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Home » Montessori » Classroom » Montessori Assessment Tools & Resources

Montessori Assessment Tools & Resources

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure .

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?

Assessment Resources for a Montessori Environment

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 reside 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.”

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.

Assessment Resources for 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 a good indication of the 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
  • Shiller Math Diagnostic Tests
  • 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.”

– Montessori Madmen

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

Marnie

Montessori Classroom Resources

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Our Garden {Outdoor Classroom}

9 Ways to Make Your Classroom Extra Awesome

Why Montessori Multi Age Classrooms Rock

The Best Tips for the Outdoor Classroom & How to Garden with Kids

My Top 20 Must Have Montessori Classroom Essentials!

Creating an Art Space at Home & Classroom

Learn the Advantages of Multi-age Classrooms

20 Ways to Use Essential Oils in the Classroom

How to Observe Children in a Montessori Classroom

Connecting Indoor and Outdoor Montessori Classrooms

Is One Certified Teacher Enough in a Montessori Classroom?

20 Ways to Achieve Normalization in Your Chaotic Classroom

How to Prepare for Your Role as Teacher in a Montessori Classroom

Simple Ways to Bring Montessori Peace Education into Home & Classroom

Tagged With: Teaching

About Marnie Craycroft

Marnie hails from Maine where she spent summers buried in sand and winters buried in snow. She is the daughter of a nearly four decade veteran of the public school systems. Teaching has always been a part of her life. She founded Carrots Are Orange in 2010.

Carrots Are Orange is a Montessori learning and living website for parents and teachers.

Marnie graduated from Wesleyan University in 1999 with a BA in Economics. She spent nearly a decade working in investment management. In 2006, she earned her MA in business from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

Marnie moved to the west coast in 1999 and currently lives in Boulder with her husband and three sons. She is Montessori trained. Her work has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Buzzfeed, PBS Kids, BabyCenter, the Melissa & Doug blog, Huffington Post, and WhattoExpect.com. Besides writing, passions include running (usually after her three sons), photography, and outdoor adventures.

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