Montessori and Executive Function
What is executive function?
And why it matters
Executive function is the set of cognitive processes we use to manage our thoughts, actions, and emotions to achieve goals.
Executive function has three core components:
Working memory
Inhibitory control
Cognitive flexibility
Academic achievement
Social functioning
Life skills
Executive function by design
It's built into the model
Executive function support is inherent to Montessori:
Working memory
Many classroom activities require children to keep steps, sequences, or information in mind throughout the course of a task.
Inhibitory control
Limited materials, student choice, and social interactions help children manage impulses and decisions.
Cognitive flexibility
Open-ended activities and multiple pathways to learning support adaptable thinking and task switching.
Learn more about Montessori and executive function in both this free course from the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector and in our video below:
Research and Resources
Learn more about the extensive research into executive functions and the connections with Montessori education using the links below.
Popular media
Blog posts and podcasts
- Montessori and Executive Functions in the Brain • Authentic Institute of Montessori
- Montessori and Executive Functioning (three parts) • Forest Bluff School
- Executive Functioning Skills in Elementary • Trillium Montessori
Montessori and executive function
Research and papers
- Executive Functions in Montessori Education • Jan Mallett, in the Bloomsbury Handbook of Montessori Education (2023)
- Interventions Shown to Aid Executive Function Development in Children 4 to 12 Years Old • Adele Diamond and Kathleen Lee (2011)
- Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study • Angeline Lillard (2017)
Executive function
Research and papers
- Executive Function • Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology (2013)
- Executive Functions • Annual Review of Psychology (2013)
- InBrief: Executive Function • Center on the Developing Child, Harvard (2011)
- Early childhood executive function predicts concurrent and later social and behavioral outcomes: A review and meta-analysis. • Psychological Bulletin (2024)
Measure What Matters
Montessori education supports the development of executive function.
The specific components of Montessori that support this development, such as choice, limited materials, and open-ended exploration, can be observed, measured, and refined using the Developmental Environment Rating Scale (DERS) from NCMPS.
Executive function itself can be measured using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) from Reflection Sciences
Read more about the DERS and the MEFS, how to get them, and how to use them, on our Executive Function Tools page.
