Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education

If

you

are

new

to

Montessori

education,

often

the

first

question

you

might

ask

is

“what

makes

Montessori

different?”

Truly,

the

answer

to

that

question

is

immense!

In

effort

to

make

this

bountiful

banquet

of

information

a

little

more

digestible, we have organized some of the key concepts into these ten BIG differences:

The Prepared Environment

Montessori

classrooms

are

prepared

in

advance

based

on

observations

of

the

students’

individual

needs.

They

include

student-centred lessons and activities. Traditional classrooms are based on teacher-centred lessons or activities.

Active vs. Passive

Montessori

lessons

are

hands-on

and

active.

Students

discover

information

for

themselves.

Traditional

school

lessons

are often orated to students who listen passively, memorize, and take tests.

Give them Time

In

the

Montessori

classroom,

children

work

on

lessons

as

long

as

need

be,

and

interruptions

are

avoided

whenever

possible. Time limitations are mandated by arbitrary schedules in traditional classrooms.

The Teachers’ Role

Montessori

teachers

act

as

guides

and

consultants

to

students

on

a

one-on-one

basis.

They

assist

each

child

along

his

or

her

own

learning

path.

Traditionally,

the

pace

and

order

of

each

lesson

is

predetermined.

The

teacher

must

deliver

the

same lesson, at the same pace, in the same order, for all of the students.

Age Groups and Grade-levels

In

Montessori

schools,

“grade-levels”

are

flexible

and

determined

by

the

child’s

developmental

range,

i.e.,

0-3,

3-6,

6-9,

9-

12,

12-15,

and

15-18

years

of

age.

In

traditional

schools,

grade

levels

are

not

flexible

and

strictly

defined

by

chronological

age within a twelve-month period.

Adaptable Curricula

Montessori

curricula

expand

in

response

to

the

students’

needs.

Traditional

curricula

are

predetermined

without

regard

to student needs.

Pace Yourself

The

individual

child’s

work

pace

is

honoured

and

encouraged

in

the

Montessori

classroom.

Traditional

classrooms

expect

all children to work at the same pace.

Self-Made Self-Esteem

Montessorians

understand

that

the

child’s

self-esteem

comes

from

an

internal

sense

of

pride

in

his

or

her

own

accomplishments. In traditional classrooms, self-esteem is thought to come from external judgement and validation.

For the Love of Learning

Montessori

curricula

are

intended

to

appeal

to

the

child’s

innate

hunger

for

knowledge.

Children

learn

to

love

learning.

Traditional curricula focus on standardized test performance and grades. Children learn because it is mandatory.

Change is Good

The

Montessori

Method

was

created

by

Maria

Montessori

and

is

based

on

a

lifetime

of

study

and

observation

with

regard to the way children really learn. Traditional education is based on…well…tradition.