Are you thinking about enrolling your child at a Montessori elementary school, but you are not sure what to expect? These schools have a unique approach to learning that can set them apart from other schools in your area.

Collaborative Learning

Montessori schools believe that children learn better when working in an environment that is collaborative. That is why it is common to group children of various ages together in Montessori schools. The younger kids observe what the older kids are doing, which helps them learn by trying to imitate them in various ways. This could be through social interactions or ways that they learn. 

An older child also has the opportunity to be a leader in their collaborative learning group, since they get to set the example for the younger students. This is something that they normally would not be able to do in a traditional grade level that's only with kids who are the same age.

Contextual Learning

It's difficult for a child to learn about a subject unless the context is meaningful. For a young child, it can be difficult to learn strictly from a book, since text and photographs can only go so far. Montessori schools try to bring contextual learning to the classroom so that the learning experience means more to them. 

For example, learning about plants by actually going outside to look at plants is going to help a child remember things much better than if they only saw a photograph. That contextual learning experience can then be brought back into the classroom to reinforce a more traditional lesson. 

Adult Interactions

The interactions that a child has with an adult can lead to a more positive outcome. This can be done with the type of language that is used with a child, understanding what the child's abilities are, and building trust at a young age. These interactions with an adult can help improve a child's learning abilities and allow them to grow more in their studies. 

Environmental Order

You'll find that a typical elementary Montessori classroom has plenty of environmental order. This means that materials have a place where they belong, and children respect the environment. Part of the Montessori philosophy is that this environmental order helps contribute to the order in a child's mind. Order helps a child feel secure and safe, which helps improve their learning outcomes while they are at school.