What's the Difference?                

Our Mission

Westwood develops character, fosters community,

and promotes academic excellence in a

welcoming, supportive environment.

Our vision, as teachers and parents,

is to encourage students in responsible citizenship

so each can make a positive, personal contribution

and actively participate in the national and global community.

The Westwood School Difference

Since 1986, The Westwood School has provided an outstanding Montessori environment, beginning at the pre-school level, that is now blended with the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Westwood is an authorized IB World School offering the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) grades 7-10 and the IB Diploma Programme (DP) grades 11-12.  

The Westwood School:

• offers programs for beginner through high school.

• emphasizes personal ethics and responsibility within a caring, supportive community.

• emphasizes the individual relationship between each child and the teacher.

• offers International Baccalaureate Programmes, synonymous with student-centered curriculum, academic rigor, and international mindedness.
  

• designs specific assignments to build students' confidence through experimentation, repetition, and recitation.

• provides a balance of one-on-one and small group presentations.

• expands students' mastery of mind and body, through core athleticism, to excel in everything they do.
  

• provides an environment where students develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

• regards standardized tests, administered after basic concepts are acquired, as tools to provide benchmarks and further evaluate skills.

• maintains a tradition of student-to-student mentoring, affording each student the opportunity to solidify personal skills while guiding peers.

• students commit to leaving the world better than they found it, becoming better themselves in the process.

• annual Shakespeare production, and various national competitions, enable students to sharpen leadership skills and understand group dynamics and project management.

• graduates go out into the world not just to do great things but to do the right things

Comparison of Traditional & Montessori Methods

1.   Traditional Method:                                                              

•  Curriculum structured with little regard for child's interests

      Montessori Method: 

•  Child's work is self-paced from own interest, abilities

2.   Traditional Method: 

•  Teacher-driven curriculum

      Montessori Method:

•  Child formulates concepts from exploration of materials

3.   Traditional Method:

•  Emphasis on rote knowledge, social development
  

      Montessori Method: 

•  Emphasis on cognitive structure, social development

4.   Traditional Method:

•  Few materials for sensory,concrete manipulation 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Multi-sensory materials for physical        exploration, development as  concept base

5.   Traditional Method:

•  Single-age grouping 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Mixed-age grouping
  

6.   Traditional Method:

•  Child usually given specific time for work
  

      Montessori Method: 

•  Child works as long as desired on chosen project

7.   Traditional Method:

•  Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher
  

      Montessori Method: 

•  Child sets own learning pace to internalize information
  

8.   Traditional Method:

•  Errors corrected by teacher
  

      Montessori Method: 

•  Child spots own errors through feedback from material or help from teacher
  

9.   Traditional Method:

•  Learning reinforced externally by rewards, discouragements 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Learning reinforced internally through child's repetition of activity, feelings of success

10. Traditional Method:

•  Little emphasis or instruction on maintenance of classroom environment 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Organized program for learning care of self and classroom environment

11. Traditional Method:

•  Child's seat assigned; encouraged to sit still during group sessions
  

      Montessori Method: 

•  Child can work where comfortable, move and talk at will (while not disturbing others); group work is voluntary and negotiable

12. Traditional Method:

•  Teacher is primary enforcer of discipline 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Environment, method encourage self-discipline

13. Traditional Method:

•  Teacher's role is dominant, active; child is passive participant 

      Montessori Method: 

•  Teacher's role unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning

14. Traditional Method:

•  Individual and group instruction conforms to the adult's teaching style
  

     Montessori Method: 

•  Individual and group instruction adapted to each child's learning style

15. Traditional Method:

•  Most teaching done by teacher; collaboration not encouraged
  

     Montessori Method: 

•  Children encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other

16. Traditional Method:

•  Voluntary parental involvement, often only as fundraisers; non-participants in understanding the learning process

      Montessori Method: 

•  Organized program for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy and participate in the learning process