Traditional vs. Montessori: Why Not Both?
There was a time when choosing a kindergarten meant parents herding their children off to the nearest tadika (preferably with no traffic jam), and then crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
However, these days, being a parent means being overloaded with choices. From the best brands for baby formula to the best hobbies you can encourage your child to take up, there seems to a never-ending list of things that could go wrong if we don’t scrutinise the choices we make as parents. Throw in a little societal pressure and it will feel as though there is absolutely no room for mistake because according to several dozen mommy blogs, your child’s growth could hinge on something as trivial as the colour of the walls in his/her room.
So now that you’re here (and have presumably survived your child’s infancy), welcome to the beginning of the monumental milestone known as “tadika age”. Choosing the right kindergarten may seem like the most stressful task in the world since your child is going to spend a bulk of his/her formative years here, but never fear! This post will be your guide through the murky waters of “so are you sending your child to a Montessori?”. Some of you might be shaking in your boots wondering: do I go with the increasingly popular Montessori or stick with the old-fashioned, tried-and-tested tadikas?
Well, there is ultimately no right or wrong answer to this. Early childhood development can be unpredictable because each child is unique, so a more productive question to ponder on would be which type of kindergarten is the best fit for your child? To answer this, first consider the differences between a traditional, a Montessori, and a mixed kindergarten:
Traditional Kindergartens
The traditional classroom was designed to prepare students for standardized exams, and as such, much of the learning within tends to be teacher-centred. The teacher is responsible for guiding students through a fixed syllabus following a fixed schedule. As a result, rote drill, repetitive practice and memorisation are common techniques used here to help students remember information they need in order to pass the next test (most of us definitely did not chant the multiplication table over and over again for fun).
In similar fashion, traditional kindergartens aim to ensure that your child knows the basics of reading, writing and counting before they enter primary school. The learning process here typically emphasises on a fixed curriculum and test scores, and with good reason. Test scores are an objective measure of how well each child is reading, writing and learning arithmetic, and this information is valuable to parents and teachers alike as it tells us what is going wrong and what needs to be improved.
However, in traditional tadikas, less time and freedom is given for a child to explore and investigate things they are interested in, because what needs to be learned is already pre-determined. For instance, they have to learn to count from 1 to 20 by the end of this unit or they must know how to name the months of the year by the end of this week. The activities in class are usually driven by a clear-cut learning plan, so if your child is a fast learner, he/she might have to wait for other children to catch up before the whole class moves on to a new topic.
Due to this, traditional tadikas are often criticized for restricting individual growth, because the rigid curriculum does not inspire children’s natural curiousity for learning about the world around them. However, as Carmen Paduraru of Classroom pointed out in her article “The Advantages of Traditional Classroom Learning”, structure is not necessarily a bad thing because it provides direction. The time limitations imposed on each lesson and every playtime in these kindergartens may feel authoritarian, but they are certainly helpful in the discipline department.
While there are many reasons why the traditional style no longer work for the new generation of children, they remain useful in certain areas. Having to follow a consistent learning schedule in kindergarten gives your child a taste of what subsequent schooling will be like, which allows for a smoother transition into primary school in later years. Whether you plan on enrolling your child into a private or public school, traditional teaching methods will still be used to an extent because they are necessary for teaching certain materials (unless someone comes up with a way to teach complex mathematics through a fun game of charades).
Is it a good fit for your child? Some children just need that extra push when it comes to learning. When not overdone, rewards for good grades like stickers, sweets and even praises that are typical of traditional classrooms can engage their enthusiasm for learning. It’s almost the same thing as bribing your children with dessert when they refuse to eat their vegetables. So if you find that your child tends to be externally-motivated, then he/she may be more interested in learning in a traditional tadika setting.
Other than that, some children simply learn better in conventional classroom settings, because they feel more at ease when there’s someone to show them the ropes first. And that’s okay! In such cases, a Montessori education, where children are given relatively more control over their learning, may not be the best fit for them.
Montessori Kindergartens
What does it mean to let children take charge of their own learning? Well, an authentic Montessori school includes “peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity.” Introduction to Montessori Method, American Montessori Society
Here, learning is child-directed and centered on practical life skills. Children are naturally inquisitive beings, and the Montessori approach capitalizes on their innate curiousity by encouraging them to learn through their own adventures and discoveries. Thus, children are free to pick activities they want to do, and each activity will teach them an important life skill. From typing up shoes laces to tracing wooden letter blocks, and from sweeping the floor to hooking up buttons, there is underlying purpose for each activity they choose. This creates a more hands-on and investigative learning environment, which is crucial because children’s understanding of the world is very concrete – what can be seen, touched, smelled and felt is the easiest form for them to understand (Simone Davies, The Montessori Notebook). And now you know why your child likes to put their grubby hands onto everything they see – it’s all part of their learning process!
Other than that, Montessori materials – all thoughtfully-designed to engage a child’s five senses – use real objects and actions to present abstract ideas to children. For instance, teaching your kid the decimal system the Montessori way may involve the use of enticing, pearl-sized golden beads. To learn more about this, the American Montessori Society has published a great resource on Montessori learning materials.
In Montessori programs, the teacher’s job to help the students find their way into the materials, a lot of which seem like puzzles to young children. Teachers rarely teach to the entire class, which prompts the children to do a lot of self-directed work. Meaningful learning takes place, for example, when a child successfully learns how to assemble a puzzle correctly by discovering how the toy would fit together, and not because someone showed the child how to do it. According to a Psychology Today article on Montessori schools, such practical achievements can help boost your child’s confidence and competence.
Now let’s talk about playtime. During recess, children can pretty much play anything they set their minds to at a traditional kindergarten. Montessori, on the other hand, approaches playtime with a bit more practicality. No, this doesn’t mean that Dr Maria Montessori wants to take your children’s toys away from them. Rather, she realized that children are sometimes more interested in the real thing instead of imaginative play. Thus, the latter is often discouraged because why not go for the real thing which can serve to teach your child a life skill? So instead of a make-believe masak-masak session complete with miniature plastic cookware and inedible toy foods, the Montessori approach prefers guiding children on how to handle and prepare real food, cultivating a concrete life skill for the future. But be warned…
Another feature of Montessori kindergartens is the mixed-age setup. The teacher plans the classroom activities based on each child’s developmental levels and interest, allowing them to progress at their own pace. Since kids work at whatever level they’re working at, the room isn’t organized according to a specific age. Laura Lewis Brown of PBS Parents explains that this environment prompts the older children to help the younger ones. Some advantages of such peer learning is how it builds self-esteem, social skills and critical thinking, especially when the kids work together to solve a problem.
Is it a good fit for your child? A Montessori education is suitable for children who are sociable and independent. Hilary Levey Friedman, parenting expert and author of Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture, notes that “if your child is accustomed to a more rigorous schedule or guided learning, this may not be the right fit for him.” Internal motivation is especially important because much of learning in a Montessori tadika is based on the child’s own explorations of their environment. “The goal of the Montessori method is to develop a child’s senses, character, practical life skills, and academic ability,” says Anne Zachry of Parents. Children who are shy would need some extra encouragement to thrive in a Montessori classroom.
For further reading, definitely check out Our Kids’ comprehensive guide on determining whether a Montessori education works for your child.
Mixed Kindergartens
In the midst of deciding which is the better between traditional and Montessori tadikas, it’s simply easier to ask: why not both?
Mixed kindergartens, which bring the philosophies of the two schools together, are on the rise. Here, time is given for children to develop their individuality through Montessori activities. And at the same time, part of their learning is also based on a standard curriculum that prepares them academically for their upcoming school years.
Tadika Seri Cahaya is a mixed school that offers holistic programmes that integrate the Malaysian curriculum with the Montessori approach. Click here to find out more.
Is it a good fit for your child? Mixed kindergartens have not been researched as much as Montessori and traditional methods have been. Nevertheless, a recurring theme in the world of education is that versatility is good. Being in a learning environment that does not strictly adhere to one school of thought could be beneficial to your child’s overall development. After all, the 7 most important STEM skills that we should be teaching our kids are neither purely academics nor purely play. Thus, getting the best of both worlds may be the key to raising well-rounded children.
Now, before you make the ultimate decision, the most important thing to remember is to pick a kindergarten that is compatible with your child’s personality and learning style. Traditional tadikas are not completely outdated while Montessori kindergartens are not the universal solution to childhood education. Many schools provide free trial classes these days, so mark your calendars and bring your child to one in order to see whether it works for them. Good luck and happy parenting!
Comment below and let us know which kindergarten you prefer for your child and why!
