Tools

I am going to end with a quote from Montessori Madmen about the role and the responsibility of the Montessori guide:

“The Montessori teacher is an artist – trained in noticing the cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral needs of children. We are constantly assessing a children’s position along their own arc of educational understanding, and adjusting our practices to best meet them when they’re ready to learn.”

Let me know how you assess the children in your learning environment.

Marnie

Training Montessori assistants is imperative for a smoothly run classroom.

If Montessori teachers were given a magic wand for their classrooms, more often than not they’d use it to implement Montessori to the best of their ability. When asked, teachers usually reveal just how many responsibilities they have that can get in the way of their main goals – assisting each child and finding the right material or lesson to meet each child’s needs.

What many teachers need isn’t a magic wand, it’s a personal assistant, and they may have the answer to this need right under their noses. The potential of their classroom assistant is often untapped.

If there are fewer than 10-12 children, a lead teacher just might be able to handle all the responsibilities involved in preparing a classroom and curriculum; observing, planning, and implementing individualized lessons; and keeping up with all administrative duties (such as progress reporting and community building). However, I believe that Montessori classrooms with more than 12 children should have two adults in the environment. This is important for functional and smooth classroom operations.

The Case for Training Montessori Assistants

To have each adult trained to fulfill their unique classroom role is like training both hands to hold the pitcher when pouring water.

All too often, however, only one of the adults is trained for her job. The other adult is often left to cursory and sporadic on-the-job training, given by someone who is meant to teach children, not other adults! The highest performing classrooms I’ve been witness to are ones in which the adults have built a mutualistic relationship with clear communication, expectations for professionalism, an openness to learn from each other, and agreements regarding functions of each role. This mutualism can be learned!

Related Read: Montessori Assessment Tools & Resources

Support staff in Montessori environments are often called upon to overview the environment. This means supervising the children, redirecting children only when needed, maintaining the cleanliness and order of the classroom, and attending to the many chores that surround supporting young children in group settings.

Training assistants can cover an understanding of the scope and sequence of the materials, the importance of the environment, the importance of the quality of their interactions with the children, and their role as an assistant in meeting the teacher’s needs. Such training will ensure they’re better equipped to help the dominant hand pour the water!

What Does Training Montessori Assistants Look Like?

I have a broad perspective as a learner, mentor teacher, and trainer of support staff who work with toddlers through elementary ages. What have I learned? Optimal learning for adults dictates there are multiple modes, such as a guided mentorship and professional development outside of the workplace.

As a brand new assistant, I went to an 8-hour seminar at a local AMI school. While the seminar was great, it was inadequate in terms of follow-up on the job and it wasn’t very comprehensive. My training as an assistant was left to my seasoned mentor teacher and wise Head of School. She takes all the credit for hooking me into Montessori in such a positive way, and for helping me understand what was expected of me day in, day out in that entry level position.

Many years later, there are several excellent in-person assistant training programs offered around the world. Some are affiliated with AMS, AMI, or regional Montessori organizations. Thanks to the universality of the internet, there are now eLearning courses for training support staff, including the one I teach – the Montessori Assistant Toolkit from ClassrooMechanics. To assist the mentor teacher or administrator in best supporting their assistants, ClassrooMechanics also offers the coordinating workshop Supporting Classroom Assistants.

I believe it’s imperative that each adult working in a Montessori classroom build a framework including child development theories, the neuroscience of learning, and principles of Montessori philosophy. These set the stage for specific training in optimizing adult-child interactions, preparing and maintaining the environment, and preparing ourselves for these tasks. Additionally, the role of the lead guide needs to include how to support assistant staff, as the mutualistic relationship that flourishes benefits everyone.

Training Montessori assistants should be a priority, whenever possible. In a nutshell, it is the training of both our hands that pour water without spilling a drop.

More about the Author

Tammy Oesting, Lifelong Learner, Educational Leader, and Innovative Instructor. An American Montessori Society 3-6 and E1-2 certified teacher, Tammy serves the global Montessori community with professional development opportunities by delivering engaging online, on-demand eLearning courses at ClassrooMechanics. Her focus on optimizing classroom performance lead to creating and teaching a live Montessori Assistant Course for years. The need for accessible, quality professional development drove her to put her training online. Tammy and her husband Aaron are location dependent and travel the world visiting Montessori schools and sharing their insights as travel writers at Lands Remote .

My sister described her visit to meet a lead teacher and observe a classroom at a local Montessori school in search of a good spot for her daughter: “There were 25 kids in the class. It just seems too much. We want 12 kids max.”

As a Montessori trained teacher and parent, I had to take a deep breath before responding: “How many teachers were in the class?”

She paused for a moment, “There were 3 including two assistants and a lead teacher.”

Then I explained three key tenets of a Montessori classroom that make the teaching arrangement possible and effective:

1. Multi-age environment
2. Liberty within a Prepared Environment
3. Role of the teacher

Although Montessori classrooms typically have 3 adults, the lead teacher is typically the only one with certification. This reality is somewhat shifting, however, as the demand becomes more apparent that every adult in the class should be trained to some extent in Montessori. There are Montessori assistant training programs that exist and the popularity is rising. You likely will see many schools begin to adopt this approach in the future.

When Maria Montessori designed her method, she emphasized the following:

• children interact and learn from their peers within a multi-age setting 
• children interact with the carefully planned environment and the materials on the shelves with liberty 
• after careful observation of the children and preparation of self, the teacher prepares the environment, customized to the children's development and interests, in a way that invites the child to engage and want to learn

3 Reasons Why One Trained Lead Teacher Works in a Montessori Classroom

# 1 – Montessori's Multi-Age Setting

Montessori classrooms consist of three-year age groupings at all levels. The oldest children have a firm grasp of the material in the environment. Therefore, they are able to give lessons to the younger students, thereby solidifying their knowledge. The youngest students see the older children as models, and as they progress through the cycle, they begin to look forward to their third year when they are able to be the models. {Read >> Why Multi-Age Classrooms Rock and Advantages of Multi-Age Classrooms}

#2 – Montessori's Prepared Environment

Montessori's carefully prepared environment gives children liberty to choose works that attract them. With that said, an important note is that Montessori designed the curriculum so that the materials on the shelf progress in a way that allows the child to move through the sequence easily and seamlessly based on observing and understanding the children within the environment. This liberty allows the teacher opportunity to observe more than intervene to guide the child.

#3 – The Role of the Teacher

Montessori requires intensive teacher training.  He or she must learn all aspects of the curriculum, the materials to use, and the lessons to give. In The Discovery of the Child, Montessori said, “A teacher must, therefore, be well acquainted with the material and keep it constantly before her mind. She must acquire a precise knowledge of the techniques that have been experimentally determined for the presentation of the material and for dealing with the child so that he is effectively guided” (151).

The role of the teacher is a critical component of the prepared environment. Through training, the teacher prepares herself in order to better prepare the environment for the children.  She will know how to navigate the environment, how to lean into older children to give lessons (to aid in their own development of leadership, communication, and social skills), and how to observe effectively to create an engaging classroom for the children.

Therefore, the second (and often third) adult in the classroom assists the lead teacher with observation, helps children who might need redirection or a bit of guidance with the materials.  While the assistant is often not a fully certified Montessori teacher, their experience in the classroom is worth a great deal as far as child development, communicating with kids, and disciplinary approaches go. Plus, the mentorship offered by the lead teachers goes a long way in preparing the assistant.