Both Montessori and public schools have high standards of early childhood education. However, Montessori is totally unlike typical private schools or public schools. If you have heard of Montessori method schools in Millburn NJ and want to learn more about them, this article should help clarify some of the main differences between Montessori and traditional schooling.
First, Montessori classes can combine multiple ages in the same room. The reason for this is that the Montessori method recognizes the arbitrariness of age in determining a child’s individual capacities for learning, his or her social skills, and interests.
Montessori is about child-directed learning, not about conformity to a more rigid curriculum. This does not mean that Montessori classrooms lack structure; on the contrary, Montessori classes are designed for developmentally appropriate education.
Second, Montessori schools can create a sense of community that allows you as parents to have much more quality interactions with teachers and also other parents. Just as your children are gaining valuable social lessons through their interactions with peers, you are also able to play a more active role in your child’s education.
Third, Montessori schools create a learning environment in which children develop confidence and self-esteem. Rather than learning to depend on their teachers for grades and other formal assessments, children in Montessori learn how to self-monitor and self-assess through their teacher’s skillful guidance.
Finally, the Montessori classroom is designed so that your children exercise their own curiosity naturally. Teachers facilitate and guide, but they do not tell your child what they should or should not be interested in.
With a wealth of learning tools, materials, and resources at hand, Montessori schools allow children to interact with their environment, learning at their own pace and discovering knowledge about the world around them in ways that stimulate optimal cognitive and social development.
