For more than a century now, the child-focused approach that Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, developed for educating children has been transforming schools around the globe.
As soon as you enter a classroom, you know that something different is afoot. Montessori classrooms are immediately recognizable. You will see children working independently and in groups, often with specially designed learning materials; deeply engaged in their work; and respectful of themselves and their surroundings.
Montessori schools are independent businesses that for the most part do not interact. Alpha Montessori School is independently owned and operated by Ms. Rupali Abdulpurkar. Alpha Montessori School provides an authentic Montessori environment for children from 3 months through 10 years.
We have 2 locations. Each Montessori school develops their own policies and guidelines to follow.
Not all Montessori schools provide the same quality of education. Alpha Montessori School is a fully certified and licensed by Texas Health and Human Services, we provide a genuine Montessori education to all of our students from Infants up through Lower Elementary.
MONTESSORI | TRADITIONAL |
---|---|
Emphasis on cognitive structure and social development. |
Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development. |
Instructor has a passive role in guiding the classroom. Child is an active participant choosing how they will learn. |
Teacher has domain, active role in classroom activity; child is a passive participant in learning. |
Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline. |
Teacher 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. |
Mixed 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. |
Child chooses own work from interest and abilities. |
Curriculum structured for child with little regard for child's interests. |
Child formulates own concepts from self-teaching material. |
Child is guided to concepts by teacher. |
Child workes as long as she/he wishes on chosen project. |
Child generally given specific time limit for work. |
Child sets own learning pace to internalize information. |
Instruction pace usually set by group norm or teacher. |
Child spots own errors through feedback from the material. |
If work is corrected errors usually pointed out by teacher. |
Learning is reinforced internally through the child's own repitition of an activity and internal feelings of success. |
Learning is reinforced externally by rote repitition and rewards/discouragements. |
Multi sensory materials for physical exploration. |
Fewer materials for sensory development and concrete manipulation. |
Organized program for learning care of self and environment (cleaning of sink, taking care of animals or plants, etc.). |
Less emphasis on self-care instruction and classroom maintenance. |
Child can work where she/he is comfortable, moves around and talks at will (yet does not disturb the work of others); group work is voluntary and negotiable. |
Child is usually assigned their own chair in day care; encouraged to sit still and listen during group sessions. |