In a child-centered classroom where learning activities are presented individually to children, students progress at their own pace. They are given opportunities to practice, review, or move forward based on their own interests and capabilities. They take charge of their own learning and become accountable for their own knowledge.
In a Montessori classroom, teachers assess students on a daily basis, using their observations of each child’s interactions in the environment and with peers. They use their knowledge of child development and academic outcomes to prepare an environment that is simultaneously stimulating and academically, physically, socially, and emotionally accessible. They develop an individualized learning plan for each child, based on his or her unique interests and abilities.
The teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions and learn how to seek out new knowledge themselves. Self-correction and self-assessment are an integral part of the Montessori classroom approach.
As they mature, students learn to look critically at their work, and become adept at recognizing, correcting, and learning from their errors.