Montessori and Traditional Education Contrasted

Note: In reality, individual teachers, schools, and educational programs vary, and many teachers have been influenced by elements of the ideas pioneered by Dr. Maria Montessori and her colleagues. Recognizing the danger of over-generalization, there are a number of general differences between authentic Montessori programs and traditional education.

 

Emphasis on integrated knowledge and deep levels of understanding. Emotional and social development are considered to be the foundation of a life-long education.
 Emphasis on preparing for standardized tests, memorization, and compartmentalized curriculum. All but a small percentage of students report that the hectic pace of assignments and testing leads them to forget much of what they studied once the exams are over.
Teachers play an unobtrusive role. They see themselves as guides, facilitators, mentors, and friend. Students actively participate in learning, including exploring their interests further, and planing the course of their day.
 Teachers' role is dominant, active. Students are normally passive participants. They do as they are told, and commonly ask whether "this will be on the test?"

Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline

 Teacher is the 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: First grade, second, etc.
Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other. Most teaching is done by teacher and collaboration among students is discouraged or thought of as cheating
Child chooses own work from interests, abilities. Curriculum is structured with little regard for child's interests
Students formulate concepts from self-teaching materials. Child is guided to concepts by the teacher
Students work as long as they want on chosen projects. Students are usually expected to complete assigments in a specific time period.

Students set their own learning pace to internalize information.

 The pace of instruction is set by the group norm, State standards, or the teacher's preference.
Learners are encouraged to spot their own errors through feedback from material. Errors are corrected by teachers.
Learning is reinforced internally through child's own repetition of activity, internal feelings of success repetition.

Learning is reinforced externally by external rewards and negative reinforcement.

The program uses a rich array of multi-sensory materials for physical exploration development. There is a tendency to depend on workbooks, textbooks, white board, and other learning resources that are abstract and do not encourage extensive hands-on learning.
At every age level, there is an organized program for learning practical life skills. Students take meaningful responsibility in the care of their classroom environment.
 There is little emphasis on instruction in practical life skills. Students tend to see the classroom environment are the teacher's domain.
Students can work where they are comfortable, move and talk at will (yet do not disturb others); group work is voluntary and negotiable. Students sit in assigned seats and are encouraged to sit still and listen during group sessions.
There are organized programs 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.

The above comparison is courtesy of The American Montessori Society.