Montessori vs. Traditional

Montessori Education

Traditional Education

Specially prepared hands-on materials that are often self-correcting and control for error.
Textbooks and teacher-corrected pencil-and-paper worksheets.
Uninterrupted work cycles that allow the child to complete tasks before moving on to the next
Period lessons interrupted by bells
Teacher’s role as a “guide at the side.”
Teacher’s role is as a “sage on the stage.”
Environment and method encourage self-discipline.
Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline.
Mixed age grouping.
Same age grouping.
Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other.
Most teaching done by teacher.
Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials.
Child is guided to concepts by teacher.
Child sets own learning pace.
Instruction pace set by group norm.
Child chooses own work.
Curriculum structured for the child.