Production and exchange. Montessori Glossary Community Project Thesaurus

Production and exchange

Scope note

Use for works describing the Montessori principle and practice through which adolescents experience producing goods or providing services and exchanging their contributions within authentic social and economic relationships. Includes agricultural production, craft production, community enterprises, shops, and associated responsibilities as part of adolescent development and education. Distinguish from vocational preparation.

Historical note

Contemporary practitioners have used “micro-economy” for school-community enterprises. Dowell’s account describes a preference for the term “production and exchange,” as it preserves the broader social experience of purposeful, productive work within the context of the adolescent's work toward economic independence and participation in society (Dowell, 2020).

Source: International Montessori Training Institute

International Montessori Training Institute. (n.d.). Explore the blog. https://www.montessori-imti.org/blog

Definition

In Montessori adolescent environments, production and exchange refers to participation in purposeful work that produces goods or provides services of value, and the exchanging of such contributions within a community. Such activities, introduced in the (3rd) Third plane of development, related to real-world economic participation, empower adolescents to engage meaningfully in economic and social interdependence.

Bibliographic note (Maria Montessori Sources) 3

Montessori, M. (2007). From childhood to adolescence (pp. 65-70). Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1948)

Montessori, M. (2007). Education and peace (pp. 28-29). Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1949)

Montessori, M. (2019). Citizen of the world: Key Montessori readings (pp. 36-37). Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.

Bibliographic note (Montessori Related Sources) 3

Dowell, E. (2020, October 19). Production and Exchange...Where’d Microeconomy Go? International Montessori Training Institute. https://www.montessori-imti.org/blog/wheredidmicroeconomygo

Höglund, J. M. (n.d.). Supporting Adolescent Development. Voices of AMI Training. Association Montessori Internationale. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://montessori-ami.org/trainingvoices/supporting-adolescent-development

Myers, K. (2017). Designing Montessori discipline frameworks for all settings. NAMTA Journal, 42(3), 43–47. https://archives.montessori-ami.org/do/d3de1db0-6863-4ac9-bdd8-879c3f0d81d3

Bibliographic note (Modern Scientific Insights) 3

Celio, C. I., Durlak, J., & Dymnicki, A. (2011). A meta-analysis of the impact of service-learning on students. Journal of Experiential Education, 34(2), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382591103400205

Zarea, F., & Obschonka, M. (2026). Adolescent entrepreneurship education: How clear is the evidence? A theory-based evaluation framework and interpretative systematic review. Management Review Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-026-00597-x

Gregorová, A. B., Heinzová, Z., Singh, S. S., Laven, R., Vamos, M., Arco-Tirado, J. L., Fernández-Martín, F. D., Gleeson, T., & Ryan, P. (2024). The impact of service-learning on secondary school students’ social and civic competencies, and engagement and motivation in school perspectives from Europe. International Journal for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.37333/001c.127553