Document Open Access Logo

Introducing Programming Concepts Through Montessori Materials

Authors Steffi Rudel , Marlene Engels

PDF

File

Thumbnail PDF
PDF
OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.5.pdf
  • Filesize: 1.18 MB
  • 14 pages

Document Identifiers

Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Applied computing → Education
Keywords
  • Montessori Method
  • Programming
  • Montessori Material
  • Computational Thinking

Metrics

Abstract

Programming is a skill already taught in many schools today. However, for historical reasons, it has not yet been included in the Montessori method. To close this gap, we developed learning materials for Montessori schools and present them in this article. 
We show the design of a new learning material for introducing programming concepts in Montessori elementary level (6-12 years). The material is a concrete physical learning material and is supported by a modular lesson structure, which also takes the principles of Computational Thinking in account. Finally we discuss its suitability for Montessori education based on expert feedback. The article shows interesting examples of how programming can be taught in Montessori elementary level.

Cite As Get BibTex

Steffi Rudel and Marlene Engels. Introducing Programming Concepts Through Montessori Materials. In 7th International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2026). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 145, pp. 5:1-5:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026) https://doi.org/10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.5

Author Details

Steffi Rudel
  • University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Germany
Marlene Engels
  • University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Germany

Funding

This work originates in the LIONS research project. LIONS is funded by dtec.bw - Digitalization and Technology Research Center of the Bundeswehr which we gratefully acknowledge. dtec.bw is funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.

Acknowledgements

We want to thank the Montessori experts Christiane Salvenmoser and Saskia Haspel for evaluating the learning material as well as the Montessori teacher Christiane Daidrich for supporting the research.

References

  1. Efthimia Aivaloglou and Felienne Hermans. Early Programming Education and Career Orientation: The Effects of Gender, Self-Efficacy, Motivation and Stereotypes. In Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 679-685, Minneapolis MN USA, 2019. ACM. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/3287324.3287358.
  2. Karen Brennan and Resnick Resnick, Mitchel. New frameworks for studying and assessing the development of computational thinking. In Annual American Educational Research Association meeting AERA, 2012. Google Scholar
  3. Mollie Elkin, Amanda Sullivan, and Marina Bers. Implementing a robotics curriculum in an early childhood Montessori classroom. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 13:153-169, 2014. Google Scholar
  4. Reinhard Fischer. Neue Medien und Montessori-Pädagogik. In Harald Ludwig, Christian Fischer, Reinhard Fischer, and Montessori-Vereinigung, editors, Verstehendes Lernen in der Montessori-Pädagogik, volume 8 of Impulse der Reformpädagogik, pages 195-222. LIT, Münster, 2003. Hrsg. Buch: Ludwig, Harald; Fischer, Christian; Fischer, Reinhard. Google Scholar
  5. Luisa Greifenstein and Adrian Hanusch. Combining Montessori Pedagogy and Computing Education: First Insights from a Systematic Literature Review. In Proceedings of the 19th WiPSCE Conference on Primary and Secondary Computing Education Research, page o.P., Munich Germany, 2024. ACM. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/3677619.3678102.
  6. J. Patten, James Patten, H. Ishii, Jim Hines, Hiroshi Ishii, Gian Pangarp, J. Hines, and G. Pangarp. Sensetable: A Wireless Object Tracking Platform for Tangible User Interfaces. In Proceedings of SIGCHI 2001, pages 253-260, Seattle Washington USA, 2001. Association for Computing Machinery ACM. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/365024.365112.
  7. Michael Klein-Landeck and Tanja Pütz. Montessori-Pädagogik: Einführung in Theorie und Praxis. Montessori Praxis. Herder, Freiburg, 4. auflage edition, 2019. Google Scholar
  8. Saul McLeod. Piaget’s Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development, April 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.15241970.
  9. John McNamara. How the Montessori Upper Elementary and Adolescent Environment Naturally Integrates Science, Mathematics, Technology, and the Environment. NAMTA Journal, 2(41):82-97, 2016. Google Scholar
  10. Sheri Milton. Star Power - Connecting Montessori and Technology. Montessori Life, 11(4):39, 1999. Google Scholar
  11. Maria Montessori. The Discovery of the Child. Kalakshetra, Adyar, Madras, India, 1948. Google Scholar
  12. Ken Peffers, Tuure Tuunanen, Marcus Rothenberger, and S. Chatterjee. A design science research methodology for information systems research. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24:45-77, January 2007. Google Scholar
  13. Steffi Rudel. Programmieren lernen an einer Montessori-Schule: Der EmiLe Computer Club (ECC). In Daniel Demmler, Hannes Krupka, and Hannes Federrath, editors, Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI) - Proceedings, volume P-326, pages 1213-1219, Bonn, 2022. Gesellschaft für Informatik. URL: https://doi.org/10.18420/INF2022_104.
  14. Schumacher, Eva. Montessori-Pädagogik verstehen, anwenden und erleben. Individuelles Lernen mit Montessori. Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, Basel, 2016. Google Scholar
  15. Stefano Scippo and Fabio Ardolino. Computational thinking in Montessori primary school. Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica. Journal of Theories and Research in Education, 16(2):59-76, 2021. Epistemological intersections between human and natural sciences in the thought and works of Maria Montessori [Special Issue]. URL: https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1970-2221/12163.
  16. Mario Valle. Montessori-Pädagogik und neue Technologien: Eine mögliche Integration?, volume 33 of Impulse der Reformpädagogik. LIT, Berlin, 2019. Title of the original Italian edition 2017: La pedagogia Montessori e le nueve tecnologie. Un'integrazione possible? Google Scholar
  17. Markus Wurster. Internet und digitale Strukturen im Grundschulalter. Montessori. Zeitschrift für Montessori-Pädagogik, 2, 2019. Google Scholar
  18. Oren Zuckerman, Saeed Arida, and Mitchel Resnick. Extending tangible interfaces for education: digital montessori-inspired manipulatives. In Wendy Kellog, Shumin Zhai, Gerrit van der Veer, and Carolyn Gale, editors, CHI05: CHI 2005 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pages 859-868, Portland Oregon USA, 2005. ACM. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/1054972.1055093.
Any Issues?
X

Feedback on the Current Page

CAPTCHA

Thanks for your feedback!

Feedback submitted to Dagstuhl Publishing

Could not send message

Please try again later or send an E-mail
© 2023-2026 Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH About DROPS Imprint Privacy Contact