Montessori vs. HighScope: Early Childhood Education Compared

Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum Approaches

For students to understand a contemporary curriculum, it is important that they be able to connect with it in a meaningful way. This is particularly true in the modern classroom, which is more diverse than ever before. Connection involves drawing on prior knowledge and experience in order to relate to the material. In this way, students become participants in the learning process and are more likely to remain engaged.

There are a number of approaches to early childhood education that range in nature and focus. The HighScope program was developed using the work of both John Dewey and Jean Piaget, as well as the constructivist approach to classroom learning from educational philosopher Lev Vygotsky. The basic premise is to meet the child at their current level of development and help them build upon it continually, pushing the "zone of development" upward through a series of steps provided by a social situation in which the student controls some of the learning impetus (Hohmann et al., 2008).

The Montessori approach was developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori approximately a century ago. It is also constructivist in approach and focuses on independence, freedom, and respect for the child's natural development. It features longer blocks of learning time, freedom of movement within limits, and a discovery model that allows the student to pursue interests both inside and outside the classroom. Montessori based much of her philosophy about learning and children on the work of 19th-century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, expanding his views about natural rights and education to help ensure that learning becomes a lifelong adventure of discovery. Her basic philosophy may be summarized as follows: learning is enhanced through relevance, hands-on approaches, and engaging lessons. For learning to be meaningful, it must be purposeful and engaging — a principle that became the foundation of constructivism in education (Hainstock, 1997).

The Montessori Method: Philosophy and Practice

Montessori believed that every human has a capacity for learning, but that experiential learning is far more important than reading or listening to lectures. She believed that relevance and the senses — touch, smell, and others — contributed to a richer learning paradigm that becomes meaningful to the learner and is more readily remembered. For example, children understand a lesson about the hydrological cycle better when they experience watching rain, observing water evaporate, and touching the stream that the rain feeds, rather than simply hearing about the water cycle. The teacher, then, guides rather than lectures, allowing interactions with the environment to enrich the learning objectives (Montessori, 1982, pp. 3–41).

Holistic Development in the Montessori Classroom

The Montessori Method addresses the development of the mind, body, and emotional personality. Learners first engage with basic social activities — carrying, lifting, sharing, and pulling — to establish coordination and a sense of balance. Working with other children encourages empathy, kindness, attentive listening, and courtesy. Montessori's use of a prepared environment focuses on the ability to transfer information in a holistic manner, drawing from all aspects of the child's surroundings (Montessori, 2004, pp. 56–62).

The HighScope Program and Active Learning

HighScope is also based on the idea of a positive and actively participatory learning environment. Active learning means students have the opportunity for direct, hands-on experiences with ideas, objects, and other people. The young child is holistic in nature and naturally curious; their interests and choices are shaped by their individual personalities as well as their prior knowledge and cultural background. The HighScope curriculum includes core content areas covering approaches to learning, literacy, social development, physical development, mathematics and science, social studies, and the creative arts. Within each content area are small, observable "steps" that track mastery on a micro level (Sparks, 2004).