Most families rely on childcare when their children are young. Figuring out the best place to drop your little one off every day is a big decision. Parents want to ensure their child spends their days safe, comfortable, and happy, and under the watchful eye of well-trained and competent adults.

If you are reading this article, it is likely you are a parent who is trying to figure out the best possible placement for your child. Allow us to highlight five key differences between a typical daycare center and a Montessori school.

1. An Emphasis on Education

Montessori schools go beyond the reaches of a typical daycare/childcare facility. While daycares focus on basic care for children, Montessori schools do this and more by creating an environment focused on children’s learning.

The Montessori Method believes that education starts at birth. Children’s days should be filled with play, which is how they learn, we create spaces and materials for children to play in ways that enrich their development.

We carefully prepare an environment with materials that were developed after careful scientific observation and have been used for over one hundred successful years in Montessori schools. These materials are still games and toys from the perspective of the child, but they have a didactical, or teaching, purpose from a learning perspective.

2. A Natural Environment

Most daycare centers have with bright colors, plastic toys, and often licensed cartoon/movie character images. Daycares may have bright posters on the walls with lots of visual stimulation for the children. There may be a utilitarian feel to the space.

Montessori environments favor a minimalist approach for example, art or culturally specific items displayed at the level of the child’s viewpoint. Montessori classrooms intentionally bring the natural world inside, with plants, found objects, and pets. Children are directly involved with the care of living things in the classroom. Montessori environments avoid any type of commercialism or characters. They utilize natural materials like wood, plant fibers, and even glass. Natural tones are used instead of bright and loud colors, and soft and natural lighting is evident. A comfortable, well- ordered and homelike space welcomes the children to school.

3. Specially Trained Guides

The training of a Montessori Guide goes far beyond the training of a typical daycare worker. To care for young children, both must meet certain requirements such as first aid training, passing a background check, and some knowledge of working with children.

Montessori Guides continue beyond the basics. Most have college degrees, with many obtaining advanced degrees. They have completed rigorous Montessori credential training, which includes comprehensive instruction on child development, intensive lessons to help them present Montessori materials correctly, study in Montessori philosophy and theory, extensive observation in Montessori Schools and a period of internship with a supervising Guide.

We encourage you to ask your local daycare facility about their teacher training requirements and compare them to Montessori requirements while you explore your options.

4. The Sense of Community

When your child is enrolled at a Montessori school, it is so much more than a place to drop them off each morning. The whole family is welcomed as a part of the school community, and special events and traditions work to solidify this sense of community.

Montessori parents are often eager to connect with one another and in general, have a sense that a strong community contributes to the wellbeing of our children. It is helpful to have other parents to ask questions, hear about experiences, and even socialize with.

Montessori schools are also unique in that we welcome parents into the classroom. In fact, we encourage regular observation. The children are used to adults sitting quietly in a corner of the room, so the practice is unobtrusive, and really gives adults a clear picture of the type of work we do. Many parents walk away from observations in awe of the engagement of the children and the depth of the work/play they show.

5. Development of Practical Life Skills

We believe that learning is so much more than academics, which is why Montessori environments intentionally include Practical Life lessons. Practical Life learning is incredibly appealing to young children as they look to adults in their lives and want to emulate the work they see adults doing. Some of the types of skills they develop in our environments include:

● Toilet learning (for infants and toddlers)

● Food preparation

● Care of the environment (cleaning skills)

● Plant and pet care

● Fastening various types of clothing

● Tying and lacing

● Care of self (washing, brushing, etc.)

● Grace and courtesy lessons: interacting appropriately and politely with others

We hope this article has been helpful and informative. To learn more, we encourage you to visit several types of settings in person and ask to observe in the different classrooms. Not only will you notice differences, but we think you will find yourself impressed with the scope of skills covered in a Montessori class as well as the absolute joy of the children who you see there.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to schedule a visit. We would love to meet you and your child.

Key Differences Between a Montessori School and Traditional Daycare