About Montessori

The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world.

This approach views the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is a learning method that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.

Montessori education offers our children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible, and respectful citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life.

 

Comparison of Montessori VS Traditional education

Montessori	Traditional
1.Emphasis on cognitive structures and socialdevelopment	1. Emphasis on rote knowledge and socialdevelopment.
2. Teacher’s role is unobtrusive; child activelyparticipates in learning.	2. Teacher’s role is dominant, active; child is apassive participant.
3. Environment and method encourage internalself-discipline.	3. Teacher is primary enforcer of externaldiscipline.
4. Individual and group instruction adapts to eachstudents learning style.	4. Individual and group instruction conforms tothe adult’s teaching style.
5. Mixed age grouping.	5. Same age grouping.
6. Children encouraged to teach, collaborate, andhelp each other.	6. Most teaching done by teacher andcollaboration is discouraged.
7. Child chooses own work from interests, abilities.	7. Curriculum structured with little regard forchild’s interests.
8. Child formulates concepts from self-teachingmaterials.	8. Child is guided to concepts by teacher.
9. Child works as long as she/he wants onchosen projects.	9. Child usually given specific time for work.
10. Child sets own learning pace to internalizeinformation.	10. Instruction pace set by group norm orteacher.
11. Child spots own errors through feedback frommaterial.	11. Errors corrected by teacher.
12. Learning is reinforced internally throughchild’s own repetition of activity, internal feelingsof success repetition.	12. Learning is reinforced externally by rewards,discouragements.
13. Multi-sensory materials for physicalexploration development.	13. Few materials for sensory, concretemanipulation.
14. Organized program for learning care of selfand self-care environment ( shoe polishing, sinkwashing, etc)	14. Little emphasis on instruction or classroommaintenance.
15. Child can work where she/he is comfortable,moves and talks at will (yet doesn’t disturbothers); group work is voluntary	15. Child assigned seat; encouraged to sit stilland listen during group sessions.
16. Organized program for parents to understandthe Montessori philosophy and participate in thelearning process.	16. Voluntary parent involvement, often only asfundraisers, not participants in understanding thelearning process