Forbes Article: The Surprising Health Benefits Of Montessori Education
March 7, 2025

Forbes Article highlights mental health benefits of Montessori education

A recent Forbes article highlights how Montessori's cooperative education vs. competitive education provides better mental health outcomes for children. The article's author states:


"But many people don’t realize that, along with some of the more well-known practical benefits associated with Montessori education, there are also a host of mental health benefits. These include improved emotional stability, increased confidence, better cognitive function and reduced stress and anxiety among children who attend Montessori schools."



Here's our favorite section:


What are the mental health benefits of Montessori education?


Beyond improved academic performance, the less rigid teaching environment of Montessori education means "there is a lot less stress, anxiety, and pressure to perform," says Franchek.


"A guiding Montessori philosophy is 'freedom within limits,’" echoes Johnson. "Our children know that if something doesn’t work out exactly as intended the first time, it’s a good lesson learned to build on for the next attempt." This approach builds confidence and improves executive function skills, says Lillard.


There’s also an element of growth that occurs when children learn in an environment where manners, mutual respect and consideration for others are taught and exemplified. "Montessori really emphasizes psychological safety," says Franchek. "The environment is highly predictable, so children have a space where they feel supported and respected."


The approach seems to be working. "In one of our studies, we collected hair samples of students in public Montessori schools and compared them to ones from students in conventional public schools to test for cortisol—a stress indicator for the prior two to three months of a person’s life," says Lillard. "We learned that stress levels were lower in students at Montessori schools."


Even more compelling, the health benefits of Montessori education appear to have staying power. "Adults who attended Montessori schools as children have higher adult wellbeing than those who attended only conventional schools," says Lillard, "and we've seen that the longer they attended, the higher their wellbeing."



Full article can be found here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/darylaustin/2025/02/18/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-montessori-education/

Why Choose Montessori?

By Teresa Pavelich • August 24, 2025
Anthropic co-founder Benjamin Mann on why he chose Montessori for his daughter

MSLF Overnight Trips Build Independence and Confidence for Elementary and Adolescent Program Students

By Teresa Pavelich • June 2, 2025
At MSLF, overnight trips become an important part of Montessori learning beginning in Lower Elementary. Each trip is carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of students in the second and third plane of development , with each overnight trip getting progressively longer to ease children into these independent journeys away from their families. These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. Beginning in their first year of Lower Elementary, students take their first MSLF overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wisconsin. For many Lower Elementary students, this trip represents their first nights away from home. During their trip they explore the outdoors, work together in groups, use their practical life skills during community meals, and grow! It’s this first overnight trip for MSLF students where parents and staff remark how students come back almost transformed after being able to develop their independence in a supportive environment. Our Upper Elementary classroom has embarked on overnight trips to both Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin and The Country Experience at Amstutz Family Farm in Elizabeth, IL. Both locations provide students with increasing opportunities to apply their practical life skills, like checking the weather to ensure they have weather-appropriate gear for their trip. Every task empowers them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. These trips are also opportunities for the students to get to know one another and build strong relationships with their peers and with the adults in their classroom. Adolescent Program students at MSLF have opportunities to visit both Springfield, IL and Washington, DC . These overnight trips tie directly into their studies – connecting curriculum learned in the classroom to experiences in the wider community. They often take their learning on the road, for example by watching a legislative session in action in Springfield to see which bills are passed during their trip or presenting their research papers at monuments in Washington, DC. And for these students, the skills they built on their trips in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary are put to work, as they pack their own bags, learn more about public transportation, and plan their daily itineraries to make the most out of their visit. Experiences like these at MSLF support the child’s independence, laying the groundwork for transitions in later life: the start of high school, going away to college, a first job, and beyond. As they conquer challenges outside their comfort zone, their confidence soars, laying the foundation for the autonomy and independence they will continue to utilize throughout their Montessori experience and beyond. It’s good for parents, too, to see how truly capable our children are!