[Effects of Montessori education on the intellectual development in children aged 2 to 4 years].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of Montessori education and traditional education on the intellectual development in children aged 2 to 4 years.


METHODS
Children aged between 2 to 3 years who were enrolled in a kindergarten in September 2006 were randomly assigned to the Montessori education and the traditional education groups. In addition to receiving the traditional education, the Montessori education group participated in the two-hour Montessori pedagogical activities every day. The intellectual development was evaluated by the Neuropsychological Development Examination Format for Children Aged 0~6 years published by Capital Pediatrics Research Institute at enrollment and one year after the trial.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in the intelligence growth level between the Montessori education and the traditional education groups at enrollment. After one year, the levels of fine movements, adaptation ability, language, and social behavior developments in the Montessori education group were significantly higher than those in the traditional education group (p<0.05 or 0.01). The intelligence increasing scores of the large motor ability, fine movements, language, social behavior and development quotient in the Montessori education group were also higher than those in the traditional education group (p<0.05 or 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Montessori education can promote the development of large motor ability, fine movements, language, and social behavior in children.
He
Hong-Ling
HL
Periodical Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China. hhl.09@163.com
Yan
Hong
H
Zuo
Ling
L
Liu
Ling
L
Zhang
Xi-Ping
XP
D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012919:Social Behavior