| MONTESSORI |
TRADITIONAL |
Emtphasis on: cognitive and social development |
Emphasis on: social development |
Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom |
Teacher is center of classroom as "controller" |
Environment and method encourage self-discipline |
Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline |
Mainly individual instruction |
Group and individual instruction |
Mixed age grouping |
Most done by teacher |
Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other |
Same age grouping |
Child chooses own work |
Curriculum structured for child |
Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials |
Child is guided to concepts by teacher |
Child works as long as he wishes on chosen project |
Child generally allotted specific time for work |
Child sets his own learning pace |
Instruction pace usually set by group norm |
Child spots own errors from feedback of material |
If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher |
Child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success |
Learning is reinforced externally by repetition and rewards |
Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration |
Fewer materials for sensory development |
Organized program for learning care of self and environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.) |
Less emphasis on self-care instruction |
Child can work where he chooses, move around and talk at wilt (yet not disturb work of others); group work is voluntary |
Child usually assigned own chair, encouraged to participate, sit still, and listen during group sessions |
Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process |
Voluntary parents involvement |
The goal or both Montessori and traditional kindergartens is the same: to provide leaning experiences for the child. The biggest differences lie in the kind of learning experiences each school provides and the methods they use to accomplish this goal.
Montessori educators believe both differences are important because they help shape what a child learns, his work habits and his future attitudes toward himself and the world around him
MONTESSORI |
TRADITIONAL |
emphasis on cognitive development |
emphasis on social development |
teacher-pupil ratio about 1 t0 10 |
teacher-pupil ratio about 1 to 25 |
teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom |
teacher is center of classroom as “controller” |
environment and method encourage self-discipline |
teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline |
mainly individual instruction |
mainly group instruction |
mixed age grouping |
same age grouping |
grouping encourages children to teach and help each other |
most teaching done by teacher |
child chooses own work |
curriculum structured for child |
child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials |
child is guided to concepts by teacher |
child works as long as he wishes on chosen project |
child generally allotted specific time for work |
child sets own learning pace |
instruction pace usually set by group norm |
child spots own errors from feedback of material |
If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher |
child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success |
learning is reinforced externally by repetition, rewards and punishment |
multi-sensory materials for physical exploration |
few materials for sensor development |
organized program for learning eare of self and environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.) |
no organized program for self-care instruction -left primarily up to parents |
child can work Where he chooses, move around and talk at will (yet not disturb work of others); group work is voluntary |
child usually assigned own chair; required to participate, sit still and listen during group lessons |
