The Difference Between Montessori & Traditional Education: The Advantages & Disadvantages For Students

Parents have the freedom to choose which type of education model their child would attend. For the majority, the most familiar model of classroom education is the traditional one, but there's the Montessori education as well. The two education models both benefit schoolchildren, but they have striking differences, too.

Traditional education involves a teacher-centered instruction with a group of pupils learning from him/her, according to Seattle PI. Students in a traditional education model learn basic educational practices and academic lessons in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Instructions in traditional schools usually come from regulations and laws by federal bodies and states, which give funding to these schools.

Montessori education, which was established by Italian educator Maria Montessori, is self-directed and encourages schoolchildren in hands-on learning and collaborative play, Montessori Northwest wrote. Children in Montessori classrooms make creative learning choices and they work in groups and individually to develop their respective potentials.

Montessori classrooms cater to the individual needs of kids and often match a child's natural interests to the available tasks in a classroom. Majority of Montessori classrooms are secular or don't have a religious or spiritual basis, but it can also be integrated into a faith-based program.

Perhaps the most striking difference of Montessori education from the traditional one is its focus on the way children naturally learn. According to the Countryside Montessori School, Montessori schools allow children to learn spontaneously and on their own will without pressure or coercion from teachers.

Some students in traditional schools somewhat view their education model as a prison. Why? These children are being forced to learn and to overcome the flaws in their nature without stopping to consider that maybe the education model itself is the one with defects.

All children have a natural desire to learn, and Montessori schools provide teachings through an environment that lets this desire flow naturally. Pupils in these schools don't need to undergo constant evaluation and they are encouraged to learn the essence of a lesson instead of just memorizing important facts.

But that's not to say that parents should avoid traditional schools for their children. The advantage of traditional education is it abides with state-approved standards which guarantee that all curricular areas are covered. There is consistency by grade level, which is helpful for when families move to other states during a child's schooling.

Traditional schools, especially public ones, receive state funding and are legally required to provide equal educational opportunities for every pupil. Counseling, speech therapy, special education, and other support services are usually free for qualified students. This eases the financial burden of parents.