| Conventional |
Montessori |
| Pervasive emphasis on grades, merits, social Conformity |
Self-humanization as root motivation |
| Children are grouped chronologically with one age per class |
Non-graded (two or three year age span) |
| Class generally seated, as a group, at desks |
Students “work” at tables, on floor; freedom of movement for lessons |
| Basal readers |
Multidimensional, more flexible reading and writing opportunities |
| Class, as a group, studies one subject at a time |
Children pursue a self-paced curriculum, individually or in small groups, in various parts of the learning environment |
| Children taught by “truth middlemen” |
Children in direct contact with the environment – (teachers, society’s conforming values) natural, sensory and cultural experiences |
| Class-schedules limit the child’s involvement |
Long blocks of time permit valuable concentration |
| Relatively frequent interruptions – bells, adult intervention |
Relatively few interruptions |
| Postponement of cognitive development until Kindergarten |
Critical cognitive skills developed before age six |
| Teacher society “corrects” pupils’ errors |
Children learn from peers, self-correcting materials; teacher’s role is that of a “guide” |
