Montessori vs. Developmental & Daycare
| Montessori of Surprise | Developmental | Daycare |
|---|---|---|
| All teachers are required to be Montessori certified. | Teachers are only required to have a High School Diploma or equivalent. | Teachers are only required to have a High School Diploma or equivalent. |
| Teacher has supportive role in classroom activity; child is an active participant in learning. | Teacher has dominant role in classroom activity; child is a passive participant in learning. | Daycare worker has a dominant role in the classroom. Their main role is to police the children. |
| Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline. | Teacher acts as primary enforcer of external discipline. | Daycare worker acts as primary enforcer of external discipline. |
| Instruction, both individual and group, adapts to each student’s learning style. | Instruction, both individual and group, conforms to the Adult’s teaching style. | No formal instruction. Play based. |
| Mixed age grouping | Same age grouping | Same age grouping |
| Children are encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other. | Most teaching is done by teacher and collaboration is discouraged. | No formal instruction. Play based. |
| Child chooses own work from interests and abilities. | Curriculum structured for child with little regard for child’s interests. | Unstructured |
| Our classrooms maintain a low teacher to student ratio policy which ensures optimum learning and individualized academic instruction. 1yr olds: 1:6 2yr olds: 1:8 3yr olds: 1:12 4yr olds: 1:12 5yr olds: 1:12 6yr olds: 1:12 | Generally follows the state mandated policy of: 1yr olds: 1:6 2yr olds: 1:8 3yr olds: 1:13 4yr olds: 1:15 5yr olds: 1:20 | Generally follows the state mandated policy of: 1yr olds: 1:6 2yr olds: 1:8 3yr olds: 1:13 4yr olds: 1:15 5yr olds: 1:20 |
| Child works as long as he/she wishes on chosen projects. | Child generally given specific time limit for work. | Unstructured |
| Child sets own learning pace to internalize information. | Instruction pace is usually set by group norm or teacher. | No formal instruction |
| Child spots own errors through feedback from material. | If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher. | No formal instruction |
| Learning is reinforced internally through the child’s own repetition of an activity and internal feelings of success. | Learning is reinforced externally by rote repetition and rewards/discouragement. | No formal instruction |
| Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration | Fewer materials for sensory development and concrete manipulation | Toys, blocks, puzzles |
| Organized program for learning care of self and the environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.) | Less emphasis on self-care instruction and classroom maintenance. | Unstructured |
| Child can work where he/she is comfortable. Group work is voluntary. | Child usually assigned own chair: encouraged to sit still and listen during group session. | Unstructured |
| Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development. | Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development. | Emphasis on social development |
| All teachers are CPR and First-Aid trained | Only one person on campus is required to be CPR and First-Aid trained. | Only one person on campus is required to be CPR and First-Aid trained. |
| Child formulates own concepts from self-teaching materials. | Child is guided to concepts by teacher. | Unstructured |
