Montessori is different. From the moment you step foot into our school, you’ll know it’s unlike a conventional school.

We know what we’re offering is unique, and the families who seek out our school are usually looking for an alternative to traditional education.

What, exactly, makes Montessori special? Read on to learn a few highlights of how a Montessori Environment is distinctive.

Freedom Within Limits

One of the greatest Montessori misunderstandings is that either a) the children in our care have no adult direction whatsoever, doing whatever they please, or b) that our methods are so rigid they allow for little (if any) variation or self-expression

As you may have guessed, neither is accurate, and we lie somewhere in between these two extremes. Generalizations tend to come from misinterpreted truths, below are some foundational aspects of an authentic Montessori environment.

Montessori does value the child’s independence and choice. Children get to choose their work, where they sit, the order in which they get things done, when to have a snack, when to use the restroom, etc. To help them make these choices successfully, Montessori Guides create carefully crafted boundaries for the choices to nestle within.

For example, children get to choose their work because the only options available are activities we want them to focus on. They can only select something off the shelf that we have put there in the first place. They are required to use the material correctly and with care. And if they spend 3 days straight working on the same thing? Then the child is getting something important out of the experience. When a child has learned everything they can from a material, they will become bored with it and happily move on to something else.

This doesn’t mean we never redirect children who are resistant to try certain things or who avoid particular subjects. It means we strike a balance between choice and limits.

2. Multi-Age Classrooms

It’s uncommon to find classrooms that serve children of more than one age or grade level. We believe multi-age classrooms better serve the children, and we’ve been doing it that way for more than a century.

Multi-age classrooms allow us to blend the lines between skill levels. The older child who still needs extra help with reading won’t feel left out - there are plenty of others in the class who need the same help they do. The younger child who excels at math and craves more of a challenge can have that, because the structures to do so are already built into the culture of the environment.

Our younger students have an abundance of role models and our older students have plenty of opportunity to practice leadership skills and display mastery of their own academic skills by showing the ability to teach others.

Our teachers, students, and families have multiple years to get to know each other. This allows many opportunities for positive outcomes.

3. Teachers as Guides

In most places, the teachers are the focus of the classroom. They stand in the front, delivering information that is meant to be consumed. This is not the case in Montessori schools.

The most impactful learning is that which involves self-discovery. We want to guide our students to ask and then answer questions, rather than dictating a pre-scripted version of what we determine to be the most important.

Do we have a set curriculum? Absolutely! Do we ensure our students master core subjects and become well-versed in a wide variety of information about our world? Of course. We just do so in a way that is more about leading children to learn for themselves

4. Individual Pacing

Learning is not linear. No child learns at the same pace and we all develop in starts, stops, and plateaus.

Montessorians do not believe it makes sense to teach to the whole group (in most instances). We honor the individuality of learning, which means allowing each child to progress at his or her own pace.

We have developed helpful systems to support this work, so it’s not only possible, it’s built into the core of everything we do.

No child has to wait for the rest of the group to catch up, feeling bored and restless and wishing they had more. On the same note, no child needs to feel like they’re falling behind and not getting the support they need.

5. Emphasis on Formative Assessment

We don’t give grades in Montessori schools, but we do document progress. We don’t give tests but we absolutely keep records of where student understanding is. Our methods of intentional observation, work with children as individuals and empowerment of the child in their own learning process allow us to have an even deeper understanding of student progress.

Once a grade is on a report card, it’s a done deal. We don’t see the finality in learning, nor do we think comparisons between children are necessary or helpful. We want each child to reach developmental and academic goals, but we want them to be able to do so at their own pace.

We carefully monitor progress on a daily basis, and our observational forms of assessment allow us to adjust our teaching strategies in the moment to meet the needs and interests of each child; we can adjust our teaching mid-lesson to make sure children get what they need.

We look at assessment more as a means to review goals and make a plan for the child’s future activities and milestones.

6. Focus on Independence

As mentioned earlier in this article, Montessori focuses heavily on the independence of children. We believe children, even very young children, are capable and eager to do much more than is typically expected of them.

It’s important to be realistic, a child will likely not walk through the doors of our school being able to do everything for themselves. Our job is to give enough guidance and support to allow them to progress in that direction.

Toddlers in a Montessori environment learn to put on and fasten their own coats and shoes, prepare simple snacks, and care for their environment. Preschool aged children learn an extensive vocabulary about the world around them, get experience with the four operations of math with concrete materials, learn handwriting and begin to read phonetically. Elementary children learn to solve social conflicts without frustration, navigate the worth through our “Going Out” program, and are active agents in their own learning goals.

It’s a gradual progression, but each step is just as important as the before or the one that lies ahead.

7. Development of Global Citizens

Montessori schools operate not just with the goal of educating children in academics, but also with the hope to create kind, creative, and passionate global citizens.

We want to nurture curiosity and a joyful approach to learning that isn’t just about school but about how children see the world. We provide an environment that encourages children to care about one another, to celebrate the differences between people, and to feel a deep sense of justice and service.

We want children to be successful members of their own local communities, but we also want to give them a broader picture and understanding of the whole world. Knowing how we are all interconnected creates a perspective that will help to create a better planet for everyone.

Are you curious? Want to learn more about Montessori? Reach out today to talk with someone from our school or schedule a tour to see what we have to offer your family.

7 Major Ways Montessori is Different