CMS families weigh in on their hopes for the children and for the world.

Here are the results of the groups’ discussions: 

Academic Skills:

• Love of Learning - the foundation of every other academic skill
• Problem Solving/Critical Thinking - ability to think through processes and analyze situations
• Strong foundational skills (math, language, science)

Social Skills:

• Self-Confidence - (“I did it!”) understanding their strengths and also being willing to try new things 
• Emotional Intelligence/Empathy - understanding and respecting themselves and others
• Conflict Management – conflict is inevitable; managing conflict skillfully is critical

Personal Characteristics:

• Authenticity – true to their own moral compass
• Emotional Regulation – self-aware, with effective tools to navigate big emotions
• Self-Confidence - knowing that they are resourceful and resilient means that they feel empowered to manage whatever happens

CMS guides assess the children’s progress in all of these areas on an ongoing basis and intervene as appropriate to ensure each child’s development. Students develop these skills and characteristics over a period of years as a natural result of their experiences in CMS classrooms.

Supported by Research

Recent research from the University of Virginia on the impact of authentic Montessori education affirms that children who spend at least two years in authentic Montessori classrooms show significantly higher levels of well-being as adults than people who did not attend Montessori schools. 

 “Well-being, or the felt experience of health, happiness, and flourishing, predicts several desirable outcomes including better health and work performance, longevity, and more positive social behavior and relations,” say the authors of the research, led by Angeline Lillard of the University of Virginia. “Here we explored whether a different childhood experience, Montessori education, might predict higher adult well-being.”

A later analysis also determined that the longer children stay in a consistent Montessori environment like CMS, the more satisfied they are with their lives. 

Dr. Montessori saw that if we can spark a child’s passion for learning at an early age, they will develop success for life.

“No one who has ever done anything really great or successful has ever done it simply because he was attracted by what we call a ‘reward’ or by fear of what we call a ‘punishment’ … Every victory and every advance in human progress comes from an inner compulsion.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

It is no surprise that children who grow up to be self-confident, curious, emotionally intelligent problem solvers have a strong sense of well-being. What a joy to partner with families who define success in terms of the academic skills, social skills and personal characteristics listed by our community!

We’ve been cultivating global innovators since 1981, and we look forward to many more decades of watching our graduates have the satisfaction of sharing their unique gifts with the world.