When parents visit a preschool, they often see children moving around freely, choosing activities, and working with their hands. Montessori and play-based classrooms can look similar at first glance. But the two approaches work differently, and understanding those differences helps you know what your child is learning — and why.
What Is Montessori?
Montessori is a structured method developed by Dr. Maria Montessori more than a century ago. In a Montessori classroom, children choose their own work from a carefully prepared set of materials. Each material has a specific purpose. Sorting blocks by size builds early number sense. Tracing sandpaper letters develops the feel of writing. The materials are designed so children can spot their own mistakes without waiting for a teacher to tell them.
Children in Montessori classrooms often work in mixed-age groups, so a four-year-old may sit alongside a six-year-old. The teacher observes, guides, and introduces new materials when a child is ready — rather than leading the whole class through the same task at the same time.
What Is Play-Based Learning?
Play-based learning also centres on the child. But instead of materials with fixed purposes, children explore through open-ended activities — building with blocks, painting, role-playing, or working together on a project they invent themselves. There is no single correct way to use what is in the room.
The teacher still plans the environment carefully, setting out activities that encourage language, creativity, problem-solving, and social skills. But children decide how to use what is available. The emphasis is on curiosity and learning through experience rather than through a set sequence of steps.
How They Differ in Practice
The clearest difference is in structure. Montessori uses specific materials that guide children toward particular skills in a particular order. Play-based learning gives children more freedom to set their own direction.
In Montessori, a child who picks up the sandpaper letters is working toward a clear goal — learning letter sounds through touch. In a play-based classroom, a child who picks up chalk might write letters, draw a picture, or do something entirely unexpected. Both moments have real learning value, but they develop different habits of mind. Montessori tends to build concentration and independence through focused, repeated work. Play-based learning tends to build creativity and flexibility by letting children follow where their curiosity leads.
Questions to Ask When You Visit a Preschool
Knowing these differences gives you useful questions to ask during any school visit:
- How does the teacher decide when to step in and when to let children work things out themselves?
- Are children grouped by age or in mixed-age classes?
- How do you balance structured activities with free choice?
- How do you prepare children for the more structured expectations of primary school?
That last question matters for families considering a school where preschool leads directly into a primary programme. A good preschool — whatever its approach — should be able to explain clearly how it builds the habits children will need for the next stage of learning.
To learn more about early childhood education at SSELC, visit our preschool programme page.