Did you know that Montessori educators have long relied on Junior Great Books to engage students’ imaginations and foster deep conversations?
Junior Great Books® and the Shared Inquiry™ method of learning align perfectly with Montessori’s goals and practices. At its core, Montessori education recognizes that children are naturally curious and possess an innate desire to explore and make sense of the world around them. In the Montessori classroom, learning is not limited to transmitting information from teacher to student. Instead, it is a dynamic process that encourages active engagement and self-discovery.
On this page, you will find resources that help you discover why Junior Great Books is such a great fit for Montessori schools, including:
- Sample lesson plans for primary, early elementary, upper elementary, and middle/high school
- Follow the Child: How Junior Great Books Aligns with Montessori Methods, a document that shows exactly how different aspects of Junior Great Books and the Shared Inquiry method align to Montessori practices
- Montessori and Junior Great Books awareness and information sessions, a new overview webinar specifically for Montessori schools
- Shared Inquiry Essentials introductory professional development for Montessori schools only
- Links to Montessori schools that use Junior Great Books in their curriculums
- Testimonials from Montessori educators
The Montessori curriculum has a global perspective, and it does a lot that is very complementary to the international fiction that Junior Great Books offers. The literature is so high quality. One class piloted the nonfiction materials in our first year of implementation. For the second year, the instructional team unanimously said, “Oh, we all want to do the nonfiction because the quality of the fiction is so high.” Some of the language is just so rich and delicious. I really enjoy the selections just as much as the students enjoy reading and discussing them.
Classen is a Great Books school. Our students read high-quality literature that inspires curiosity, imagination, and love for reading and writing. We truly believe that children are great readers — that they respond to the nuances, complexity, beauty, and artful use of language that is found in great books. Classen Montessori School has always been a school where children have been exposed to great writing at all levels — in our primary classes, the teachers read good books aloud, later the children read to themselves, for their own reflection, use in their academic work, and for group discussions.
We use age-appropriate materials, and as of kindergarten, we include materials from the Great Books Foundation, in particular as the students start the elementary program.
The thing that I think is absolutely the most important piece of Great Books is that it teaches all of us how to have a civil discussion. And we spend a lot of time on using the terms ‘I agree’ and ‘I disagree.’
Sample Lesson Plans
Each of these sample lesson plans contain:
- Features and benefits of Junior Great Books for each age level
- A closer look inside student and teacher materials, including online resources
- Unit overviews with all of our interpretive activities
- Complete texts for you to examine and share with your students
Follow the Child:
How Junior Great Books Aligns with Montessori Methods
We have matched the standards from the American Montessori Society to the possibilities available in Junior Great Books. Please download the document on this page for a closer look, and discover how our program makes the most of the following:
- Features and benefits of Junior Great Books for each age level
- A closer look inside student and teacher materials, including online resources
Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry-based learning lies at the heart of the Montessori approach. Students are encouraged to ask questions, seek answers, and explore topics that pique their interest. Rather than relying solely on textbooks and lectures, Montessori classrooms provide rich hands-on materials and learning opportunities that enable students to delve deeply into subjects and acquire knowledge through firsthand experiences. This approach cultivates critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a lifelong love for learning.
Junior Great Books and Inquiry-Based Learning
Junior Great Books embodies the principles of inquiry-based learning cherished in Montessori education. Through carefully curated literature, Shared Inquiry invites students to engage in meaningful discussions, pose questions, and explore the underlying themes and ideas within literary works. The Junior Great Books program stimulates curiosity and active participation in the learning process by encouraging students to think critically, analyze texts, and draw connections between their own experiences and the stories they encounter.
Multi-Age and Multi-Ability Groupings
Students in the Montessori classroom work collaboratively in multi-age groupings. Junior Great Books supports students of all abilities in Shared Inquiry. Multi-age groupings of students, using Junior Great Books, can work independently and with the guidance of a leader to solve questions of meaning about texts and other objects of inquiry.
Montessori and Junior Great Books
Awareness and Information Sessions
October 19, 2023 • noon–12:30 p.m. central time • Register Free
November 16, 2023 • noon–12:30 p.m. central time • Register Free
With a special focus on the Montessori learning environment, this quick 30-minute briefing will show you how participating in Junior Great Books and using the Shared Inquiry method of learning align with Montessori principles and practices.
Register for this quick 30-minute overview to see how interpretive activities and rich texts support student learning, meet state and district standards, and promote:
- Critical thinking
- Student-driven learning
- Increased engagement
- Regular practice in speaking, listening, and writing
Discover the many ways that implementing Junior Great Books in their classrooms benefits educators too. Teachers are more engaged throughout the Shared Inquiry process, and the questioning strategies they employ are applicable across the curriculum!
After the overview, you will understand why Shared Inquiry practitioners are so devoted to the method and how interpretive activities and rich texts of Junior Great Books and the Shared Inquiry method of learning support Montessori principles and practices.
Shared Inquiry Essentials Online Training
for Montessori Schools
December 5–7, 2023 • 3:00–5:00 p.m. central time • Register
With a special focus on implementation in the Montessori environment, this course prepares you to begin using the Great Books Foundation’s Shared Inquiry method of learning through reading and discussion with students at all levels. Learn questioning strategies that keep discussions lively and focused, and improve students' reading, critical-thinking, writing, and oral communication skills. Practice writing interpretive questions and using follow-up questions to involve students of all ages and proficiency levels. See how interpretive activities and rich texts support student learning, meet state and district standards, and align with Montessori principles and practices.
The first six hours of the course are taught in three live, two-hour webinars. The remainder of the course is online and covers several key areas of the Shared Inquiry method, such as asking effective follow-up questions and the overview of core lessons and activities. These online modules are entirely self-paced and take about four hours to complete. Those who complete the three-day webinar and the online modules will earn the Shared Inquiry leader badge. Continuing education credit may also be available, subject to the approval of the governing institution.
Montessori and Junior Great Books:
Partners for Decades
Here is a sampling of Montessori schools across the country who use Junior Great Books in their curricula. This list provides additional examples of the importance of Junior Great Books to Montessori schools that use the program, as well as documentation, in the schools’ own words, as to why our program is so treasured.
St. Joseph Montessori School, Columbus, OH
“Last week the Primary students began reading Junior Great Books. Junior Great Books is an integral part of the language curriculum at St. Joseph Montessori School. It is a fun way for students to explore classic literature from around the world. Students read stories and share their ideas and opinions about books in small discussion groups. The literature chosen will be challenging to children of all ages, spark their sense of curiosity, and promote thoughtful discourse.”
Aquinas and Old Town Montessori Schools, Alexandria, VA
“The Junior Great Books program helps students boost reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking and listening, and writing skills. Books are organized around such themes as relationships, kindness, confidence, gratitude, courage, and cleverness and feature stories by award-winning authors.”
Cresco Montessori, Marietta, GA
“There is a range of materials both in variety and level of development to allow children to progress through the curriculum as their skills develop. . . . At the elementary level these basic areas are expanded to include biology, botany, zoology, physical sciences, history, Junior Great Books, and foreign language.”
Millhopper Montessori, Gainesville, FL
“Many contemporary and complementary programs are incorporated into the reading curriculum, including S.R.A. Reading Laboratory, Reading Counts quizzes, Junior Great Books, and Phono-Graphix.”
Greenville Montessori, Winterville, NC
“Students further enhance their reading, critical thinking, and writing skills through participation in the Junior Great Books reading program.”
Granite Bay Montessori, Roseville, CA
“Students increase comprehension skills through various reading activities: reading silently and aloud to peers and teachers, reading cards, reading booklets related to academic studies, SRA, Junior Great Books (JGB), and home reading.”
Waves of Wonder (Wow) and Cedar Montessori, Naples, FL
“Students increase comprehension skills through various reading activities: reading silently and aloud to peers and teachers, reading cards, reading booklets related to academic studies, SRA, Junior Great Books, and home reading.”
Learn More
To learn more about how Junior Great Books programs and the Shared Inquiry method of learning can fit your Montessori school’s programming, please get in touch with the Great Books Foundation partnership manager for your area. We are confident that we can put together a package of outstanding, rich classroom materials for your students and strong professional development in inquiry-based learning for your teachers to bring Junior Great Books and the joy of reading and discovery to your school!