| Emphasis on cognitive and social development |
Emphasis on social development |
| Teacher has unobtrusive role in classroom |
Teacher is center of classroom as “controller” |
| Environment and method encourage self-discipline |
Teacher enforces discipline |
| Mainly individual instruction |
Group and individual instruction |
| Mixed age grouping |
Same age grouping |
| Grouping encourages children to teach and help each other |
Most teaching done by teacher |
| Child chooses own work |
Activities structured for child |
| Child works as long as he wishes on chosen project |
Child generally allotted specific time for work |
| Child discovers own concepts from self-teaching materials |
Child is guided to concepts by teacher |
| Child sets own learning pace |
Instruction pace usually set by group |
| Child spots own errors from feedback on material |
If work is corrected, errors usually pointed out by teacher |
| Child reinforces learning by repetition and feelings of success |
Learning is reinforced externally by repetition and rewards |
| Organized program for learning care of self and environment (polishing shoes, cleaning the sink, etc.) |
Less emphasis on self-care instruction |
| Child can work where he chooses (yet not disturb work of others); group work is also encouraged |
Child usually assigned own chair; encouraged to participate, sit still and listen during group sessions |
