Montessori | Mainstream |
Based on helping the natural development of the human being. |
Based on the transfer of a national curriculum. |
Children learn at their own pace and follow their own individual interests. |
Children learn from a set curriculum according to a time frame that is the same for everyone. |
Children teach themselves using materials specially prepared for that purpose. |
Children are taught by the teacher. |
Understanding comes through the child's own experiences via the materials and the promotion of children's ability to find things out for themselves. |
Learning is based on subjects and is limited to what is given. |
Learning is based on the fact that physical exploration and cognition are linked. |
Children sit at desks and learn from a whiteboard and worksheets. |
The teacher works in collaboration with the children. |
The class is teacher led. |
The child's individual development brings its own reward and therefore motivation. |
Motivation is achieved by a system of rewards and punishments. |
Uninterrupted work cycles. | Block time, period lessons. |
Multi-age classrooms. | Single-graded classrooms. |
Working and learning matched to the social development of the child. |
Working and learning without emphasis on social development. |