Educational Toys & Family

Maria Montessori wrote “The concept of education centered upon the care of the living being alters all previous ideas.  Resting no longer on a curriculum or a timetable, education must conform to the facts of human life.” This is profound.  Imagine a school where respect and learning reigned.  I am so excited by the impact of montessori education.  Teachers are called “guides” as the guide the child towards knowledge and learning.

Some basic differences between traditional classroom environment and montessori:

• Montessori: Based on helping the natural development of the human being
• Traditional: Based on the transfer of a national curriculum

 

• Montessori: Children learn at their own pace and follow their own individual interest
• Traditional: Children learn from a set curriculum according to a time frame that is the same for everyone

 

• Montessori: Children teach themselves using materials specially prepared for the purpose
• Traditional: Children are taught by the teacher

 

• Montessori: Understanding comes through the child’s own experiences via the materials and the promotion of children’s ability to find things out for themselves
• Traditional: Learning is based on subjects and is limited to what is given

 

• Montessori: Learning is based on the fact that physical exploration and cognition are linked
• Traditional: Children sit at desks and learn from a whiteboard and worksheets

 

• Montessori: The teacher works in collaboration with the children
• Traditional: The class is teacher led

 

• Montessori: The child’s individual development brings its own reward and therefore motivation
• Traditional: Motivation is achieved by a system of reward and punishment