Montessori vs. Traditional Education

This weekend/week we will be finishing our makeshift classroom that we have designated in our home (pictures to follow). We felt it was important to designate a room strictly for school activities that way the kids understand can really get in the mood when its time for school.

We don’t designate a specific time for school since its child led education. We let them choose what they want to do within reason of course and I like to take real life and turn it into a learning experience… it doesn’t get more hands on then that!

My next few blogs I will explain what subjects we will be participating in and why we chose those subjects. For now I wanted to share with you a Montessori vs. Traditional education table to help you better understand the differences between the two.

The following table shows the differences between Montessori and traditional schools.

MONTESSORI

TRADITIONAL

- Three-year age span - Motivated by self-development - Self-correcting materials - Hands on learning manipulating objects - Individual learning - Teacher is observer and directress - Cycles of activity completed within child’s time - Few interruptions - Freedom to move and work - Materials used in sequence with presentations - Work for joy and sense of discovery - Environment provides discipline - Encouraged to help each other - Child chooses materials  - Child sets own pace - Emphasis on concrete - Reality oriented - Recognition of individual sensitive periods - Child free to discover alone - Carefully organized environment - Multisensory materials to develop specific skills - Self education through self correcting materials - Respect of child foremost

- All one age - Teacher motivated - Teacher corrects errors - Teacher lectures - Group learning - Teacher is the focal point and dominant influence - Activity cycles determined by set time - Frequent interruptions - Assigned specific class periods - Materials are used with no prior instructions - Work because you have to complete task - Teacher provides discipline - Seek help from teacher - Teacher sets curriculum - Teacher sets pace - Emphasis on abstract - Much role playing and fantasy - All children are treated alike - Teacher continuously guides child - Materials placed at random - Play materials for non-specific skills - Use of reward and punishment in motivation - Community needs take precedence