Enrollment

Conventional	Montessori
Late start at school (5-6)	Early start at school (2-3)
One age per class	3 year age range per class
Seated at desks	Freedom to move about
Little socialization	Community atmosphere
Large group lessons	Individual lessons
Teacher as source of answers	Self correcting materials
Rewards and punishments	Natural, logical consequences
Adult centered schedule	Child centered schedule
Frequent interruptions	Longer free work periods
Limited curriculum	Enhanced curriculum
Peer comparison as test	Progress of students as test
Emphasis on grades	Emphasis on learning
Emphasis on conformity	Emphasis on individuality
Annual promotion	Progress at individual rate
Teacher as disciplinarian	Emphasis on “self” control
Corporal punishment	PEACE in education
Little parent involvement	Strong school/ home ties
Graded report cards	Observation based progress reports