Montessori Method

1.

Child chooses materials.

1.

Teacher sets curriculum.

2.

Child sets own pace.

2.

Teacher sets pace.

3.

Child is free to discover on his own.

3.

Teacher instructs child.

4.

Emphasis on the concrete.

4.

Emphasis on the abstract.

5.

Specific placement of materials helps refine child’s natural sense of order.

5.

Random placement of materials hinders development of this sense of order.

6.

Child centred learning environment.

6.

Curriculum centred environment.

7.

Child provides own stimulus to learning.

7.

Teacher provides stimuli to learning.

8.

Self-education through self correcting materials.

8.

Teacher is the main control of error

9.

Recognition of the child’s sensitive periods.

9.

All children treated alike and sensitive periods not fully recognised.

10.

Multi-sensory materials to develop specific skills.

10.

Play materials for non-specific skills.

11.

Liberty to move freely, and sit where they please.

11.

Rigid rules not to move and to sit in designated places.

12.

Liberty to speak (quietly so as not to disturb others). A quiet, calm atmosphere naturally prevails.

12.

Silence on many occasions has to be forced in order to control chaos.

13.

Directress guides child to think for himself and make sound decisions. Responsibility for decisions made is encouraged.

13.

Children not thought of as capable of making decisions and are expected to follow teacher unquestioningly.

14.

Disorderly conduct in class is regarded as the directress’ fault; she seeks it out and corrects it.

14.

Children are punished for disorderly behaviour even if the fault lies with the teacher’s incapabilities.