Early Childhood Models: Montessori and HighScope

Early Childhood Models
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Montessori and HighScope early childhood education models are the foundation of learning. The Montessori Method, developed in the 1900s, is a child-centered method of education that utilizes child-led activities that helps to encourage independent learning among children. The HighScope method is a play-based and child-centered learning where teachers guide children in exploring and exercising their creative imagination through purposeful play. While the two are instrumental educational models that shape the education of early childhood children, they are similar and different in terms of philosophical and theoretical bases, the role of teachers and students, developmentally appropriate practices, and their advantages and disadvantages.
The two education models differ in their philosophical and theoretical bases of education. According to Tubaki and Matsuishi (2008, p. 1-2), Montessori education follows the pedagogy theory of learning, characterized by teachers utilizing learning theories and knowledge gotten from understanding kids to facilitate their learning process. The education system follows the philosophy that if adults placed children in well-organized environments and watched over them, they would identify what they need by themselves and gradually absorb it in their minds and bodies. The philosophy also emphasizes giving kids objects to concentrate on, their independence, and respect as opposed to teaching them. Contrary, the HighScope education model is grounded on Piaget’s theory of learning which argues that children learn through adaptation by engaging with the environment and examining it, thereby enhancing their intellectual and social skills (Wiltshire, 2018, p. 35-37). The education model observes the philosophy of children actively participating in selecting, organizing, and assessing their learning activities; the teacher regularly plans a developmentally inclined curriculum through child observation and students’ experiences (Wiltshire, 2018, p. 35-37). Like Montessori learning, HighScope is applied in a communal setting, where children select items, ideas, and people to engage with in their projects. Also, teachers and adults working with children act as facilitators and guides.
The role of the teacher and the student differs in the two education models. A Montessori teacher works as a guide and directs and focuses students in their learning activities. The teacher prepares a Montessori learning environment with materials and activities that meet children’s needs, promoting independent learning. Also, they are observers who identify students’ interests, learning styles, and personality, which they use to understand their needs and prepare for their learning sessions (Bărbieru, 2016, p. 113-117). The role of Montessori students is to play by choosing various subject areas that interest them. The student’s other role is learning by handling different educational materials and independently working to understand and discover new ideas. In HighScope learning, teachers play the role of partners and friends, who support children by playing and encouraging them to explore...