MONTESSORI
TRADITIONAL
Emphasis on cognitive development.
Emphasis on social development.
Mainly individual instruction.
Mainly group instruction.
Mixed-age groups.
Same-age groups.
Children work at their own pace.
Group sets instructional pace.
Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate & help each other.
The teacher does most teaching; collaboration is discouraged.
Teacher has an unobtrusive role in the classroom activity; the child is an active participant in learning.
Teacher has a dominant active role; the child is a passive participant in learning.
Environment and Method encourage self-discipline.
Teacher acts as an enforcer of discipline.
Emphasis on cognitive development.
Emphasis on social development.
Mainly individual instruction.
Mainly group instruction.
Mixed age groups.
Same-age groups.
Child works at their own pace.
Group sets instructional pace.
Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other.
Most teaching is done by the teacher, collaboration is discouraged.
Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom activity;child is an active participant in learning.
Teacher has dominant active role in child is passive participant in learning.
Environment and method encourage self-discipline.
Teacher acts as enforcer of discipline.
