NY Times Bestselling Author Praises Montessori Education

February 17, 2010

Daniel Pink's new bestseller Drive discusses our changing understanding of motivation and what leads to high performance and success, especially as we advance into the 21st century. Within that context, Mr. Pink showcases Montessori as one of a select group of "forward-thinking" educational models that "get it" when it comes to education and motivation. Drive synthesizes decades of research into human motivation and exposes the disconnect between what scientists now know, and how businesses and schools function. He illuminates the need to transition from a 20th century perspective on motivation and performance (what he calls "Motivation 2.0") to a 21st century view ("Motivation 3.0").

About Montessori schools Mr. Pink writes:

"Many of the key tenets of a Montessori education resonate with the principles of Motivation 3.0 -- that children naturally engage in self-directed learning and independent study; that teachers should act as observers and facilitators of that learning, and not as lecturers or commanders; and that children are naturally inclined to experience periods of intense focus, concentration, and flow that adults should do their best not to interrupt. Although Montessori schools are rare at the junior high and high school levels, every school, educator, and parent can learn from its enduring and successful approach." (from Drive by Daniel H. Pink, 2009, p. 182).