MONTESSORI VS TRADITIONAL EDUCATION │ What's the Difference?

Choosing the right preschool for your child can be overwhelming for today's Nigerian parents. Making enquiries in schools in your locality will reveal such terms as “child-centered,” “faith-based,” “holistic learning” and “Montessori Approach.” How can parents possibly wade through all the academic terminology to find the educational philosophy that best suits their family? At Playpen®, we understand choosing your child’s first school is both an exciting and a daunting task. We're here to help.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

THE PURPOSE OF PRESCHOOL

While looking around other schools, start by asking yourself this question: What is the purpose of preschool after all? Is it merely to provide daycare? Is it a place where children get together and play? If so, many choices are available. However, if to you, preschool is an opportunity to prepare your child for the social and academic environment that will be part of the rest of his life, and authentic Montessori school is your best choice. A Montessori school that fosters child development from a very young age and develops a passion for learning is the best type of preschool you can choose for your child. This is what we offer at Playpen®.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

Every parent wants their child to be happy and prosperous. Although, arguably, happiness is a relative concept, the question of how a parent evaluates their child’s happiness is an interesting one to explore. Most parents default to asking their children “are you happy?” It goes without saying that happiness for a child rests primarily on immediate reward.

Montessori at Playpen® aims to have a balanced and peaceful environment so the children can flourish now and for the rest of their life. In a true Montessori school, the child develops the joy of learning, knowledge and understanding. In turn, happiness results from the independence, skills and creativity the child develops, the intricate social interactions with their peers and the freedom to explore and discover everything around them.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

pHILOSOPHIES OF pLAYPEN®

Choosing a preschool that’s right for you and your family means understanding how the school will approach your child’s development. As a Montessori preschool, our educational philosophy emphasizes learning through exploration and denying the idea that "one size fits all" when it comes to education. To us, each child is a unique individual that learns differently. Thus, Montessori tailors its approach to the unique needs of each child, and to the specific needs of each child’s established developmental stage. These includes:

• Self-directed learning
• Accommodating individual needs, interests and pace
• Hands-on, material-based curriculum

while A traditional preschool practices an entirely different educational approach. Typically, a teacher imparts topic-specific concepts to a group, and everyone learns the same thing at the same time. Their philosophy emphasizes:

• Teacher-directed instruction
• Structured curriculum
• Formal learning goals and objectives

Upon the significant influence of Montessori into our communities, some traditional preschools have started to adopt some Montessori-like concepts, but without the required training, thorough understanding and complete application of the methodology, which is what ultimately yields long-term development.

AVOID TRADITIONAL EDUCATION TRAPS

One of the benefits of Montessori vs. traditional preschool is that the Montessori Method is designed to sidestep all the traps that can cause students to struggle academically as they move further along the educational ladder.

One of these traps is the aforementioned “one-size-fits-all” approach to learning. A traditional classroom requires its students to conform to the average learning speed. This means students who can grasp specific concepts faster are slowed-down by having to adhere to more straightforward lessons, while those who fall behind never catch up.

Since Montessori schools create abundant opportunities for individualized learning, students have more freedom to learn at their own pace and are therefore much less likely to be bored or fall behind.

Another trap one can avoid through a Montessori education vs. a traditional education is the lack of autonomy students’ have. In Montessori schools, students are encouraged to pursue their interests, follow their creativity wherever it may take them and enlist the help of teachers and other students in order to achieve this goal. This instils in them a love of learning. Students in traditional schools, on the other hand, tend to learn to please teachers with the “right” answers.