Montessori vs. Traditional
Montessori Method | Traditional Method |
| Sensory rich environment (as children learn through their senses) | Sensory-deprived environment |
| Curriculum is individually based (different for each child depending on their own strengths and weaknesses) | Curriculum is group based ( each child will have to do what the whole group is doing regardless of individual strengths and weaknesses) |
| Child chooses what they will work with | Teacher chooses child’s work based on where group is on a whole |
| Classroom and teacher encourage self discipline to happen | Teacher disciplines each child and group |
| Child understands mistakes made on their own through socialization and work with the materials | Teacher points out mistakes made to child |
| Different ages grouped together | Same ages grouped together |
| Socialization encouraged (child feels a part of a community) | Socialization discouraged during class work (unless instructed otherwise by teacher) |
| Child teaches himself and solidifies his findings through working with others and the materials | Teacher leads the group and tries to teach them concepts |
| How long the child works with a material is respected so that concentration may happen and the concept understood | The time limit for learning a concept or working with a material usually has a time limit scheduled |
| Child is free to move around the classroom and find work that interests him, sit where they would like and work on their own or with others | Child is assigned a seat and generally asked to stay there for the day |
| Children are the centre of the classroom ( the teacher fades into the background) | Teacher is the centre of the classroom |
| Learning is reinforced through child’s repetition of work and positive self esteem | Learning is reinforced through teacher repetition and rewards |