Early childhood education is not just about spending a couple of hours away from home to experience a shift in the environment. It is a lot more than that. Early childhood education paves the way for learning and development in young children. There is no denying that kids do learn many things at home, but preschool gives them an opportunity to experience a new face of the world and expand their knowledge.
With a plethora of educational methodologies, parents often struggle to decide which curriculum will best suit their child. In today’s write-up, we will give you a brief overview of two of the most prominent early childhood curricula, the Creative Curriculum and the Montessori Method. So, let’s dispel your doubts about the two approaches and help you decide which one of the two is apt to support your child as they begin their educational journey.
What is the creative curriculum?
The Creative Curriculum is a research-based approach to early childhood education. It was founded by Diane Trister Dodge, a former preschool teacher and the founder of Teaching Strategies Inc., in 1988. The approach believes in both teacher-directed and child-led learning and is designed to foster creativity, confidence, independence, and self-control. The main categories around which the entire curriculum is built are physical, social/emotional, language, and cognitive development.
The Creative Curriculum focuses on the development of the ‘whole child.’ Teachers work to cover all areas of learning and are responsive to the individual needs of students. This approach positively impacts the overall development of young learners. The curriculum involves activities centered around different student interest areas, such as art, blocks, dramatic play, cooking, outdoors, music, and more.
What is the Montessori Method?
Educator and Italian physician Dr. Maria Montessori developed the Montessori method of early childhood learning in the early 1900s. She inaugurated her first Montessori school in 1907 and called it the Casa dei Bambini. This approach is based on self-directed, hands-on learning.
In a Montessori classroom, children make their own choices and learn at their own pace. They are provided several opportunities for individual and group age-appropriate activities throughout the school day. The environment of a Montessori school promotes experiential learning, where kids develop a deep understanding of the areas of language, science, music, mathematics, and others. Teachers introduce kids to new concepts and guide them as they explore and imbibe the concepts through self-learning.
Creative Curriculum vs. Montessori: How are they different?
1. Philosophy and Approach
Creative Curriculum is all about fostering children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development through various hands-on activities and play opportunities. It emphasizes responsive and intentional teaching, where teachers intricately design experiences and activities to promote learning and development.
The Montessori method encourages students to emphasize their independence and be involved in self-directed learning. Children get to explore their interests and develop at their own pace while using specially designed materials meant to support their learning in different areas of early education.
2. Classroom Environment
A classroom following the Creative Curriculum has a balance of child-led and teacher-directed activities. Teachers plan activities based on student strengths, needs, interests, and learning styles like visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic. The classroom space is divided into different interest areas to conduct developmentally appropriate activities that support active learning in young children. Considering the importance of the learning environment in early childhood education, care is taken to design it in such a way that every child, including those with special needs, feels safe and comfortable.
A typical Montessori classroom environment features low-height shelves with self-correcting and hands-on materials to foster student learning. Children are allowed to move freely and make choices, ultimately fostering self-discipline and independence. The classrooms create an at-home feeling with pastel colors on the walls, wood furnishings, soft materials, and warm lighting.
3. Curriculum Structure
This methodology has a predetermined set of goals and objectives based on which teachers plan lessons and activities for children. The structured framework ensures that planning is done in alignment with developmental milestones so kids are able to meet them at the right time.
The Montessori Curriculum is more open and flexible. It allows students to explore a wide variety of subjects at their own pace and evolves with the child. Five main areas of study that are covered under the Montessori Curriculum include language, mathematics, cultural studies, practical life, and sensorial activities.
4. Teacher’s Role
The role of a teacher in the Creative Curriculum is that of a planner and guide. Teachers plan different learning experiences for children, observe their interests, and guide them when required. They also follow the scaffolding approach to play so they can promote learning across different learning areas.
In the Montessori approach, teachers act as guides as they observe each child carefully and intervene only when necessary. Their main role is to create an environment that supports learning and offers guidance only when they need it.
5. Inclusion of Students
Schools following the Creative Curriculum approach promote inclusion by creating learning experiences that meet a child’s particular needs. Schools follow individualized lesson plans to include kids with special needs or learning difficulties seamlessly.
On the other hand, the Montessori curriculum ensures inclusion by offering children activities based on their interests and abilities and giving them the freedom to move around and learn at a speed that suits them and matches their comfort level.
6. Teaching Strategies
Teaching strategies for the creative curriculum include activities like brainstorming and art-embedded techniques considering the importance of art integration in learning. Incorporating brainstorming into the learning process and asking critical thinking questions promotes critical thinking and exploration, where children are encouraged to share their own ideas and contribute to classroom discussions. Whereas art activities allow students to express their ideas and emotions using different materials and ways of expression.
In the Montessori curriculum, teachers use multi-sensory techniques to engage students and promote learning effectively. This approach is facilitated by the use of different sensory materials, like sandpaper, touch boards, etc. while introducing kids to different concepts in various domains. Another teaching strategy of the Montessori method is to create an environment that allows independent exploration and learning both indoors and outdoors.
7. Student Assessment
Assessment in the Creative Curriculum is carried out using thirty-eight objects to assess a child’s scholastic ability. An informal assessment is carried out by teachers year-round to collect facts and obtain an overall idea of their development.
In the Montessori method, an assessment is done through careful observation of how the child engages and performs in daily learning activities. The assessment is formal and customized for every child. Teachers ascertain lesson progress through observation and presentations and offer feedback to the child to lead them in the right direction.
Creative Curriculum vs. Montessori: At a glance
| Creative Curriculum | Montessori Method | |
| Philosophy | Fosters children’s social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development through various hands-on activities and play opportunities. Emphasizes responsive and intentional teaching. | Encourages students to exert their independence and be involved in self-directed learning. Children explore their interests and learn at their own pace using specially designed materials. |
| Classroom environment | Has a balance of child-led and teacher-directed activities, wherein teachers plan activities for students. The classroom space is divided into different interest areas. | Features low-height shelves with self-correcting and hands-on materials to foster student learning. Classrooms create an at-home feeling where children move freely and choose what and how to learn. |
| Curriculum structure | Has a predetermined set of goals and objectives to guide teachers in planning lessons and activities for children. | It is more open and flexible. Allows students to learn and progress at their own speed. The five main areas covered include language, mathematics, cultural studies, practical life, and sensorial activities. |
| Teacher’s role | Teachers act as a planner and guide. | Teachers act as guides. |
| Inclusion | Promote inclusion by creating learning experiences that meet a child’s particular needs. Follow individualized lesson plans. | Offer children activities based on their interests and abilities. Gives them the freedom to move around and learn at their own pace and comfort level. |
| Teaching strategies | Examples include brainstorming and art-embedded activities. | Examples include multi-sensory activities and independent exploration indoors and outdoors. |
| Student assessment | Uses thirty-eight objects to assess a child’s scholastic ability. An informal assessment is carried out by teachers year-round. | Assessment is done through careful observation of how the child engages and performs in daily learning activities. |
| Ages served | Designed for children from six weeks to three years of age. | Mainly serves children from 2.5 to six years. Some schools have programs for infants and toddlers, elementary and secondary students. |
In Conclusion
The Montessori method and the Creative Curriculum are both unique and excellent approaches to early childhood curriculum. Although it’s up to a school to decide which curriculum they would like to follow to provide a nurturing, engaging, and safe learning environment for young learners, parents always have the upper hand in deciding what is best suited for their child.
Based on your child’s temperament and interests, you can finalize the best preschool where you think your child will learn and prosper. No matter which approach you choose, rest assured that both these approaches share a common goal of nurturing young minds and setting a solid foundation to cultivate a lifelong interest in learning.
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.