The Montessori Advantage
Montessori vs. Traditional
How can a "real" Montessori classroom be identified?
- A multi-aged, multi-graded heterogeneous grouping of students.
- A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities and experiences which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative and social independence. A schedule which allows large blocks of time to problem solve, to see connections in knowledge and to create new ideas.
- A classroom atmosphere which encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching and emotional development.
- emphasis on cognitive development
- teacher-pupil ratio about 1 to 8
- teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom
- environment and method encourage self-discipline
- mainly individual instruction
- mixed age grouping
- grouping encourages children to teach and help each other
- child chooses own work
- child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials
- child works as long as he wishes on chosne project
- child sets own learning pace
- child spots own errors from feedback of material
- child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success
- multi-sensory materials for physical exploration
- organized program for learning care of self and environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.)
- child can work where he chooses, move around and talk at will (yet not disturb work of others); group work is voluntary
- emphasis on social development
- teacher-pupil ratio about 1 to 25
- teacher is center of classroom as "controller"
- teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline
- mainly group instruction
- same age grouping
- most teaching done by teacher
- curriculum structured for child
- child is guided to concepts by teacher
- child generally allotted specific time for work
- instruction pace set by group norm
- if work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher
- learning is reinforced externally by repetition, rewards and punishment
- few materials for sensory development
- no organized program for self-care instruction -- left primarily up to parents
- child usually assigned to own chair; required to participate, sit still and listen during group lessons