4 Ways a Montessori Preschool is Better Than Traditional Schools

Asking whether Montessori preschool is better than traditional education models is a tough question because Montessori is a totally different approach to learning. Montessori focuses on developing a full set of academic and social skills whereas traditional methods focus on rote academic learning with a minimum of physical activity. These 4 aspects of the Montessori Method show how this method excels over traditional schools.

1. The Prepared Environment

The Montessori preschool classroom is a prepared environment. All of the children’s workstations are kept in an orderly manner and laid out for the maximum benefit of the children who will use them. The Montessori classroom stands apart in another way as well: Everything is placed at the perspective of the children rather than adults, from the furniture to the decorations on the walls.

2. Active Learning Vs. Passive Instruction

The Montessori preschool classroom is always alive with activity. Active, hands-on activities are the cornerstone of the Montessori Method, and children will be moving from one workstation to another throughout the day as they engage in different play-based lessons. In traditional schools, lessons are provided to all children in the same way and at the same time, forcing each child to be on the same schedule.

3. Individualized Lesson Plans

Maria Montessori understood that children learn different skills at different rates and ages, and incorporated learning at the pace of the child into the Montessori Method. Through observation, Montessori preschool children’s lesson plans are developed on an individual basis, allowing children to spend more time on lessons they are being challenged by or moving ahead when they immediately grasp the current lessons. 

4. Montessori Student Guides

Montessori preschool teachers themselves are an example of how Montessori stands apart. Authentic Montessori educators, referred to as student guides, are specially trained in the Montessori Method. Their mission is to observe and guide the progress of each child to provide the most effective course lessons for the children.

Your authentic Montessori preschool is better than traditional teaching methods because it is a whole-child developmental program that puts emphasis on everything from social skills to practical life experience that will last a lifetime. Even children who have been diagnosed with learning challenges profit from the child-centered, play-based learning environment.