Typically, when we refer to innovation in education, we refer to the act of assessing our educational practices to ensure that we are providing our students with the best education to prepare them to be successful now and in the future. At Lauremont School, we continue to provide a strong Montessori foundation with the addition of innovative teaching and learning and continuously evaluate the needs of students in relation to the ever-changing world. This includes assessing the effects of technological innovations on young children and ensuring each child develops to their full potential academically, socially, emotionally and physically.

Computers were not yet invented when Maria Montessori began her first classroom in 1907. During the development of Dr. Montessori’s education philosophy, she emphasized the development of the whole child. She was a scientist and was always innovating new ways of teaching. While she would probably have been open to technology, I strongly believe that she would still choose not to include computers and technology in the classrooms for young children due to the findings related to their overall well-being and the ability to be future skill-ready.

Dr. Montessori believed that children learn best using their hands to explore, not merely typing and navigating a screen. A Toddler and Children’s House classroom at Lauremont School provide the students with a prepared environment which encourages a child to have the freedom to pursue activities that interest them, encouraging the joy of discovery. Unlike technology which is typically passive, a Toddler or Children’s House classroom actively engages students with physical objects for a real, meaningful, experiential discovery.

A lot of research has been conducted over the past few decades about the effects of technology on young children and the results are not positive. Increased amounts of time on a screen have presented with increased levels of obesity, negative social interactions/skills, decreased fine motor skills, an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality, interrupted sleep patterns, reduced patience, lessened attention spans, the need for instant gratification and a decreased ability to think logically.

However, the reality is that our young children will need to have the skills to be successful in a world full of technology. These skills are very prominent in our classrooms, including the following: strong fine motor skills to navigate touch screens and keyboards; a thirst for knowledge and a desire to learn and investigate; the ability to follow multiple step directions; patterning, a strong sense of order, logical and sequential thought patterns; listening skills and reading. All of these skills are developed with our concrete Montessori materials.

It is interesting to note that the following tech giants – Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google) all attended Montessori schools and attribute their success to this innovative education model! They did not interact with technology until a much older age.

We also know that many of our students will be exposed to innovative technology at home. I encourage you to carefully consider both the benefits and drawbacks of early technology exposure. Your child’s development – social, emotional, academic and physical will thrive without multi-media engagement at a young age. The strong foundation they will receive at Lauremont School will provide them with the skills needed and a thirst for knowledge to be successful with technology in the near future.