Montessori Schools in China
Learn about what is Montessori pedagogy and the Montessori pre-schools in China
Montessori School in the World
The Montessori Method of Education
Montessori Education was founded in 1907 by Dr Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, educator. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Dr Montessori developed a "prepared environment" for children to choose from several developmentally appropriate activities at their will.
Montessori pedagogy emphasizes the observation and support of the natural development of children. It aims to help children develop creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, time-management skills. In Montessori education, students follow a personalized study pace, guided by their curiosity, to take the time they need to fully understand each concept and meet individualized achievements (Montessori, 1959).
Now, a century after the establishment of Maria Montessori's first children's house in Rome, Montessori education is spread all over the world. According to the International Montessori Congress of 2016 (transcribed by Mayclin, 2017), Montessori children are generally well prepared for most academic, social, and emotional activities.
As more and more countries, China included, emphasize education for all-round development, Montessori education is attached with more value in the pre-school market.
What Is a Montessori School?
It should be noted at the very beginning, that the term "Montessori" is not patented and anyone can use it in naming a school. Therefore, a school name containing the wording "Montessori" does not necessarily guarantee high-quality education. It is then essential that you have a reliable impression of what a Montessori school should be like.
According to TopTutorJob (TTJ) 's experience and investigation of the industry, a Montessori school will always have:
- Certified Montessori-trained teachers or directress/director. They are usually not giving traditional formatted lessons but adjusting the progress of each child through individual lessons and record keeping. While the word "certified" is tricky, it is often recognized as certified by a widely accepted Montessori society, as you will read later in this section.
- A full range of tested and trustworthy Montessori materials.
- Clean, elegant, and uncluttered learning environment with mixed age groups in the classroom.
- Happy, kind children, busy on self-chosen, uninterrupted work.
An authentic Montessori school, by TTJ's school accreditation, is a school that not only claim themselves to be applying the Montessori pedagogy but has obtained certification from internationally recognized Montessori societies. Such societies include Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and American Montessori Society (AMS). You may visit their official websites by clicking on the links or refer to our Glossary for detailed information on those societies.
The three societies are considered as capable of verifying Montessori schools, for they apply a strict set of rules in assessing Montessori institutions. According to AMI's explanations, general criteria include:
- Teachers' qualification: whether the teachers have received Montessori training and have Montessori qualifications
- Montessori environment: whether the environment of the school or class is following the Montessori requirement of child development, and whether there are 3-year age spans facilitate mentorship among the students.
- Montessori materials: whether the institution uses specially designed Montessori materials (books, toys, etc.) that provide a hands-on approach to learning.
- Child-directed work: whether students have access to self-select work, leading to intrinsic motivation and sustained attention.
- Uninterrupted work periods: whether the students have access to an extra period of "free choice" to work without interruption.
Montessori Curriculum
As mentioned above, Montessori is not a patented education brand; therefore, the curricula are not fixed among Montessori school. However, there are basic principles and areas that every design of the Montessori curriculum should follow.
One of the key concepts in Montessori education is the division of programs according to the age of the children, and provide multi-age group activities. Children are grouped in mixed ages and abilities in three to six-year spans: 0-3, 3-6, 6-12 (sometimes temporarily 6-9 and 9-12), 12-15, 15-18. Usually, programs are defined as:
- Infant & Toddler (Birth-3)
- Early Childhood Program (3-6)
- Elementary Program (6-12)
- Secondary Program (12-15)
(Source: AMS: Inside the Classroom)
Most kindergartens provide early childhood and elementary Montessori programs. All subjects are interwoven, rather than taught in isolation in such programs. Children can choose what subjects they are interested in, and invest more time doing so; At the same time, they also engage in the activities of other subjects to get a basic understanding.
Generally, the following areas of subjects are set up in early childhood or elementary Montessori school:
- Practical Life: lessons and activities about daily-life skills, such as how to get dressed, prepare snacks, set the table, and care for plants and animals. For elementary-level children, the focus shifts to a higher level, such as self-care, time management, and community work.
- Sensorial: Children learn to perceive and describe the world through their different senses.
- Cultural Studies: A wide range of subjects, including history, geography, science, art, and music, are integrated into lessons in the cultural area of the curriculum
- Maths: The ideas of number concepts, place value, numerals, and related quantities are explored, reinforced, and expanded upon within the Montessori maths curriculum.
- Language: Reading and writing are integral to all subjects in Montessori Education, as children express their interests and satisfy their curiosity.
Montessori vs IB
IB, a well-recognized set of education programs, also provides a program for young children: Primarily Years Programme (PYP). You can refer to our introduction to IB programs in our article IB Schools in the world.
You can gain a better understanding of IB programs through our topic article of IB schools.
Montessori and IB PYP have their uniqueness in terms of theory, method, curriculum, and assessment. To raise some examples:
| Montessori | IB PYP | |
| Patented | No | Yes |
| Curriculum | Individually tailored | Fixed, shared |
| Material used | Transdisciplinary | Transdisciplinary |
| Assessment | No uniform assessment | Uniform assessment |
| Purpose | Support the natural development of children | Prepare children for further study in other IB programs |
Montessori Schools in China
Overview
As a modern and costing method of pre-school education, most Montessori kindergartens and kindergartens providing Montessori classes locate in economically developed cities in China: namely 1st tier cities or new 1st tier cities.
(See our Glossary for the definition of city types)
Montessori pre-school education is and will keep, enjoying a long period of rising popularity in China. According to Supervision and Evaluation Method of County Preschool Education Popularization issued in 2020, the Chinese government tends to promote all-round development in pre-school and kindergarten education, which is in accordance to Montessori's theory and beliefs.
Therefore, educators can expect fair prospects in the Montessori Education market in China. Besides, there is a huge lacking of teachers and directresses/directors with proper Montessori training with a certificate in China's Montessori kindergarten market, hence kindergarteners with AMI/AMS teaching certificates are very much favored.
Montessori School Jobs
To teach in a Montessori school in China, several requirements are the necessities for almost all schools. The teachers applying for such a job should:
- be 18-60 year's old;
- Be from a native English-speaking country, or be native-like in English competence;
- Have a Bachelor degree or above;
- Have no criminal record
Specially Montessori schools usually show greater interest to foreign teachers who also meet the following criteria:
- Have an AMI/AMS teacher's certificate;
- Have a Bachelor or above degree in education, early education, child development, etc.;
- Be passionate and patient with children
Certified Montessori schools will usually require the teachers to have a certificate in Montessori education. Usually, AMI/AMS certifications are the most widely recognized by the industry.
Montessori School List
The following schools are certified by AMI/AMS. However, uncertified schools may also use good Montessori pedagogy since Montessori is not patented. Also, please notice the latest update time of the list, since the AMI/AMS certificated schools are keep changing.
Tips: Copy the name of the school and use School Search to find more information about more about the school.
| Name | City | Found Year |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Montessori School | Shanghai | 2012 |
| Amber Montessori School of Shanghai | Shanghai | 2017 |
| AnRic Little Montessori Room | Beijing | 2012 |
| Beijing Kidtopia Montessori School | Beijing | 2018 |
| Chengdu Hongwen Montessori Academy (Gaoxin Camups)) | Chengdu | 2019 |
| Chongqing Hongwen Montessori Academy | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Bishui Huating Campus, Jintan) | Changzhou | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Central Park Campus) | Wuhan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Changsha Evergrande Metropolis Campus) | Changsha | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (COFCO Yihe Garden Campus, Nanjing) | Nanjing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Dadirui City Campus, Jinan) | Jinan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Dongli Vanke City Campus, Tianjin) | Tianjin | 2008 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Eastern Santa Clara Campus, Dalian) | Dalian | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrand Yujing Bandao Campus, Guangzhou) | Foshan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande Campus, Wuhan) | Wuhan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande City Campus, Chengdu) | Chengdu | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande City Campus, Chongqing) | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande Oasis Campus, Chengdu) | Chengdu | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande Oasis Campus, Chongqing) | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande Oasis Campus, Wuhan) | Wuhan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Evergrande Oasis Campus, Xi'an) | Xi’an | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Garden City Campus, zhuhai) | Zhuhai | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Guancheng Midtown Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Hengji Grand Waterfront Campus, Chongqing) | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Hengji High West Campus, Chongqing) | Chengdu | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (International City Campus, Jinan) | Jinan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Jing'an Campus, Tianjin) | Tianjin | 2009 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Jingdong Etonkids Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2018 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Jinhuihaoting Campus, Shanghai) | Shanghai | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Jinxiujiayuan Campus, Gezhouba) | Yichang | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Mingduyuan Campus) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Ocean Landscape Golf, Chongqing) | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Olympic Village Campus, Chongqing) | Chongqing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Poly Canal City Campus, Tianjin) | Tianjin | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Pukou Campus, Nanjing) | Nanjing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Siverain Campus, Nanjing) | Nanjing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Tianjin Sunshine 100 Campus) | Tianjin | 2014 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Vanke Golden Tixiang Campus, Nanjing) | Nanjing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Wuxi No. 1 International Campus) | Wuxi | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Yinfeng Garden Campus, Jinan) | Jinan | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Yulongwan Campus, Hefei) | Hefei | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Zhengzhou Lvdu Lanwan Campus) | Zhengzhou | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten (Zijinghuating Campus, Zhengzhou) | Zhengzhou | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten( Ocean Landscape Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Arcadia Campus , Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(CBD Central Park Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(CBD Global Trade Mansion Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2004 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Datunli Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Eastern Provence Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Lido Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2003 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Olympic Village Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Overseas Chinese Town Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Palm Springs Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2004 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Peking House Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Poly Garden Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| Etonkids international kindergarten(Wangjing Baoxing Campus, Beijing) | Beijing | 2016 |
| HTD Carnival Campus | Chengdu | 2018 |
| HTD Donghaichangzhou Campus | Chongqing | 2018 |
| HTD Langshi Campus | Chengdu | 2018 |
| HTD Poly Xiangxue Campus | Chongqing | 2018 |
| JJB International Montessori AMI Center | Guangzhou | 2014 |
| Learn Room Children's House | Beijing | 2015 |
| Montessori School of Shanghai Jiading | Shanghai | 2005 |
| Montessori School of Shanghai Minhang | Shanghai | 2005 |
| Montessori School of Shanghai West Hongqiao | Shanghai | 2005 |
| Montessori School of Shanghai XuHui | Shanghai | 2005 |
| Qingdao Baishan School | Qingdao | 1993 |
| Qingdao Hongwen Montessori Academy (Laoshan Campus)) | Qingdao | 2017 |
| Qingdao Hongwen Montessori Academy (Shibei Campus)) | Qingdao | 2019 |
| Shanghai Hongwen Montessori Academy (Biyun Campus) | Shanghai | 2018 |
| Shanghai Hongwen Montessori Academy (Lingshan Campus) | Shanghai | 2020 |
| Shanghai Hongwen Montessori Academy (Lvdadi Campus) | Shanghai | 2020 |
| Shanghai Hongwen Montessori Academy (Xiushan Campus) | Shanghai | 2019 |
| Shanghai Hongwen Montessori Academy (Xuhui Campus) | Shanghai | 2018 |
| The Children's House Montessori Kindergarten | Beijing | 1992 |
| The International Montessori School of Beijing | Beijing | 1990 |
| Tianjin Hongwen Montessori Academy | Tianjin | 2015 |
| Weiming Kindergarten (Beijing Aolin Campus) | Beijing | 2007 |
| Weiming Kindergarten (Tianjin Campus) | Tianjin | 2001 |
| Weiming Kindergarten ( Qingdao West Coast New Area Campus) | Qingdao | 2019 |
| Weiming Wuhan Guanggu Centre Kindergarten | Wuhan | 2001 |
| World Vantage Montessori School of Suzhou | Suzhou | 2017 |
| Wuhan Hongwen Montessori Academy | Wuhan | 2016 |
| Wuxi City Binhu District Cadalin Preschool | Wuxi | 2019 |
| Xiamen Hongwen Montessori Academy | Xiamen | 2016 |
