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A Comparison.
Montessori
• Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development
• Teacher's role is unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning
• Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline
• Individual and group instruction adapts to each student's learning style
· Mixed age grouping
• Children encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other
· Child chooses own work from interests, abilities. Child formulates concepts from self-teaching materials
• Child works as long as s/he wants on chosen project Child sets own learning pace to internalize information
• Child spots own errors thru feedback from material
• Learning is reinforced internally thru child's own efforts.
• Child can work where s/he is comfortable, moves and talks at will (yet doesn't disturb others); group work is voluntary and negotiable
• Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration development
Traditional
• Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development
• Teacher's role is dominant, active; child is a passive participant
• Teacher is primary enforcer of external discipline
• Individual and group instruction conforms to the adult's teaching style
· Same age grouping
• Most teaching done by teacher and collaboration is often not encouraged.
• Curriculum structured with little regard for child's interests. Child is guided to concepts by teacher
• Child usually given specific time for work. Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher
• Errors corrected by teacher
· Learning is reinforced
• Child assigned seat; encouraged to sit still and listen during group sessions
• Fewer materials for sensory, concrete manipulation
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