Montessori’s Brain-Based Approach

Steve Hughes, PhD, LP, ABPdN is the Director of the Center for Research on Developmental Education and a board certified pediatric neuropsychologist. He is a scientist who speaks about brain development and educates parents about academic, social, and executive functioning. In his talk, “Good at Doing Things,” Hughes highlights Montessori’s brain-based approach to education and its benefits.

A few highlights include:

• More of the brain is dedicated to controlling your hands than any other part of the body

• Human beings learn best through hands-on exploration of the world, especially in childhood

• Montessori’s hands-on education philosophy is based on the idea that the hands are the tools the mind uses to discover the world