Why Montessori
Why Montessori
All parents hope to find the best educational program for their children. They recognize the lasting impact that early learning experiences have on a child’s development and future learning.
For more than 100 years, Montessori schools have been transforming education and shaping the lives of children who grow into productive, happy adults. A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology provides evidence that a Montessori education may be superior to traditional methods of education, especially on measures relating to students’ long-term psychological health and well-being. When comparing the results of those who attended Montessori schools as children with those who attended traditional schools, they found strong evidence of elevated psychological well-being in those who went to Montessori schools as children. (Psychology Today, 2022)
Montessori Curriculum
School Culture
Through these guiding principles, children develop critical skills for academic, professional, and personal success.
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
| Montessori | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Development at a student’s own pace—instruction dictated by student’s developmental needs, learning styles, and interests | Development according to structured curriculum appropriate for student’s age or grade |
| Striving for mastery of skills and concepts | Heavy emphasis on grades |
| Hands-on learning | Most information dispensed by lecture |
| Study of various subjects individually or in small groups in different parts of the room | Class, as a group, studying one subject at a time |
| Uninterrupted work periods | Schedule of classes each timed in length with relatively frequent interruptions |
| Freedom of movement | Class seated at desks most of the time |
| Child-centered approach with teacher as a guide | Teacher-centered approach |
| Student as an active participant, involved in “doing” | Limited opportunities for active participation |
| Learning through mastery of lesson and repetition, which reinforces internal feelings of success, competency, and self-confidence | Learning reinforced externally by competition, grades, test scores, and rewards |
| Environment and method that encourage self-discipline and self-direction in the learning process | Teacher direction of the student’s learning process and discipline |