Why Montessori
9 Key Differences Between the Montessori Method and Traditional School
We get asked this question a lot! Families want to know:
What’s the difference between the Montessori Method of teaching and a more traditional form of schooling?
It's important to understand the key differences between traditional early childhood education and the Montessori approach, and how those differences can shape your child's preschool experience. While no two Montessori schools are exactly alike, they share core principles that set them apart. To help illustrate these distinctions, we’ve created a comparison chart. Use it as a guide, along with your own instincts, to determine whether a Montessori education is the right fit for your child.
Traditional
- Emphasis on Academic Education
- Group sets instructional pace
- Social development is emphasized
- Fewer materials for sensory development
- Children are often assigned to a space
- Teacher is the enforcer of discipline
- Rewards are often extrinsic and errors are usually pointed out by teacher
- Teacher is the center of the classroom
- Child generally works for blocks of time on assigned subjects
Montessori
- Holistic Education – Emotional, Social & Academic
- Individual child sets instructional pace
- Cognitive development is emphasized
- Multi-sensory materials are plentiful for physical exploration
- Children are free to move about the classroom
- Self–discipline is encouraged
- Rewards are intrinsic through success as child spots their own errors
- Teacher(s) are unobtrusive in classroom; role is to guide and support child
- Children are free to choose work and learning is uninterrupted
