Montessori: the education method behind some of the world's biggest stars

What do the cook Julia Child, singer Beyonce, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and author Helen Keller have in common? It may not be obvious, but they are just a few of the highly influential people that all attended a Montessori school.

Started in the early 20th century by Italian physician Maria Montessori, this educational method emphasizes hands-on learning, real-world skills, and letting children follow their natural interests. A 2017 meta-study found that “broad evidence” exists to say it is a positive and effective learning method for children.

The method focuses on respecting a child's natural curiosity and letting them experiment with the world around them. But it's not all child-centered, and often has them doing "adult" tasks like gardening or washing dishes. “It is interesting to notice that where life is simple and natural and where the children participate in the adult’s life, they are calm and happy," said Montessori in 1946.

An estimated 60,000 schools worldwide use the method, and Montessori herself was very interested in social issues and working with underprivileged kids. The brand isn’t trademarked, so there is a lot of variety, but Montessori schools can range from public to private, and while most are for early education, some run up to high school. Here are some of its most famous graduates.

One of the biggest stars of our day went to St. Mary’s Montessori School in Texas, where she also enrolled in dance classes and won a school talent competition when she was seven.

This Nobel Prize-winning author praised his time at a Montessori school in his autobiography, especially how it taught him to read. “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life,” he wrote.

Anne Sulivan taught Keller, who was deaf and blind, sign language. Sulivan, who was a huge admirer of Maria Montessori, also may have planted the seeds that would inspire Keller's writing and activism later in life. “In every child born into the world, there are latent capacities for the development of an individual that shall be an honor to the human race,” said Sullivan in a speech about Keller at the World Fair.

The famous American street magician got to experiment with his love for magic when he was a four-year-old Montessori student in Brooklyn.

The Grammy-winning musician attended Alvernia Montessori School in Berks County, Pennsylvania for two years.

The world-class cellist was a student of Montessori and also opted to put his daughter through the same education. “Structure is an absolutely important part of the creative life, and Emily [Yo Yo Ma’s daughter] got this from her Montessori experience,” he told Life magazine.

The former first lady, who also had achieved a successful career as a book editor, attended Miss Chapin’s School for Girls in Manhattan when she was young. Miss Chapin was a pioneer in girls’ education and used Montessori methods in her classrooms.

The NBA star attended a Montessori school in North Carolina that his mom founded. “Montessori gave me a lot of confidence at a young age,” he said in a YouTube video. “I used to love it when I’d come to school because there was something new I was going to learn every single day.”

When Page was asked by Barbara Walters what he credits his success to, he said, “We both went to Montessori schools, and I think it was all part of that training... being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on in the world and doing things a little bit differently.”

Anne Frank, who would be remembered for her heartbreaking diary, went to a small Montessori School in Amsterdam, where she studied until German occupiers decided Jewish students had to study in separate schools. The Montessori school where she went still exists today.

One of the first big computer game designers attributed much of his success to his education. “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery... It showed you can become interested in pretty complex theories, like Pythagorean theory, say, by playing with blocks. It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes right out of Montessori — if you give people this model for building cities, they will abstract from it principles of urban design.”

The first TV chef went to a Montessori school from age four, studying with two teachers who had studied with Maria Montessori herself. In her memoir, Child credits the school for her love of working with her hands.

The President was a huge fan of the Montessori method and even had a Montessori classroom installed in the basement of the White House while he was in office, where he sent his children. His daughter even trained as a Montessori teacher.

The Founder of Amazon attended a Montessori school in Albuquerque when he was two and three years old. Even so, he said he could still remember his time there. “I think it was a very formative experience for me to be able to go to those classes… and be so stimulated at an early age,” he said in a 2000 interview.

The actress recalls learning to learn at age two at a Montessori school in Georgia. While Montessori children are not forced to read at any age, they are encouraged to work at their own pace.

The two royal brothers attended a Montessori nursery, and their mother, Princess Diana, was even an assistant at a Montessori school before she met Prince Charles.

The Oscar-winning actor attended a Montessori preschool in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Today, he is an award-winning actor as well as producer, director and humanitarian.