Effective Literacy Assessment in the Montessori Classroom

Learn how to use Montessori teaching and assessment methods in today’s diverse classrooms.

From the authors of Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom, this new book focuses on the practical implementation of Montessori teaching and assessment methods in pre-K–6th grade classrooms. The authors describe how reading research and Montessori’s scientific pedagogy and language curriculum play out in actual classrooms through concrete examples of structured literacy instruction.

Using the timeline of a typical school year as a framework, the book contains three primary sections: (1) Starting the School Year: Setting the Stage So Reading Improves for Every Student; (2) All School Year Long: Integrating Data, Progress Monitoring, and Instruction to Maximize Reading Success for All Students; and (3) Wrapping Up the School Year: Prioritizing, Keeping On, and Defining Next Steps. Each section contains an overview of current research and theory to inform assessments and literacy goals prioritized at these key points across the academic year. Chapters feature activities, assessments, and case studies adapted from diverse Montessori classrooms.

Book Features:

• Shows what the Montessori curriculum looks like when reading research, currently known as “the science of reading,” is implemented.
• Demonstrates how lessons, a comprehensive assessment system, and logistics work in a real-world setting.
• Defines the Montessori curriculum as both comprehensive and integrated, showing that materials for building reading skills, background knowledge, and vocabulary are found throughout the classroom through a single curriculum.
• Helps Montessori educators and administrators, especially those working in publicly funded schools, address state legislation requiring approved curriculum aligned to the science of reading.
• Supports all educators interested in meeting reading legislation.

Natasha Feinberg is an associate professor in the Elementary Education Department at Rhode Island College. Susan Zoll is an author, Montessori researcher, and educator who serves on the American Montessori Society's Research Committee. Laura Saylor is dean of the School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University.

“This book illustrates how the careful use of Montessori’s prescient, past insights, when informed by our expanding science of reading and language, can help educators today meet the ever-changing needs of more students than ever before.”
—From the Foreword by Maryanne Wolf, professor and director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, UCLA School of Education and Information Studies

“An excellent follow-up to Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom . This new book provides a comprehensive deep dive for Montessori administrators, schools, and teachers working to meet state policy requirements, with valuable information about assessment, while ensuring fidelity to the Montessori philosophy. A must-read!”
—Denise Monnier, director of state advocacy, Montessori Public Policy Initiative

“Effective Literacy Assessment in the Montessori Classroom offers up-to-date, actionable, and evidence-based guidance for educational decision-makers in Montessori settings. Additionally, it is a valuable resource for educators across both public and private schools who seek to align their instructional practices with research on how children learn to read. The authors provide a clear pathway for implementation, guiding educators on where to begin, how to utilize assessment data effectively, and how to support students throughout the literacy development process. Through practical examples, this book bridges the gap between research and practice, making it a valuable resource for the field of education.
—Kari Kurto, National Science of Reading project director, The Reading League

“Feinberg and Zoll's book is an insightful and practical guide for any school seeking to implement research-based assessments and interventions that benefit all learners. Clear visuals and deft translation between conventional and Montessori terminology and practices make this an invaluable tool, particularly for any teacher or school leader in the Public Montessori setting who is balancing state mandates with delivering high-fidelity Montessori instruction.”
—Danielle Hardoon, public Montessori program consultant, American Montessori Society

Contents

Foreword by Maryanne Wolf  ix

Acknowledgments  xi

1.  Introduction  1

2.  A Contemporaneous and Historical Overview of Structured Literacy and Montessori Education  10
Structured Literacy  10
Defining Terms  11
History of Montessori and Assessment  23
Dr. Montessori’s Assessment Practices  25
Understanding Literacy Instruction in Montessori Classrooms Today  28

PART I—STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR: SETTING THE STAGE SO READING IMPROVES FOR EVERY STUDENT

3.  Lesson Application  39
Rituals and Routines  39
Student Interactions  39
Parent Interactions  40
Lesson Implementation  41
The Lesson Plan Format  42

4.  Assessment  46
Assessments and Comprehensive Assessment Systems in Education  47
Screening Assessments—Early Childhood  50
The PALS Pre-K Assessment in Montessori Classrooms  52
Screening Assessments—Elementary  55
Diagnostic Assessments  58
Using Formal Assessment in the Montessori Setting  62
Conclusion  63

5.  Schedule/Logistics  65
Montessori Schedules  65
Work Plans  65
Traditional Schedules  66
Melding a Montessori Classroom With Outside Scheduling Requirements  67
ELA Instruction in Public Schools  68
Montessori Classrooms Melding Commercial ELA Curriculum  70

Case Study Discussion and Analysis With Answer Key (BOY)  73
Case Study—Early Childhood  73
Case Study—Elementary  82

PART II—ALL SCHOOL YEAR LONG: INTEGRATING DATA, PROGRESS MONITORING, AND INSTRUCTION TO MAXIMIZE READING SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS

6.  Lesson Application  89
The Role of Encoding in Lessons  95
Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines  99

7.  Assessment  105
Determining Where to Start—Analyzing Data Results  106
The Montessori Three-Period Lesson Decision Tree  106
Progress Monitoring  109
Further Individualizing Tier 1 (Core Instruction) and Tiered Interventions  113
Utilizing Observational Data  116
The Importance of Language Instruction and Its Application in Montessori Classrooms  120
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test  125
The PPVT in Montessori Classrooms  125

8.  Schedule/Logistics  127
Melding a Montessori Classroom With Outside Scheduling Requirements  127
History of RtI and MTSS  127
Layering Intervention Instruction Into the Montessori Classroom  130
Explicit Instruction and Eliciting Responses  130
Montessori Three-Period Lesson Aligned to Explicit Instruction  133

Case Study Discussion and Analysis (MOY)  135
Case Study—Early Childhood  135
Case Study—Elementary  140

9.  Lesson Application  146
End of School Year Considerations for Lessons  146

PART III: WRAPPING UP THE SCHOOL YEAR: PRIORITIZING, KEEPING ON, AND DEFINING NEXT STEPS

10.  Assessment  157
End-of-Year Screeners  157
High-Stakes Testing  157
The CLASS Observation Tool  159
The CLASS in Montessori Classrooms  160

11.  Schedule/Logistics  162
Melding a Montessori Classroom With Outside Scheduling Requirements  162

Case Study Discussion and Analysis (EOY)  166
Case Study—Early Childhood  166
Case Study—Elementary  168

12.  Closing  172
Working With Families, the Community, and School Personnel to Support Literacy  172
School Personnel to Support Literacy: Instructional and Literacy Coaches  176
Conclusion  178

References  181

Glossary  189

Index  193

About the Authors  201

Dr. Zoll discusses the importance of nurturing language development as a foundation of literacy with Jess Davis of Montessori Minds Consulting.

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