Montessori and Head Start: A Survey of Teachers

Abstract

This study was prompted by the discovery that in my public urban district, three-year-old Head Start students were in school full-day, whereas the three and four-year-old Montessori students in my classroom were only half-day. As a former Head Start teacher and now Montessori Primary Lead, my research question became: What are the benefits of children attending full-day programs in one setting? Little research addresses three- and four-year-olds in half-day versus full-day care, either in Montessori or Head Start. Through a survey of teachers and a focus group with Head Start teachers, the study identified key findings in teachers' perceptions of half-day vs. full-day programming. The findings of both groups are consistent with the scholarly literature on continuity of care, looping, and academic outcomes, which show that full-day programming enables relationship-building, greater academic engagement, and greater overall stability in the child’s day. Teachers' clear preference was for a full-day option, whether in Montessori or Head Start, since it privileged the development, stability, and long-term growth.