PACE Assignment Cover Sheet
STUDENT NAME
STUDENT ID
LECTURER NAME
FACULTY / SCHOOL
COURSE CODE
COURSE NAME
ASSIGNMENT TITLE
I declare that all material in this assignment is my own work except where there is clear acknowledgement or reference to the
work of others and I have complied and agreed to the University statement on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity.
1.0 Introduction to the Montessori Approach
The Montessori education is developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. This approach is a childcentered educational approach which is based on the scientific observation of a child from
childhood to adulthood. Her method had been tested with time with over 100 years and it
is successful in many different cultures throughout the world. It is a view of a child that
who is eager to gained knowledge and has the capability to learn in a learning
environment. The approach includes the development of the child, which is the physical,
social, cognitive and emotional.
Picture of Dr. Maria Montessori
1.1 The structured environment in the Montessori Approach
A learning triangle is made by the teacher, student, and environment. The teacher prepares
the classroom to promote independence, freedom within limits and a sense of order.In the
Montessori setting, the teachers act as a directress, which guide and observe the child and
plan for the environment. The child uses what the environment offers to develop himself
or herself and seek interaction with teachers when help and guidance are needed. Also,
the environment is designed to make the child make exploration and learn independently.
In the structured environment of the Montessori approach, students do things at their own
pace, for instance, a four-year-old-child learns to write alphabets with sand, sorting out
colours, and a five-year-old child will learn to count using beads, playing with a balance
toy, six-year-old child will start to learn about maps, places in the world with puzzle.
1.2 Characteristics of a Montessori classroom
The Montessori classroom has different age students in a class where the younger students
and learn from the older students. Also, the Montessori classroom has different
workstations where the students choose to work according to the learning plans that they
choose for the day. These workstations provide differentiated learning. For example, one
of the workstations will have the students to run the hands-on experiment, another station
will train the concentration of the students and another one will train the independence of
the students and so. The children will learn no matter what they choose because all
activities represent valuable learning. In a Montessori classroom, there will be no teacher
standing in front of the classroom and give lectures. The focus of the classroom in on the
students, not the teachers. The teachers are there to give information that they should
remember and know, teachers also give them the guidance that they need to complete the
activities.
1.3 Classroom organization of a Montessori classroom
The classroom organization in a Montessori preschool is very unique. There are not many
customary rows of desks and chairs, instead, there are large spaces for group activities,
students can also be alone in an area and work, there are also mats for students to work on
the floor, different inviting materials are being sorted out according to the subjects. The
sizes of the equipment in the classroom are all child-sized. The materials are placed in
shelves and tables.
Picture of a Montessori classroom.
1.4 The curriculum approaches
The curriculum of the Montessori approach is an integrated approach where many kinds
of the concept are shown across the curriculum in many ways. As the child grows through
the grades, the curriculum changes according to the child. The children will practice skills
repeatedly within different contexts, and this is one of the outcomes of this approach, this
approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of disciplines. The curriculum is divided into
various areas of learning
1. Practical life or activities of everyday living
2. Sensorial or education of the senses
3. Mathematics
4. Language and literacy
5. Culture
6. Creative subjects (like arts and craft, music, drama)
2.0 Introduction to the High Scope Approach
The High Scope Approach is a high-quality approach based on forty years of research and
practice. It is a curriculum that includes the theory of Piaget, Dewey, Erikson, Vygotsky,
and others. Dr. David Weikart developed this approach in 1962 in Michigan, USA. This
approach is used in over 90 countries now. This approach is based on the belief that
children learn best through active learning that they plan and carry out by themselves. As
a result, children could make decisions and solve problems about the activities that are
meaningful to them.
Picture of Dr. David Weikart
2.1 The structured environment of the High Scope approach
The High Scope classroom has rich materials for the learning environment. The location
of the materials in the classroom are usually labeled to help the children to learn
organizational skills. The materials are set-up where the children can access them easily.
This promotes the child’s active exploration. The classroom areas are usually set up
purposefully by the teachers for the children to explore and socialize with one another,
often with well-defined areas for different activities.
2.2 Characteristics of a High Scope Approach classroom
In a High Scope Approach classroom, teachers play an important role of an active learner.
Teachers are the examples and role model of active learners, where they are excited and
interested to learn. Planning, organizing and preparing for the activities are the tasks of
the teacher. They should have a positive interaction with the children. Also, the teachers
display warm and trusting relationships with the children so that the children will feel
happy and secure. Hence, they can achieve more. Teachers are responsible to plan lessons
to let children learn through hands-on activities and experiences. Teachers should be
encouraging to the students while facilitating learning of the child. For example, sitting
down with children in a threading area and encourage them to find out what will happen
if you do not hold the side of the string or if you put too many beads. Teachers should
prepare lessons that could motivate them, lessons that they think are interesting.
There is also a Plan-Do-Review time where the children plan, do and review what they
did. The children will have 10-15 minutes to plan their activities and to choose what they
want to do in the work time and with whom. They will carry out the activities after they
planned, this will take about 45-60 minutes. After they complete their task, there is a
review time so the children to recall and recap what they did with an adult or other child.
2.3 Classroom organization of a High Scope Approach classroom
To promote active learning, space and materials are selected carefully. General guidelines
are provided by the High Scope to select materials that are interesting to the children. The
learning environment includes the following characteristics:
1. Welcoming for the children
2. The amount of materials provided is enough for all the children
3. Promote independent for the child (the child is able to find, use and return
materials independently)
4. Different types of play and learning are introduced
5. Flexible (children can bring their materials or extend their play from one area to
another)
6. Children can see and move easily around all areas of the classroom
7. Materials that reflect the child’s family lives are provided
Picture of a High Scope Approach classroom, where many materials are provided for the
students to explore, the environment is welcoming and the materials are reachable.
2.4 The curriculum approaches
Through the extensive observations of how young children learn, the curriculum is
formulated. The curriculum is based on key learning experiences that offer a foundation
of knowledge, skills ,and ideas for the child, to prepare them to build on in their future.
The key experiences include:
1. Language
2. How they represent their experiences and ideas
3. Logic reasoning development (including classification, serration and number
concepts)
4. Understanding of time and space
3.0 Introduction to the Bank Street approach
The Bank Street school for children is founded by a visionary educator named Lucy
Sprague Mitchell in 1916. Mitchell was influenced by John Dewey and his theory that
children learn by doing. She looked at how he taught the children, not only focusing on
the things that they need to learn and the way that they learn. The Bank Street approach is
focusing on educating the whole child including their emotions, social, physical or
intellectual by hands on experience, interdisciplinary and collaborative setting.
3.1 The structured environment in a Bank Street approach preschool
The classroom in a Bank Street approach preschool is different from normal preschool.
They have students with different age in the same class. They often learn more than one
subject and in groups, this allow the children to learn at different levels with various
methods. Play is often included in the education and the teachers take the chance to teach
where possible. The teachers also play an important role in the environment, the teachers
is there to help the children to be inspired and to learn from one another. The teachers also
provide feedback when they start their work and they finish their work.
3.2 Characteristics of a Bank Street approach classroom
The Bank Street approach classroom is always child-centered. The approach is based on
play-based learning so the structure in the classroom is unique. When you looked into a
the classroom, you can see the behaviour of exploration, students playing with clay and
blocks of tower that are not completed. According to a parent on www.sheknows.com ,
she says that the children in the school are grouped by age and they will listen to morning
announcements together. After that, they are break down into different groups to different
workstations to finish different tasks.
Example of a Bank Street approach classroom with different teachers doing activities
different age group child.
3.3 Classroom organization of a Bank Street Approach preschool
In a classroom of the Bank Street Approach preschool, there will be many displaying
charts and timetable, classroom displays, children’s artwork, timetable on the walls. It is
inviting to the children to see so much innovative decorations in the classroom, especially
their own work.
3.4 Curriculum of a Bank Street Approach preschool
Thematic and integration is in the curriculum of the bank street approach. Communication
between the parents and the teachers is very important.
The bank street approach curriculum:
1. Be meaningful to the child
2. Provide balance between the adult and the child (example: the child makes the
decision on the activity and the adult directs the activity)
3. Have staff training and parental involvement
4. Staff should set goals, strategies and do follow ups and evaluations
References:
1.7 references
Introduction to Montessori Method | American Montessori Society. (2018). Amshq.org.
Retrieved 28 March 2018, from https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introductionto-Montessori.
The Prepared Environment. (2018). Montessori-namta.org. Retrieved 28 March 2018,
from http://www.montessori-namta.org/The-Prepared-Environment
Mead, S. (2018). 7 Key Characteristics of a Montessori Preschool. Whitbyschool.org.
Retrieved 28 March 2018, from https://www.whitbyschool.org/passionforlearning/7key-characteristics-of-a-montessori-preschool
Montessori Classrooms | American Montessori Society. (2018). Amshq.org. Retrieved
28 March 2018, from https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-toMontessori/Montessori-Classrooms
Highscope. (2018). Abcallaboutchildren.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018, from
https://www.abcallaboutchildren.com/highscope.html
FAQs - HighScope. (2018). Highscope.org. Retrieved 28 March 2018, from
https://highscope.org/faq#hlok
This Non-Competitive, Play-Based Learning Method Might Be for You. (2018). Verywell
Family. Retrieved 28 March 2018, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/bank-streetpreschool-method-2764974