| Montessori vs. Traditional Education |
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MONTESSORI EDUCATION
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TRADITIONAL EDUCATION
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| 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, 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 |
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