With the philosophy of freedom within structure, it has allowed children to develop holistically (Lillard, 2013). By harnessing the child's enthusiasm for knowledge and understanding his or her abilities, the Montessori approach values the child (American Montessori Society, 2016). The environment in which children develop has also been highlighted and found to impact the child's identity and development (Lillard, 2013). In the Montessori classroom, children were found to be more likely to engage in positive, shared peer play that promoted respectful relationships while continuing to develop their intelligence and dating outcomes (Lillard & Else-Quest, 2006). The environment was conducive to the child, presenting him as an active agent while the educator was simply a facilitator
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