Much of the world is currently enamored with Prince George’s maiden voyage into preschool. Articles and opinion columns hail the choice of Montessori education for a future King as fitting and right. Logical points regarding the Montessori Method and the Littlest Prince’s emerging need to develop deep thinking skills, community activism, and the ability to mingle appreciatively with all sorts of people abound.
However, the bigger picture linking a Montessori education to countless maverick innovative creators in our society warrants equal, if not greater, attention. Do you know that Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the Founders of Google are Montessori graduates? As is Jeff Bezos (CEO and Founder of amazon.com), Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Katherine Graham, T Berry Brazelton, Peter Drucker, Julia Child, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Yo-Yo Ma in addition to Prince George’s royal father and uncle?
Montessori-educated innovator quotes crediting passion and success to their Montessori roots include:
“Structure is an absolutely important part of the creative life, and I got this from my early Montessori experience,” Cellist Yo Yo Ma.
“It was going to a Montessori school where we learned to be self-directed and self-starters. Our Montessori education allowed us to learn to think for ourselves and gave us freedom to pursue our own interests,” Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
“Young Jeff (Bezos) would get so engrossed in his activities as a Montessori preschooler that his teachers would literally have to pick him up out of his chair to go to the next task,” Jeff Bezo’s mother.
Whether your child’s passion ultimately emerges in art, politics, innovation, or community service; don’t you want to offer him his best start? After all, of course we know, they’re all Little Princes and Princesses…
