What is the difference between Nursery School and Montessori method schools?
Also..what are their similarities?
Montessori education is based on the belief that children are individuals with their own strengths, needs, likes and learning styles. To used the latest educational catch phrases, Montessori education is “multi-modality, differentiated instruction.”
In more everyday terms, Montessorians disagree with the idea that all children learn in the exact same way at the exact same time of their life. They believe that a good teacher doesn’t say, “It is the 4th day, of the 3rd month, of second grade, so open your math book to page 49 and…” Instead we observe each child and ask ourselves, “What does this child understand? What is the next concept this child needs to learn? In which way does this child learn? (Are they observers? Talkers? Someone who needs to physically experience things? Do colors make things more clear? How about singing a song about the concept, will that help this particular child learn?…) What things interest this child so that I can use his/her natural interests and abilities to teach this concept that they need to know?
To achieve this a Montessori classroom is not filled solely with text books, writing paper and pencils. Instead it is filled with many materials that teach a range of levels and concepts all set up so that at a moment's notice a teacher can reach for a material and teach a student or students the concept they need to know. Or students can reach for the same material and use it in the way that they were taught so that they can practice a concept that they are working on.
Obviously, a Montessori classroom will not look like a normal classroom. Rarely, if ever, will you find the whole class sitting with their books out looking at the teacher show them how to fill in a worksheet. Instead you will see children, some in groups, some by themselves, working on different concepts, and the teacher sitting with a small group of children, usually on the floor around a mat.
Some people talk about the lack of “structure” in a Montessori Classroom. They hear the word “freedom” and think “chaos” or “free for all”. They seem to think that if all children are not doing the exact same thing at the exact same time that they can’t possibly be working, or that they will be working only on the things that they want and their education will be lopsided. Yet, if the teacher is organized this does not happen. Children will be given a work plan or a contract and will need to complete an array of educational activities just like in a more traditional classroom. The main difference being that the activities will be at each child’s “maximum plane of development”, will be presented and practiced in a way that the child understands, and the child will have the freedom to choose which he/she does first.
Other people talk about Montessori children being able to do whatever they want. This is a misunderstanding of the word "choice" Montessori children do have the choice as to which they do first, reading or math. They do have the choice as to which material they will use to complete the lesson, but playing all day, only working in one area, hurting children, themselves or the environment are NEVER choices. Either are eating candy all day, or and so on (All things people have posed in the past about Montessori schools.)
In the past few years there have been more and more studies published comparing Montessori Education and traditional education. Contrary to what some people state, Montessori children DO NOT have problems in social situations, in fact, ALL studies show just the opposite, Montessori children are ahead of their peers when it comes to social interactions.
The most comprehensive longitude research on Montessori Education in comparison to traditional education was published last year by a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, Dr. Angeline Lillard.. Her recent article was so well researched and documented, that it is the only educational article ever to be published in a scientific magazine.
Her findings and other studies’ report that Montessori students have:
*more interest in learning,
*more self disciplined
* have a greater understanding of truth and fairness
*more creativity, especially in their writing
*are more independence
*a better understanding of concepts from grammar and story structure to mathematical operations, algebra and geometry
*have a deep understanding of and how geography, history, social studies, and science are all related.
For more information check out Angeline Lillard Ph.D's book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius
June 5th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
They don't have to be different. A nursery school can be a Montessori school but it doesn't have to be
similarities: Both are for young children, generally ages 2 1/2 to 5 or 6.
now for the differences: Montessori is a particular program or method which is based on the principle of follow the child. It is a child directed curriculum. Most nursery schools are teacher directed meaning the teacher chooses the themes and presents them to all children regardless of the individual child's interests and abilities. With Montessori each child is seen as an individual and treated as such. The lessons are based on the child's interests and abilities. Montessori has specific materials developed by Maria Montessori after her careful observations of children. The materials are self correcting an allow the child to explore and learning without being dependent on the teacher. Montessori teaches children independence in thinking and the ability to do things for themselves.
Many schools use the Montessori name without being a real Montessori school. The teachers are not trained and there are no real Montessori materials. This leads to a misunderstanding of the Montessori Method. Montessori is one type of a developmentally appropriate curriculum that a nursery school may follow. It isn't the only one but it is the best one in my opinion. I have taught in a Montessori school for 9 years and I believe it is the best method for children.
References :
http://www.ams.org
http://www.montessori.org.uk
June 5th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Montessori is a way of teaching.
Daycares usually follow the minimum standards required by the sates licensing agency. Preschools are usually corporate or franchised and have higher standards, developed their own curriculum, do their own staff development and have their own philosophies.
Preschool is specifically designed for children between the ages of 2 and ½ and 5 or 6; Daycare is aimed at children of many different ages (infant to elementary school age).
Preschools have more limited hours (typically 3 hours at a time, 2 to 5 times a week). On the other hand, some daycares offer their services during the full working day, making it a desirable choice for working moms.
Curriculum: most preschool organized around a specific educational approach (i.e. Montessori, Waldorf), whereas most daycares are viewed as being more custodial than educational.
When you break it all down, daycare and preschool in principle are not fundamentally different. However, they do offer logistical advantages and disadvantages to every parent, depending on your circumstance. For example, working moms may prefer the option of daycare, as it offers more frequent and longer care hours than preschool. It may also be preferential for parents of infants, as preschool is generally not offered to children of this age group.
The most important thing to bear in mind when selecting either a preschool or a daycare center is how comfortable you feel with the providers as well as the programs they offer. Just as is the case with finding a new doctor for either yourself or your child, you do not want to rush into a decision. After all, your child will potentially spending a lot of her time there; therefore, you want to be sure that time is spent in an environment that is fun and nurturing.
References :
June 5th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Montessori education is based on the belief that children are individuals with their own strengths, needs, likes and learning styles. To used the latest educational catch phrases, Montessori education is “multi-modality, differentiated instruction.”
In more everyday terms, Montessorians disagree with the idea that all children learn in the exact same way at the exact same time of their life. They believe that a good teacher doesn’t say, “It is the 4th day, of the 3rd month, of second grade, so open your math book to page 49 and…” Instead we observe each child and ask ourselves, “What does this child understand? What is the next concept this child needs to learn? In which way does this child learn? (Are they observers? Talkers? Someone who needs to physically experience things? Do colors make things more clear? How about singing a song about the concept, will that help this particular child learn?…) What things interest this child so that I can use his/her natural interests and abilities to teach this concept that they need to know?
To achieve this a Montessori classroom is not filled solely with text books, writing paper and pencils. Instead it is filled with many materials that teach a range of levels and concepts all set up so that at a moment's notice a teacher can reach for a material and teach a student or students the concept they need to know. Or students can reach for the same material and use it in the way that they were taught so that they can practice a concept that they are working on.
Obviously, a Montessori classroom will not look like a normal classroom. Rarely, if ever, will you find the whole class sitting with their books out looking at the teacher show them how to fill in a worksheet. Instead you will see children, some in groups, some by themselves, working on different concepts, and the teacher sitting with a small group of children, usually on the floor around a mat.
Some people talk about the lack of “structure” in a Montessori Classroom. They hear the word “freedom” and think “chaos” or “free for all”. They seem to think that if all children are not doing the exact same thing at the exact same time that they can’t possibly be working, or that they will be working only on the things that they want and their education will be lopsided. Yet, if the teacher is organized this does not happen. Children will be given a work plan or a contract and will need to complete an array of educational activities just like in a more traditional classroom. The main difference being that the activities will be at each child’s “maximum plane of development”, will be presented and practiced in a way that the child understands, and the child will have the freedom to choose which he/she does first.
Other people talk about Montessori children being able to do whatever they want. This is a misunderstanding of the word "choice" Montessori children do have the choice as to which they do first, reading or math. They do have the choice as to which material they will use to complete the lesson, but playing all day, only working in one area, hurting children, themselves or the environment are NEVER choices. Either are eating candy all day, or and so on (All things people have posed in the past about Montessori schools.)
In the past few years there have been more and more studies published comparing Montessori Education and traditional education. Contrary to what some people state, Montessori children DO NOT have problems in social situations, in fact, ALL studies show just the opposite, Montessori children are ahead of their peers when it comes to social interactions.
The most comprehensive longitude research on Montessori Education in comparison to traditional education was published last year by a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, Dr. Angeline Lillard.. Her recent article was so well researched and documented, that it is the only educational article ever to be published in a scientific magazine.
Her findings and other studies’ report that Montessori students have:
*more interest in learning,
*more self disciplined
* have a greater understanding of truth and fairness
*more creativity, especially in their writing
*are more independence
*a better understanding of concepts from grammar and story structure to mathematical operations, algebra and geometry
*have a deep understanding of and how geography, history, social studies, and science are all related.
For more information check out Angeline Lillard Ph.D's book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius
References :
22 years of teaching
17 years of setting up Montessori schools around the world.
http://www.montessorianswers.com
June 5th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Here are some insights from a secondary school teacher and parent of a 4 year old who opted against Montessori education.
First of all, a word about "studies". Studies also show that students who attend private secondary schools outperform students in public secondary schools. Could that be because most / all private secondary school students must write an entrance exam and the school tends to admit the highest scoring students?
From my own research, Maria Montessori based much of her research on MR (mental retardation) children.
However, the idea that learning is best when the teacher recognizes that each student may have a different way of learning is not new. Teachers do understand that each student is an individual. What works with one student may not work with another. This has been a cornerstone of pedagogical theory long before Maria Montessori. Refer to De Bono 6 Learning "Hats" and Skinner's learning theories.
If you are not a teacher, try to imagine one teacher creating 20 different and effective lesson plans for 20 different students. How much time would that take? How would you evaluate the success if 20 students are doing 20 different things? If you do not have a fairly uniform way to evaluate a student's progress, how would you know if they are making any progress and which students require assistance?
If you give a choice to a child, what do you think they're going to choose? Probably something that they are already good at. Do you think a pre-schooler will say "well, I'm not good at writing lower-case letters, so I guess I should work on that".
A teacher needs to identify that this child does not write lower case letters. This can be discovered by trying to get the child to write lower case letters and finding out that the child does not *like* to do it. Knowing the child, the teacher needs to find alternate methods to teach that skill. For instance, the teacher may know that this child like to play in the sandbox. So, she might get him to use a stick in a sand box to write lower case letters.
In a nutshell, I don't believe in giving total freedom of choice to a student. I believe it's the job of a teacher to provide various learning activities to meet a particular teacher-chosen learning outcome.
References :