We’re often asked, how does Children’s House Montessori differ from other programs? What is unique about the Montessori approach to learning?

THE ENVIRONMENT The Montessori learning environment is much different than the traditional model. Instead of information passing from the teacher to the student, the teacher is skilled in putting the child in touch with the environment, and helping him learn to make intelligent choices and to carry out research in a prepared environment. The teacher then protects the student's concentration from interruption. This fosters a love of lifetime learning in the student. Keep in mind a triangle: the student, the teacher, and the environment. It is the role of the adult to prepare, and continue to prepare the environment, to link the child to it through well-thought-out introductions to books and materials, projects, and lessons, which nurture the child's exploration and creativity. Children thus taught often surpass both the level of education of their peers, and the knowledge of the adult in all areas -- then they learn to find answers for themselves.

The Montessori school environment is arranged according to subject area -- cooking, cleaning, gardening, art, caring for animals, library corner, etc. -- children always free to move around the room instead of staying at desks. There is no limit to how long a child can work on something she has chosen. At any one time in a day all subjects -- practical work, math, language, science, history, geography, art, music, etc. -- will be being studied, at all levels, by children of mixed ages learning from each other, facilitated by careful observation, individual lessons, record keeping, and help of the teacher.

A glance around the room will reveal children busy pouring beans, scrubbing a table, grating nutmeg or creating an original work of art in the practical life area. The floor is dotted with children working on the tower of cubes or the long rods on their individual rugs. Maps are being traced and painted, books about parts of animals are being colored, children are learning their letter sounds with sandpaper letters and sorting objects matching the beginning sound or reading to a friend in a quiet corner. The classroom hums with joyous sounds of children busily exploring and moving toward independence in a safe, stable environment where they acquire the skills to “do it myself”.

Here is a comparison of the Montessori approach to learning vs. the traditional approach used at other preschools.

MONTESSORI		TRADITIONAL
Emphasis on Cognitive and Social Development		Emphasis on Rote Learning and Social Behavior
Teacher has guiding role		Teacher controls classroom
Environment and method encourage self-discipline		Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline
Mainly individual instruction		Mainly group instruction
Mixed age groups		Same age groups
Grouping encourages children to teach and collaborate		Teaching is done by teacher; collaboration is discouraged
Child chooses own work		Teacher assigns work for child
Child discovers concepts from self-teaching materials		Child is guided to concepts by teacher
Child is allocated time to work on and complete lesson		Child generally allocated specific time for work

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.” –Maria Montessori