Montessori Education

Montessori versus Traditional Education

Montessori Education

Traditional Education

Emphasis on cognitive structures
and social development

Emphasis on rote knowledge
and social development

Teacher's role is unobtrusive;
child actively participates in learning.

Teacher's role is dominant, active;
child is a passive participant

Environment and method encourage
internal self-discipline

Teacher is primary enforcer of external discipline

Individual and group instruction adapts
to each student's learning style

Individual and group instruction
conforms to the adult's teaching style

Mixed-age grouping

Same-age grouping

Children encouraged to teach, collaborate,
and help each other

Most teaching done by teacher
and collaboration is discouraged

Child formulates concepts from
self-teaching materials

Child is guided to concepts by teacher

Child works as long as he/she wants
on a chosen project

Child usually is given specific time for work

Child sets own pace to internalize information

Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher

Child spots own errors through
feedback from material

Errors corrected by teacher

Learning is reinforced internally
through child's own repetition of activity,
internal feelings of success

Learning is reinforced externally
by rewards, discouragement

Multi-sensory materials for
physical exploration development

Few materials for sensory, concrete manipulation

Organized program for learning care
of self and self-care environment
(shoe polishing, sink washing, etc.)

Little emphasis on instruction or
classroom maintenance

Child can work where he/she is comfortable,
move and talk at will (yet doesn't disturb others);
group work is voluntary and negotiable

Child assigned seat; encouraged to
sit still and listen during group sessions

Organized program for parents to
understand the Montessori philosophy
and participate in the learning process

Voluntary parent involvement,
often only as fundraisers, not participants
in understanding the learning process