Montessori

Traditional

Emphasis on: Cognitive structures and social development.

Emphasis on: Rote knowledge and social development.

Teacher has classroom role in classroom activity; child is an active participant in learning.

Teacher has dominant, active role in classroom activity; child is a passive participant in learning.

Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline.

Teacher acts as primary enforcer of external discipline.

Instruction, both individual and group, adapts to each student's learning style.

Instruction, both individual and group, conforms to the Adult's teaching style.

Mixed age grouping.

Same age grouping.

Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other.

Most teaching is done by teachers and collaboration is discouraged.

Child chooses own work from interests and abilities.

Curriculum structured for child with little regard for child's interests.

Child formulates own concepts from self-teaching materials.

Child is guided to concepts by teachers.

Child works as long as he/she wishes on chosen projects.

Child generally given specific time limit for work.

Child sets own learning pace to internalize information.

Instruction pace is usually set by group norm or teacher.

Child spots own errors through feedback from material.

If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher.

Learning is reinforced internally through the child's own repetition of an activity and internal feelings of success.

Learning is reinforced externally by rote repetition and rewards/discouragement.

Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration.

Fewer materials for sensory development and concrete manipulation.

Organized program for learning care of self and the environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.)

Less emphasis on self-care instruction and classroom maintenance.

Child can work where he/she is comfortable, moves around and talks at will (yet disturbs not the work of others); group work is voluntary and negotiable.

Child usually assigned own chair: encouraged to sit still and listen during group session.

Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process.

Voluntary parent involvement, often on as fundraisers, NOT as participants in understanding the learning process.