What is Montessori?
In a Montessori school, a highly structured learning environment is planned carefully with designated areas for reading, math, computers, etc. In order for education to be effective, we make sure that the child’s physical, emotional, and social needs are met.
The Montessori curriculum outlines skills and milestones that each child must master but allows them to do so according to their own ability and with individualized attention. The child is also given opportunities to freely move about the classroom to select the work that interests him/her, which is then presented by the teacher as a lesson.
An open classroom and age group span enables each child to be grouped by interest and ability, which builds their self-esteem while proceeding at their own rate. The child is in direct contact with unlimited educational material designed to lead to early reading, writing, and basic math skills, without getting bored.
The promise of a Montessori school is self-confidence, self-mastery, self-discipline, independence, care for the environment, liberty within limits, and respect for others and their own work.
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
The following is a comparison of the characteristics of a Montessori education versus a traditional education:
| Montessori | Traditional |
| Active Individualized Learning: Student centered stimulation through hands-on materials | Passive Class Learning: Teacher centered class learning with paperwork |
| Working at One’s Own Pace: Each child works at his/her own potential independent of the class, moving ahead quickly as they are ready | Group Learning: Each child is directly affected by the progress of the whole class |
| Independence: Students are encouraged to make good decisions, confidence is promoted, and opportunities are given to choose work based on interest |
Dependence: Activities are initiated by the teacher and are the same for everyone |
| Concrete Based Education: Uses hands-on materials and first hand experiences so students understand their work |
Abstract Education: Learning through memorization and intangible concepts |
| Self-Evaluation: Students use self-correcting teaching materials and evaluate their individual work with the teacher |
Class Comparison: Students evaluate themselves against the group and standardized tests are used to measure progress |
Print 