As parents transition their children from traditional daycares to authentic Montessori preschools it's easy for them to perceive the differences in their kids in the short term. They go from showing off their superb coloring skills to detailing why math or science is their favorite subject. But then as parents, we all wonder: what are the long-term benefits of a Montessori education? Studies show that Montessori philosophy built around self- direction, hands-on learning, and collaborative play actually leads to higher levels of self-regulation. love of learning, and social skills in the long term. Even more surprisingly though "on almost every survey, people who had spent at least two years in Montessori had higher well-being than people who never went to Montessori." says Dr. Angeline Stoll Lillard a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, where she directs the Early Development Laboratory.

The Montessori philosophy builds independent children because their classrooms facilitate an environment that allows children to make their own choices and learn at their own pace. As adults, we choose our own careers and paths. so this skill becomes even more efficient if developed from an early age. This independence provides children a path towards self-discovery in understanding who they are, what they like, and what they don't like. Once this idea is contemplated, there's no wonder why this leads to a higher love of learning in the long term. If children love what they are learning, they learn it more efficiently. and as adults, if we love what we do then we do it much more efficiently. When children discover early on what they love they soon discover that there are others that love the same things as they do. This allows for Montessori classrooms to foster collaborative play between the students. The children then begin to learn from, encourage, and inspire each other, a social skill that they evidently take with them for the rest of their lives.

These long-term benefits of a Montessori education are propagated in the lives of Montessori alumni such as Jeff Bezos-Founder of Amazon, and the collaboration of Sergey Brin & Larry Page - founders of Google. — A Montessori Oaks Article. March 2023