What's the Difference Between Montessori & Mainstream Education?
Montessori
The teacher has an unobtrusive role in the classroom
The children teach themselves, using prepared materials
Prepared kinesthetic, self-correcting materials
Uninterrupted work cycles
Multi-aged classrooms
Integrated subjects and learning based on developmental psychology
Children learn at their own pace and follow their own interests
Based on helping the natural development of the human being
Mainly individual instruction
The children’s individual development brings its own reward and therefore motivation
Mainstream
The class is teacher led
The children are taught by a teacher
Textbooks, pencil and paper, worksheets
Block time, period lessons
Single-grade classrooms
Individual subjects
Children learn from a set curriculum according to a time frame that is the same for everyone
Based on the transfer of a national curriculum
Mainly group instruction
Motivation is achieved by a system of rewards and punishments