OKC Heartland Montessori School | Oklahoma City | Academic
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Introduction to Montessori Education

Living Montessori: Parents Perspective

Video from American Montessori Society 

Understand Montessori Education in 5 Minutes

"I've Got 5 Minutes. Explain Montessori to Me."

From Aubrey Hargis on Child Development Institute of the Redwoods

The Montessori Method Compared to General Education

Her are just some reasons why the Montessori Way differs from the methods taught in a traditional classroom

Montessori Education

  1. Child-centered and individualized methods of learning

  2. The main objective is to learn and retain information using community values and mutual respect

  3. Every child is taught uniquely based on their own abilities and skills

  4. Knowledge based on real world concrete experiences and examples

  5. Academic subjects are connected throughout the classroom

  6. Peace education, kindness, perspective taking, and many social aspects are intertwined into every lesson the child receives

  7. Students work in a self-contained classroom allowing freedom of choice throughout the curriculum

  8. Teacher guides the child based on the whole individual using academic skill, social interactions, and observation

  9. Multi-age classroom allows the child to both learn from others and lead

  10. Parent communications usually consist of a personal narrative of the child along with constant dialogue of the whole child

  11. Assessment is based on effort; knowledge can always be built upon and improved

General Education

  1. Teacher-centered instruction using direct instruction

  2. The main objective is to achieve high test scores, grades, percentages graduated

  3. Every child is taught the identical information using the same materials

  4. Knowledge based on abstract lectures and textbooks

  5. Academic subjects are independent on themselves with no connection

  6. Core curriculum areas and benchmarks/ standards are the main focus and social aspects are not usually a priority

  7. Student work on subjects the teacher instructs at the time. Freedom of choice is limited.

  8. Teacher knows a limited part of the child at school. Child usually has multiple teachers based on subjects throughout their day.

  9. Single age classroom allows competition to be the motivator 

  10. Parent communications usually consists of letters or numbers as the overall achievement of the child academically

  11. Assessment is based on performance; knowledge is either achieved or not achieved in that moment

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