Hermosa is a private Tucson preschool and a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students.
Developed in the 20th century by Italy's first female physician, Dr. Maria Montessori, the
Montessori Method is now used is schools all over the world. At Hermosa Montessori
the Montessori philosophy and method guide our pre-school, kindergarten, elementary,
and middle school programs. At each level the programs are designed to address the
developmental needs of children as individuals and help them develop at their own pace.
Each program builds on the one before it, providing challenges appropriate to both age and
skill levels. Hermosa's curriculum is innovative, and easily teaches essential 21st century
skills along with all traditional core curriculum areas.
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
A Montessori program and certified teachers implement a program that is different than the
traditional educational program most parents remember from their youth. Here are some of
the things you can expect from a Montessori program vs. a traditional school method.
Montessori
-
Emphasis on cognitive structures
and social development
- Teacher's role is unobtrusive;
child actively participates in
learning
- Environment and method
encourage internal self-discipline
- Individual and group instruction
adapts to each student's learning
style
- Mixed age grouping
- Children encouraged to teach,
collaborate, and help each other
- Child chooses own work from
interests, abilities
- Child formulates concepts from
self-teaching materials
- Child works as long as s/he
wants on chosen project
- Child sets own learning pace to
internalize information
- Child spots own errors through
feedback from material
- Learning is reinforced internally
through child's own repetition
of activity, internal feelings of
success repetition
- Multi-sensory materials
for physical exploration
development
- Organized program for learning
care of self and self-care
environment (shoe polishing,
sink washing, etc.)
- Child can work where s/he is
comfortable, moves and talks at
will (yet doesn't disturb others);
group work is voluntary and
negotiable
- Organized program for parents
to understand the Montessori Method
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Traditional
- Emphasis on rote knowledge
and social development
- Teacher's role is dominant,
active; child is a passive
participant
- Teacher is primary enforcer of
external discipline
- Individual and group instruction
conforms to the adults' teaching
style
- Same age grouping
- Most teaching done by teacher
and collaboration is discouraged
- Curriculum structured with little
regard for child's interests
- Child is guided to concepts by
teacher
- Child usually given specific time
for work
- Instruction pace set by group
norm or teacher
- Errors corrected by teacher
- Learning is reinforced externally
by rewards, discouragements
- Few materials for sensory,
concrete manipulation
- Little emphasis on instruction or
classroom maintenance
- Child assigned seat; encouraged
to sit still and listen during group
sessions
- Voluntary parent involvement,
often only as fundraisers, not
participants in understanding the
learning process
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