Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
Key Differences Between Montessori and Traditional
Montessori Education
- Based on helping the natural development of the human being
- Children learn at their own pace and follow their own individual interest
- Children teach themselves using materials specially prepared for the purpose
- Child is an active participant in learning
- Understanding comes through the child’s own experiences via the materials and the promotion of children’s ability to find things out for themselves
- Learning is based on the fact that physical exploration and cognition are linked
- Child can work where he/she is comfortable, move around and talk at will while not disturbing others
- The teacher works in collaboration with the children
- The child’s individual development brings its own reward and therefore motivation
- Child works as long as he/she wishes on chosen project
- Uninterrupted work cycles
- Mixed age groups
- Working and learning matched to the social development of the child
- Shared emphasis on intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development
- Shared focus on the acquisition of academic, social, practical and life skills
Traditional Education
- Based on the transfer of a national curriculum
- Children learn from a set curriculum according to a time frame that is the same for everyone
- Children are taught by the teacher
- Child is a passive participant in learning
- Learning is based on subjects and is limited to what is given
- Children sit at desks and learn from a whiteboard and worksheets
- Child is usually assigned own chair and encouraged to sit still and listed during group sessions
- The class is teacher led
- Motivation is achieved by a system of reward and punishment
- Child generally given specific time limit for work
- Block time, period lessons
- Same age groups
- Working and learning without emphasis on the social development of the child
- Main emphasis on intellectual development
- Main focus on academics
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