Montessori Education

How an Unconventional Learner Inspires Passion for Learning

Interview with Hsing-Cheng Fu, Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University


Hsing-Cheng Fu was never a particularly studious child. After leaving the regular education system in high school, he entered a technical college. At that time, he never thought that education would be his calling, his life’s work, and that he would one day become a dedicated and enthusiastic educator.

Hsing-Cheng Fu feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator.

Hsing-Cheng may appear to be an ordinary college student, but he has worked in education counseling for over 10 years at the Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University.

In addition to regularly assisting Fu Jen Catholic University and Mercy Home in promoting services for remote communities through online after-school programs, Hsing-Cheng also visits the children personally during summer and winter breaks to guide them on their learning journey.

Looking back on his own past, Hsing-Cheng feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator.

“I believe, rather than changing the environment, it is better to help the child to better face the environment that they’re in.” It is his empathy that drives him to better the lives of children living in remote areas.

Learning is letting children make mistakes


When conducting after-school programs for children in remote areas, Hsing-Cheng realized that in many cases, perhaps due to the child’s family dysfunction or lack of learning resources growing up, it takes time for both the educator and student to communicate and adjust to each other’s value system.

He believes that letting children make mistakes is also part of learning. Traditional educators tend to unilaterally "teach" or "remind" children orally, but he saw a different approach in Montessori philosophy.

Hsing-Cheng notices that “when children make mistakes, we should encourage them to understand the process, systematically guide children to break down steps, observe, and accompany them from the sidelines. In the end, the teacher has to learn to let go and return to their role as a guide.”

In 2021, Hsing-Cheng joined the Montessori Social Impact Talent Development Program and underwent AMI Montessori teacher training. Afterwards, by applying his training and past experiences, he developed a program and cultivated college students to participate in local community services.

Montessori philosophy highlights that the natural environment supports students’ development; therefore, “caring for the environment” is an important part of Montessori education.

For example, teaching an adolescent mop a floor is more than just telling them to do the chore. The teacher should guide the adolescents, show them how to hold a mop, how much water to use, how to put away the tools and in what order.

Each step is dissected so that the adolescent is motivated to use their own acquired skills to complete the task. How does a teacher help fulfill a child’s need for independence?

Hsing-Cheng confidently replies, "The Montessori teaching concept of 'learning by doing' and 'doing by learning' is not only suitable for children aged 6-12, but as long as we establish systematic learning in their minds, it will also have an unconscious influence on their future careers and lives after entering society!"

After undergoing the intensive curriculum of AMI Montessori teacher training, Hsing-Cheng realized that the difficulty for many educators is that there is no prescribed formula in applying Montessori theories, but that is exactly what makes the Montessori approach so interesting!

He embraces the ideal that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning.

This new outlook toward teaching inspired him to return to the remote areas of his childhood and to inspire youths and college students to join his efforts to teach in remote areas.

Each conversation is a lifeline

Hsing-Cheng Fu believes that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning.

Working to assist children in remote areas comes with a host of challenges, as many students come from troubled families or are unable or unwilling to attend school.

Those, who work in educational counseling, are mostly still enrolled in or are new graduates from college in urban areas. The difference between their backgrounds and that of the children they are seeking to help forms a nearly insurmountable obstacle.

If this gap is not bridged, the result is that the children feel alienated, and the counselors are left feeling frustrated. Hsing-Cheng’s advice to counselors in this dilemma is to take a step back and maintain a degree of flexibility in the situation rather than proceeding by the book.

He prefers to focus on the child and guide them through some kind of hands-on activity, whether that be gardening, woodwork, or doing math calculations, to uncover their intrinsic motivation for learning.

This allows both the student and educator to give and receive feedback, learn from one another, and build their confidence.

Hsing-Cheng’s participation in sponsored teacher training and his return to Taiwan to integrate Montessori principles with educational counseling for children in remote areas has inspired him to reset, reflect, and push forward on his quest.

He believes that with each guidance session, comes the opportunity to restore a child’s passion in learning, which can prevent them from giving up on themselves or to decide to turn to a life of organized crime.

In addition to working through existing agencies, Hsing-Cheng plans to establish an experimental education group to make Montessori affordable for everyone. It is this enthusiasm and dedication that has brought him to where he is today and empowers him to continue on his quest in the future.

Written by Angelina Chan 
Images provided by Hsing-Cheng Fu
Translators: Robert Fox, Jen Hsu／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU

The Birth of a Montessori School

Interview with Y2MAC Teaching Team


It has always been an integral part of Y2’s plan to promote Montessori education by establishing a 0-18 Montessori school in Taiwan. This school would explore the possible ways the Montessori method, which has been practiced for over 100 years around the world, can be incorporated in the teaching environment in Taiwan.

After five years of purposeful deliberation and preparation, Y2 Montessori School - Adolescent Community (Y2MAC) assembled its initial faculty team in late 2021, and is officially established in September 2022!

photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Y2MAC is headed by Jan Gaffney, who has over 30 years of Montessori teaching and training experience in New Zealand and Bali, Indonesia. With a head of blond hair and eyes emanating wisdom, the Program Director enjoys adventure, exploring different cultures, and learning different languages.

“I don’t expect to undertake simple tasks. I like challenges and yearn to grow,” Jan said, as her eyes beams with over half a century of wisdom and curiosity.

In fact, Jan’s whole family relishes exciting new opportunities and challenges. Jan’s children, who were educated in Montessori schools, also encouraged their mother to come to Taiwan to lead the new program, saying, “Now we have a reason to visit Taiwan!”

Education centered on the adolescent

Jan, the school principal of Y2MAC, mentions that adolescents (ages 12-18) go through drastic developmental changes. They individuate and ponder questions of their life. During this period, dread turns into confidence, and fear transforms into courage. (Image provided by Jan Gaffney)

The first step is always the hardest. Starting a Montessori school involves innumerable decisions, both big and small. Jan has faced all these challenges with a smile, which has left a strong impression on Fankan Hsu, a teacher on the Y2MAC faculty team.

He recalls that “Jan’s starting point in any thought process would be to consider the conditions and needs of the adolescent, such as whether the environment is suitable for adolescent activities. This is in stark contrast with Taiwan’s usual education approach, which focuses on standardization and ease of management.”

Jan explains that children between the ages 0-6 begin to have their first opportunities to shape their self, and their second chance for self-formation is during the ages of 12-18. This is also the brain’s last opportunity to reset.

At this stage, adolescents will gradually develop their sense of independence and evaluate their life goals, considering how they can contribute to humanity.

This is also a time of tremendous change, where adolescents begin to shed their fears, develop self-confidence, and build courage against criticism.

Rates of depression and suicide among adolescents continue to climb. One of the reasons for this is the emphasis on academic performance as determined by exams and grades—much to the detriment of the students’ other, more important needs—in the traditional education system.

The founding of Taiwan’s first ever Montessori middle school not only aligns with the explosive growth of experimental education on the island, it also brings with it more options and possibilities for middle school students.

For Jan, the time has come! Since moving to Taiwan, she has witnessed students spending long hours at school with no free time and not enough sleep. They don’t have time for themselves, much less think about who they will become.

This type of education in traditional school settings is not suited to the student’s physical and mental development. Jan emphasizes that “physical, mental, and psychological health is the most important thing in a child’s growth.”

We must all face the challenges of globalization in our own ways. However, our education system has taught us to always be competitive and seek victory over others, even though this will never lead to the type of cooperation and collaboration that is needed more than ever.

Jan’s sincere hope is that she can dedicate herself to this cause.

“It is important that adolescents learn to become independent human beings, building the foundation so that they may cooperate with others and work toward the common good in the future. I firmly believe that the Montessori method provides an excellent solution.

Education centered on the adolescent allows students to recognize and respect differences in others and to collaborate based on one another’s strengths, rather than compete. Through more creative learning processes, they are better prepared to face the many challenges of tomorrow. The time for change is now!”

A learning method where students live, learn, and better together

Montessori education has always emphasized a connection with the land, a wide open space where adolescents can learn, work, live, and exercise. In Jan’s plan, this will be a space for students to live and care for plants and animals, operate shops, and have many other experiences—all the elements to aid the adolescents’ development.

Fankan Hsu is eagerly anticipating building a wooden greenhouse with the students by hand. Everyone involved in the birth of this new school is abuzz with exhilaration.

What sets apart a Montessori middle school from others? Because adolescents are about to enter into adulthood, the school functions as a microcosm of society.

They need an environment where they can take risks and try different things. The school’s farm and shops allow them to engage in production and business endeavors. Jan explains,

“A Montessori middle school provides a safe space where adolescents can realize their ideas and put them into practice. They need to prove that they can do it and discover who they are in the process.”

Why do the students need to reside at the school? Adolescents need to build their own community, language, and tribe.

As soon as they’re home, they often revert back to being treated as children by their parents. In a Montessori environment, the students are treated as emerging adults, who are accountable for their own actions.

Together with their community, they must prepare their own meals rather than being waited on by adults. When living with their own family, the family’s needs are a priority; in a Montessori school, the needs of the adolescent are at the forefront.

Being immersed 24 hours a day with other students, the adolescent lives in a micro society. They must meet their own needs, abide by communal rules, practice problem solving, and learn to get along with others. These are all important skills as the students prepare to enter society in the not-so-distant future.

With clear logic and good humor, Jan is a person who already has a blueprint of the middle school in mind. However, she is in no rush. After all, it takes time to create the prepared environment that is a focal point of Montessori education.

She good-naturedly explains that her role is not that of a manager. She is not in charge of anyone. She is there to ensure that the environment is prepared, to listen to teachers and students, and understand what is happening.

“My job is simply to help everyone!” exclaims the ever warm and motherly Jan.

Jan is mindful of the limitless possibilities of adolescents. Her experience in New Zealand’s education system has shown her that, upon graduation, many of her young students focus not on achieving success and garnering accolades, but rather on their dedication to serving others in the profession of their choosing, such as immigration lawyer, starting a business, engineering, or in the field of medicine.

She believes that adolescents, who have grown up in a Montessori environment emerge with hearts filled with curiosity. They find joy in working with others, are driven by a different sense of innate motivation, and go on to make a tangible change in society.

Becoming a teacher guiding adolescents on their path

Fankan hopes to develop close relationships with the adolescents and, at the same time, be the parents’ ally in the nurturing of their young adults. “I am confident because I have a breadth of life experience, which has more to do with the attitude one takes towards life rather than a person’s age.”

Y2MAC is led by a director with a wealth of experience and has also invited Fankan Hsu, who has received the Presidential Education Award, and Susan Chen, who comes with many years of experience in Montessori education, to serve as guides mentoring the adolescents on their journey of growth.

Sporting black rimmed glasses, Fankan conveys his zest for life when he speaks. When he was 15, he underwent a very dark period in his life.

A bacterial infection caused him to suffer acute renal failure, suddenly plunging his young life into pain and turmoil. Days filled with medication and dialysis treatment pushed him to suicide ideation.

However, his mother never gave up on him and cared for him at the hospital day in and day out; this made him build up the courage to choose life.

After his brother donated a kidney to him and though still being sick, he gained entrance into Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School and later National Taiwan University and received the Presidential Education Award in 2013.

Recalling past life events, Fankan’s heart is full of gratitude.

“I once thought that I was the unluckiest soul in the whole world, but looking back on the span of over 10 years, I realized that I was very protected when I was most broken.” Instead of falling into despair, he found that he was cocooned in love. “Sometimes in your darkest moments is when you see the light.”

When he reached that point in his recovery, Fankan recalls asking his doctor when he would be well enough to help others.He decided to channel his energy into education.

Fankan learned about different forms of experimental education in Taiwan through his participation in Teach for Taiwan and National Chengchi University’s Taiwan Experimental Education Center.

In 2021, Fankan joined Y2 where Jan selected him out of scores of applicants. Finally, Fankan is now fulfilling his wish to support and assist others. Having experienced life’s extreme highs and lows as a youth, Fankan, now in his 30s and is confident that he can relate to adolescent students. He says with a smile,

“I will share my story with them. Through the lens of time and the realm of possibilities, many things can be viewed in a different light.”

The Montessori method portrays his ideal education. It is not bound by tradition and is accepting of diverse and innovative thought processes. He passionately proclaims that this project is an “educational startup”, a community where students live, learn, and better themselves together, an environment that is centered on the individual and will instill a sense of social responsibility.

Fankan hopes that he can become an adult figure who has very close relationships with his students and works with parents to guide them on their journey.

“My confidence is not based on age, but on my attitude toward life and on the breadth and depth of my life experiences. An individual’s education has great effect for on his or her whole life. Although there are fewer adolescents now than before, our future lies in their hands 100%, so we cannot give them any less than 100%.”

Fankan vows to devote 100% of his love and energy to nurturing his students.

Life is a series of rebirths

Susan observes that children who have experienced a Montessori education are not only more independent, but they also tend to be more stable and wholeheartedly as well as naturally respectful of others.

Susan Chen, another guide at Y2MAC, also has an interesting life story.

Unlike Fankan, who first learned about Montessori education after participating in Montessori teacher training upon joining Y2MAC, Susan is an experienced teacher who has worked in Montessori classrooms.

She graduated from Cornell University’s Department of English and both lived and traveled in Malaysia and Europe.

Susan started as a language teacher in 2007, but after nine years, she started to question the purpose of education.

Susan set out in search of answers. In 2019, she attended the one-year AMI Montessori 6-12 Diploma Course at the Washington Montessori Institute while receiving her Master’s degree.

She recalls with excitement, “When I first stepped into the world of Montessori, it felt like a rebirth.” She discovered how different the Montessori approach was from traditional forms of education.

For example, teachers should not heap exaggerated praise on their students but simply acknowledge their progress and achievement with a direct statement “You did it.” Thus, she gradually rediscovered the purpose of education.

After returning to Taiwan, she served as a full-time teacher at Taiwan International Montessori Experimental School. During this time, she traveled to Hershey Montessori School to receive the Montessori AMI 12-18 Orientation Course.

She describes this period as her second rebirth, “It feels like new skin growing over an old wound. It feels like I’ve let go of the past and discovered my true self.” Each rebirth is a rediscovery of the self, just like students’ transformations over time while transitioning from the traditional school system to experimental education.

Filled with delight and positive energy, Susan explains how ready she was to take on the challenge at her old school when they set up a middle school, “We didn’t have a farm there, so we would hold classes in cafes scattered throughout the city.

The students all have fond memories of that period.” Starting from scratch, the students learned solid life skills, such as how to set a budget and choose paint for the walls.

She observed that Montessori students tend to be more independent, self-reliant, and aware of who and what their needs are. If they get lost or confused, they know how to seek help.

Their interpersonal relationships come from an innate understanding of who they are and respect for others, rather than a set of arbitrary social norms.

Some describe Susan as an inspirational teacher with a magic touch. She herself hopes to inspire students to live up to their full potential, saying “We are guides, not teachers.

I will guide adolescent students, but in the end, they are the ones who must evaluate who they want to be, explore their possibilities, and get back up again after falling down.”

After her many rebirths in her own Montessori journey, in August 2021, Susan came across Y2, whose aims of affecting change deeply resonated with her. Change requires a community to encourage each other, to support one another, and to learn and grow together.

“I am honored to embark on this journey with adolescents, to help them discover themselves, and am ready to inspire and to be inspired.”

Learning in English to better understand the world

(Photo by Pixabay on Pexels)

As a graduate of Cornell University’s Department of English, Susan approves of Y2MAC’s plans to incorporate English in students’ classrooms and daily lives.

She believes that it is indeed a challenge for the school to adopt English as the primary language for instruction but believes it’s better for Taiwan as a country in the long run. Students will be able to learn both English and Mandarin and switch between them naturally.

More importantly, they will be able to view the world through the lenses of both languages. Each language has an innate worldview; for example, the Greek has different words for the various types of love one feels for a lover or family member, and the Japanese tends to omit the word “I” in favor of a more collective perspective.

For parents, who are worried about their child’s language abilities, Jan says reassuringly that “Children are more adaptable and have greater potential for learning than adults give them credit for!”

As Jan explains, “The time has come.” Expectations are high as preparations for the middle school are underway, with an internationally renowned director and two unique and inspiring mentors. “Although change is slow, we must act to affect change.

To change the world, we must start by changing education!” says Jan with every certainty.

Written by Yu-Hisu Su
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
Images provided by Y2MAC

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2021 Annual Report.

Experimental Education as a Self-Guided Journey of Exploration

Interview with Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates

What kind of education method can encourage children to explore their world freely? In 2003, Tim Chen and his wife Dorota Chen-Wernik had seen enough of Taiwan’s spoon-feeding education system and decided to take their 6-year-old daughter Zosia on a path of self-study, allowing her to have autonomy over her own learning process and to engage with her Polish culture.

Ever since then, Tim Chen, has been called “Taiwan’s Godfather of Homeschooling,”as he has been an ardent advocate of home schooling.

He shares his family’s experiences and is instrumental in promoting the passing of the Three Laws on Experimental Education. His three children were all home-schooled, and their experiences have served as a guiding light for families interested in self-directed education.

Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates.

What is experimental education? Tim cleverly likens home schooling or experimental education to a self-guided tour. The child can plan out their journey based on their own interests and pace.

While the child may veer off the path or encounter obstacles, the detours may lead to unexpected scenery; eventually, the child will find their own way.

In contrast, traditional education is like traveling with a tour group. The teacher acts as a tour guide, leading students on a predetermined itinerary. The students are not allowed to wander off or linger for too long on something that has piqued their interest.

In the end, the students are not encouraged to think for themselves, only to follow the teacher’s instruction and plans, eventually resulting in students losing their own proactiveness.

Parents as learners are the key to successful experimental education

photo by pexels

In the past, only a small number of children are home schooled, and they were often unfairly labeled as “problem children“.

Now times have changed, and more parents are taking their children on a self-guided journey of learning and exploring alternative paths. In Taipei City alone, more than 1,000 children and their families have chosen to engage in home schooling each year.

Engaging in home schooling or experimental education is not a path to be taken lightly. It may not always be smooth sailing to freedom, and the responsibility of education does not rest on the teacher. Instead, parents will face a transition period going from traditional education to experimental education, during which they need to commit more time to their children.

Tim suggests that both parents and children need to set their sights on bigger objectives and discard traditional education system benchmarks typically used in measuring progress, such as grades, class ranking, and blind obedience to authority.

Parents also need to become learners, exercising patience and devoting more time to discover their children’s strengths and rethinking the roles they will play in the world of the future.

In Tim’s experience, it takes on average three to six months for parents and children to fully adjust and to regain their motivation for self-learning. Slowly, parents will begin to see the transformative effects of home schooling on their child.

True experimental education has not yet begun

photo by pexels

What kind of talent does the future need? No one can say for certain. All we know is that students must have the ability to face the unknown and the motivation to explore it.

It is exactly for this purpose that educational reform in recent years have sought to undo the spoon-fed or cramming feature of the current school system.

However, that is easier said than done. Tim, who was a member on the advisory committee for education reform, believes that experimental education can lead the way and offer a tangible example of what traditional school systems can do. He points out,

“Experimental education or self-study can nudge traditional education into changing for the better. By showing them that change is not as hard as it seems or that overcoming obstacles can lead to interesting results, we are offering the existing education system an opportunity to transform itself!”

Tim has even proclaimed that “true experimental education has not yet begun.” Current curriculum design reflects our past experiences; to prepare for the future, we need to think outside the existing framework and adapt to the changing world more quickly and flexibly.

“Education should be constantly evolving as we pursue shifting objectives. We cannot afford to rest on the laurels of past education reforms.”

In Tim’s opinion, the framework for future public education should shift from vertical to horizontal integration. Furthermore, existing education institutions should be deconstructed. Tim believes that “the education authority should be supervisory and not the provider of education.”

Perhaps, communities, villages, and tribes can adopt the school board system that is so popular abroad, so as to develop suitable education styles that reflect localized features.

Technology can be utilized to integrate resources horizontally so that every child can be supported and guided on their learning journey in their own way, with no child left behind.

Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support


The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.

Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.

“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”

Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles, “In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”

Text: Yi-Yun Li
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2021 Annual Report.

Montessori Education Shines a Spotlight on Dementia Patient

Interview with Professor Kuei-Ru Chou, Taipei Medical University


Imagine that one day, you can’t remember your way home, you no longer recognize the faces of your family, and even feeding yourself becomes an insurmountable challenge. Imagine living in such a terrifying and miserable situation.

In Taiwan, 1 in 12 seniors above the age of 65 suffers from dementia. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2019 by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), more than 50 million people live with dementia globally, with someone developing dementia every three seconds. Figures are forecasted to increase to 152 million by 2050.

(Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash)

In light of the pressing need to address dementia, the Montessori approach brings new hope for the care of the elderly and dementia patients. Through a prepared environment, we can compensate for their cognitive or physical impairment and encourage them to live a happy and fulfilled life by stimulating their remaining faculties, helping them to maintain their independence, and in turn, finding life fulfillment and joy.

Academia and medicine cooperate to explore Montessori applications in dementia care

Images provided by: Kuei-Ru Chou

Through Y2’s introduction and networking, Taipei Medical University Professor Kuei-Ru Chou began their collaboration with AMI, hosting the Montessori for Dementia Care Online Workshop to promote the use of Montessori methods to care for elders and those suffering with dementia.

Anne Kelly, the keynote speaker, is a registered nurse from Australia with more than 40 years of experience in nursing and aged care. She has been using the Montessori approach for elders with dementia for over 13 years and is the Head of Montessori for Dementia and Aging at AMI.

The online workshop took place over two days and attracted more than 400 participants globally. Everyone was eager to learn how to apply Montessori education methods to the care of dementia patients. Professor Kuei-Ru Chou of the School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, shared her thoughts:

“Dementia is a very important subject in geriatric psychiatry. Traditional aged care puts us on the sidelines, always observing but never able to do anything for the patient. The Montessori method supplements what is lacking in traditional methods of professional nursing. It reminds us to see the individual obscured by the symptoms of dementia, find out what they are good at, and enable them to be the best that they can be.”

Seeing the person and not just the disease

photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels

Dr. Maria Montessori once said, “The more you do for me, the more you take away from me.” This sentiment also applies to the care and support for those living with dementia.

This worldview helps shift the focus of professional nurses and family members from the various symptoms of dementia back to the person. Professor Chou explains,

“We need to focus on the individual’s desires, habits, and needs and how they became the person they are today. How does the individual feel? What are they capable of? What activities make them feel happy and confident? These questions all get to the heart of who an individual is.”

We should view persons with dementia as people who are still capable of learning. This shift in focus means that, in the event when somebody is losing the ability to feed themselves, we don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that they need to be spoon fed.

Instead, we should design related activities to maintain their fine motor skills to allow them to be able to continue to feed themselves for as long as possible.

Professor Chou uses “eating dumplings” as an example: “Eating dumplings can be divided into many smaller tasks, such as choosing the type of dumplings, meal preparation, setting up utensils, plating the dumplings, and the act of eating.

These are all tasks that our elders can participate in and accomplish. These activities not only slow the progression of dementia, but also allow our elders to live with dignity.”

Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support


The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.

Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.

“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”

Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles, “In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”

Text: Shu-Mei Weng
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU