What is Montessori?
Montessori is a child- centered educational method that capitalizes on each student’s ability and demonstrated interest. Its longevity and continuing relevance can be attributed to Dr. Maria Montessori’s dedicated years of studying children, how they learn and how they grow. Her findings suggest that all materials should be carefully designed and sequenced, in order to engage the child and support physical, intellectual and emotional development during every stage of their growth process.
The Montessori Method views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the child physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
Montessori School VS. Traditional School
Montessori School
Traditional School
School meets the needs of the students.
Students fit mold of the school.
Curriculum is structured for each child.
Curriculum is structured for the whole class.
A discovery model of learning where students learn concepts from working with materials.
Learn only from instruction, no room for discovery.
Multi-Sensory materials for physical exploration organizes the program for learning care of self and environment.
No organized program for self-care, left primarily up to parents.
Children are encouraged to speak and work in groups.
Children usually work silently at their desk.
Cognitive social, emotional, and moral development emphasis.
Social development emphasis.
Uninterrupted work cycles.
Block time, period lessons.
The teacher acts as a facilitator.
Teacher lectures.
Mixed-age groupings.
Same age grouping.
The child identifies own errors from feedback from the educational material.
The teacher identifies errors.
Key
Differentiators
Key differentiators of Montessori classrooms are the multi-age groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a wide range of specially designed Montessori learning materials are arranged and available for use at all times. According to Dr. Montessori, the trained teacher, the child and the environment create what is referred to as the learning triangle. Once the teacher strategically prepares the classroom, the child individually chooses how to make use of what the environment offers, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed.
