In the end, the selection of a Montessori school comes down to a matter of personal style and preference. If you visit a school and find yourself in harmony with its ambiance and practice, it will represent at least one example of what you define to be a good school. In determining which school is best, parents have to trust their eyes, ears, and gut instincts. Nothing beats personal observation. The school that one parent raves about, may be completely wrong for another's child. Conversely, another parent may have decided that "Montessori doesn't work," while it clearly is working very, very well for your family. Rely on your own experience, not hearsay from other parents. There is probably no clear cut answer. Often one sign of a school's commitment to professional excellence is their membership in one of the professional Montessori societies, such as the Association Montessori Interna-tionale (AMI) or the American Montessori Society (AMS). Both organizations also offer schools the opportunity to become accredited. There are several dozen other smaller organizations. It is important to remember, though, that many excellent schools choose not to affiliate with any national organization. They are independent.

The Montessori approach is often described as an "education for life." When we try to define what children take away from their years in Montessori, we need to expand our vision to include more than just the basic academic skills.

In her research, Dr. Montessori noted specific characteristics associated with the child's interests and abilities at each plane of development. She argued that a school carefully designed to meet the needs and interests of the child will work more effectively because it doesn't fight human nature. Montessori taught teachers how to "follow the child" through careful observation, allowing each student to reveal her strengths and weaknesses, interests and anxieties, and strategies that work best to facilitate the development of her human potential.