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Traditional
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Montessori
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Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline.
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Environment and method encourage self-discipline.
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Teacher is center of classroom as "controller".
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Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom.
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Mainly group instruction.
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Mainly individual instruction.
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Same-age group.
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Mixed-age group.
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Most teaching done by teacher.
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Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other.
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Curriculum structured without input from child.
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Child chooses his/her own work.
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Child is guided to concepts by teacher.
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Child discovers concepts from self-teaching.
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Child generally allotted specific time for work.
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Child works as long as he/she wishes on a chosen project.
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Instruction pace set for group norm without regard for individual child.
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Child sets own learning pace.
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Work is corrected, and errors pointed out, by teacher.
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Child spots own errors from feedback from material or process.
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Learning reinforced externally by rewards and punishment.
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Learning reinforced by repetition of work and internal feelings of success.
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Most classroom materials are toys.
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Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration.
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Few organized programs for self-care; up to parents.
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Organized program for learning care of self and environment.
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Children spend most of their day playing with toys or doing crafts.
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Children select their own materials for learning skills and academics.
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Children have very little independence as to work choices and movement;
often, group work is all that is allowed.
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Children can work where they choose, and move around and talk at will,
without disturbing others; group work is often voluntary.
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