Montessori vs. Traditional Preschool: What's the Real Difference?

If you've started researching preschools in Brooklyn, you've probably come across Montessori school or simply traditional preschools.

At first glance, the classrooms may not seem all that different. There are books, toys, art supplies, smiling teachers, and busy children. Yet beneath the surface, these two educational approaches are built on fundamentally different beliefs about how children learn.

Understanding those differences can help you choose not simply a school, but the kind of childhood you hope your child will experience.

Whether you're looking for a Montessori preschool in Brooklyn, a Mandarin immersion preschool, or simply the best early childhood education for your family, it helps to understand what each approach offers.

The Biggest Difference Isn't the Classroom. It's the View of the Child.

Traditional preschool generally begins with the teacher.

The teacher decides what the class will learn today, when children transition between activities, and how instruction is delivered. Children learn together as a group, moving through the day according to a shared schedule.

Montessori begins somewhere entirely different.

It begins with the child.

Maria Montessori observed that young children possess an extraordinary inner drive to explore, repeat, concentrate, and master their environment. Rather than asking, "What should I teach today?" the Montessori teacher asks, "What is this child ready to discover?"

This single shift changes everything—from the classroom layout to the role of the teacher, the materials children use, and even how success is measured.

How a Montessori Preschool Day Looks Different

Walk into an authentic Montessori preschool and you may be surprised.

There is no teacher standing in front of the room leading every activity.

Instead, children are working independently or in small groups. One child may be building numbers with golden beads. Another is writing words with the Moveable Alphabet. A younger child carefully pours water between two pitchers while an older child helps tie another child's apron.

The classroom appears calm because every child is engaged in purposeful work.

The teacher is constantly observing, introducing new lessons one child at a time, and carefully preparing the environment.

Learning happens through doing—not simply listening.

Why Montessori Uses Mixed-Age Classrooms

One of the first things many Brooklyn parents notice is that Montessori classrooms combine children across three years of development.

This is intentional.

Younger children learn by watching older classmates.

Older children strengthen their own understanding by mentoring younger ones.

Instead of comparing themselves only to peers their own age, children become part of a small learning community where everyone is both a learner and a teacher.

This creates leadership, empathy, patience, and confidence in ways that are difficult to recreate in single-age classrooms.

The Hand is the Instrument of Intelligence

Maria Montessori often reminded us, "The hand is the instrument of intelligence."

Young children understand the world first through movement.

Before they can understand mathematical symbols, they can hold quantities in their hands.

Before they can write words, they trace letters with their fingers.

Before they can understand abstract concepts, they build them, sort them, pour them, carry them, and experience them physically.

What may appear to be "playing with materials" is actually the child's brain building lasting understanding.

What Does the Research Say?

Parents often ask us whether Montessori is simply a philosophy—or whether research actually supports it.For many years, Montessori educators observed qualities that were difficult to measure: children who concentrated for long periods, approached challenges with confidence, enjoyed learning, and developed remarkable independence. Today, researchers are beginning to measure these same qualities, and the findings have been remarkably consistent.

The Largest National Montessori Study to Date (2025)

In October 2025, researchers at the University of Virginia published the first national randomized controlled trial of public Montessori preschool in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)—one of the world's most respected scientific journals.The study followed 588 children from age three through the end of kindergarten. Approximately 240 children were randomly selected through a school lottery to attend one of 24 public Montessori schools across the United States, while the remaining children attended traditional preschool programs.By the end of kindergarten, children who attended Montessori schools demonstrated stronger outcomes in several important areas:

  • Better reading ability

  • Stronger executive function (planning, self-control, and flexible thinking)

  • Better short-term memory

  • Greater social understanding

Perhaps the most fascinating finding was when these differences appeared.

Researchers found very few differences when children were three or four years old. The advantages became clear only by the end of kindergarten, suggesting that Montessori's benefits build gradually over time rather than producing immediate results. This supports what Montessori educators have long observed: child development is cumulative, and deep learning often unfolds over several years rather than several months. The researchers also found particularly strong benefits for boys and children from lower-income families.

Original Research: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) StudyUniversity of Virginia Research Summary

Earlier Research Reached Similar Conclusions (2017)

These findings were not entirely new.In 2017, University of Virginia psychologist Dr. Angeline Lillard led another landmark study, published in Frontiers in Psychology. The researchers followed 141 children over three years after they were randomly admitted by lottery to public Montessori magnet schools.At the beginning of the study, children attending Montessori and traditional preschools performed similarly. Over the next thirty months, meaningful differences began to emerge.By the end of preschool, Montessori children demonstrated stronger performance in:

  • Reading, vocabulary, and applied mathematics

  • Social understanding (often called "theory of mind")

  • Executive function

  • Persistence when faced with challenges (known as mastery orientation)

  • Greater enjoyment of learning and school activities

One of the study's most encouraging findings was its impact on educational equity.

In many traditional educational settings, family income is strongly associated with academic outcomes. In this study, however, Montessori appeared to reduce that relationship. Children from lower-income families made gains comparable to those of their higher-income peers, suggesting that an authentic Montessori environment can help narrow opportunity gaps during early childhood.

Original Research: Frontiers in Psychology: Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes

What This Means for Parents

Research should never replace thoughtful observation of your own child, but it can help us understand which educational practices consistently support healthy development.These studies do not suggest that every school calling itself "Montessori" will automatically produce these outcomes. The research was conducted in classrooms that faithfully followed the Montessori method, with trained teachers, uninterrupted work periods, mixed-age classrooms, and carefully prepared environments.

In other words, the evidence supports authentic Montessori practice, not simply the Montessori name.

For parents, perhaps the most important takeaway is this:Montessori's greatest strengths may not be the things that are easiest to see in the first few months of school. The benefits become more apparent over time as children develop stronger concentration, greater independence, deeper curiosity, and the confidence to tackle increasingly complex challenges.

Those qualities don't simply prepare children for kindergarten. They help prepare children for a lifetime of learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Montessori better than a traditional preschool?

Research suggests that authentic Montessori programs support strong development in executive function, independence, reading, and social understanding. However, the best preschool is one that aligns with your child's needs and your family's educational values.

Does Montessori prepare children for elementary school?

Yes. Montessori children develop strong academic foundations while also building concentration, independence, problem-solving skills, and confidence—all of which help them transition successfully into elementary school.

Is Montessori too unstructured?

No. Montessori classrooms are highly structured, but the structure lives within the prepared environment rather than a teacher directing every moment of the day. Children experience freedom within carefully established limits.

Is Montessori good for shy or active children?

Many children who are shy, energetic, or highly curious thrive in Montessori because they can move, observe, and learn at their own pace while receiving individualized guidance from the teacher.

The Ms. Lam Difference: AMI Montessori + Mandarin Immersion

Ms. Lam Montessori is one of the only schools in Brooklyn offering both AMI-certified Montessori education and full Mandarin immersion, from toddler age through elementary.

Our teachers hold AMI credentials. Our classrooms span three-year age ranges. Our work periods are uninterrupted. And our Mandarin immersion begins at 18 months, the window when language acquisition is most natural and efficient.

Programs available at our Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, and Park Slope campuses:

To see the approach in action, the best next step is a campus visit.

Our 60-minute tours include time in the classrooms, a conversation with our admissions team, and a look at our unique approach.

Schedule a Tour at Our Brooklyn Campuses