Montessori Comparison

MONTESSORI

TRADITIONAL

Emphasis on: cognitive and social development

 

Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom

 

Environment and method encourage self-discipline

 

Mainly individual instruction

 

Mixed age grouping

 

Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other

 

Child chooses own work

 

Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials

 

Child works as long as he wishes on chosen project

 

Child sets own learning pace

 

Child spots own errors from feedback of material

 

Child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and 

internal feelings of success

 

Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration

 

Organized program for learning care of self and 

environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.)

 

Child can work where he chooses, move around and talk 

at will (yet not disturb work of others); group work is 

voluntary

 

Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori 

philosophy and participate in the learning process

Emphasis on: social development

 

Teacher is center of classroom as “controller”

 

Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline

 

Group and individual instruction

 

Same age grouping

 

Most teaching done by teacher

 

Curriculum structured for child

 

Child is guided to concepts by teacher

 

Child generally allotted specific time for work

 

Instruction pace usually set by group norm

 

If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher

 

Learning is reinforced externally by repetition and rewards

 

 

Fewer materials for sensory development

 

Less emphasis on self-care instruction

 

 

Child usually assigned own chair: encouraged to 

participate, sit still and listen during group sessions

 

 

Voluntary parent involvement