How Montessori Schools Differ from Traditional Schools

We are lucky to have an abundance of quality preschools in Adelaide, which can make it difficult to decide where to send your children. An emerging choice for parents is Montessori schools. While many parents have heard of Montessori schools, they are not very familiar with their approach to education and how it differs from traditional institutions. 

As a parent, you only want the best for your children. However, it can be difficult to identify which educational approach will make them thrive. As such, we will explore the traditional offerings of a Montessori school and how they differentiate from preschool programs, regular daycare, and other school types to help make your decision easier.

A Montessori School’s Approach to Learning

Searching for “preschool near me” will give you countless choices on where to enrol your child. To make this choice easier, this section will identify how Montessori schools approach children’s learning and how it differs from traditional education options.

• The Montessori philosophy assumes that every child is born intelligent. Furthermore, they believe that learning styles will vary from child to child, just like their personalities. As such, the Montessori learning style provides children with a range of activities and settings that cater to their interests.
• Instilling independence is among the priorities of Montessori education. Ever since the program was established over a hundred years ago, they placed high regard on showing children how they can learn by themselves. As such, the program encourages them to reach their full potential at a pace they’re comfortable with. Children are only challenged when they’re finally ready to take the test.
• Montessori schools acknowledge students are unique individuals. As such, their education centres around respecting children’s identities, ideas, and beliefs. It also recognises each child’s talents and how they can uniquely contribute to the classroom. Therefore, Montessori schools employ a holistic approach. 

The Practices of Montessori Teachers

As the Montessori method differentiates from many traditional education systems, many may be curious about the approaches that Montessori teachers implement. This section will explore how teachers facilitate learning in such an educational environment.

• In Montessori schools, teachers act as guides and consultants. They prepare and design the classroom to encourage freedom within limits, independence, and a sense of order. They typically don’t stand at the front of the classroom. Instead, they move around the classroom. 
• Teachers in Montessori schools prepare live, hands-on activities – unlike traditional schools, where students take in information passively. Instead of discussing the points of the lesson, teachers encourage students to find out the information on their own.

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