| Montessori | Traditional |
| Teacher’s role in the classroom is passive and designed to guide individual learning when asked and when a child is ready; the child is the active participant | Teacher’s role is dominant, assuming the active role in leading a class; the child is the passive participant in learning |
| Self-discipline is encouraged both through the method of teaching and the environment | External discipline is enforced by teacher (and principal) |
| Instruction adapts to each individual’s learning style in both group and individual settings | Instruction conforms to standardized curriculum with less room for flexibility |
| Mixed-age classrooms | Same-age classrooms |
| Children are encouraged to collaborate, assist one another, and teach each other | Children are primarily taught by teachers with less time for collaboration |
| Children select their own work dictated by individual interest and skill level | Children are taught a prescribed curriculum for the whole classroom, regardless of interest or skill level |
| Children forumlate their own answers from self-teaching materials | Children are guided to answers by teacher |
| Children set their own individual pace to absorb information presented to them | Children typically follow a pace set by the group average or the teacher |
| Children work as long as they desire with a selected material | Children are typically given a specific time limit to achieve their work |
| Children learn to discover their own errors through exploration with the materials | Children’s work is corrected with mistakes identified by teacher |
| Learning is achieved internally at child’s individual pace, by their continued interest, and their personal feelings of success | Learning is reinforced by others through memorization, repetition, and external rewards or discouragement |
| Complete array of multi-sensory materials for exploration | Less emphasis on intentional sensory exploration |
| Nurturing environment encourages children to work where they are comfortable working individually or in groups | Children are typically assigned a space and are encouraged to remain still and listen during group instruction |
| Emphasis on practical life skills to learn how to care for self and the environment and to develop attention span, fine motor skills, and work ethic | Less emphasis on caring for self and environment; this instruction left to parents |
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