The education your child receives in the early years of school will set a foundation for future learning. The Montessori Philosophy of education views the role of school as preparing students for success in life. When you look at your child’s education as an essential part of preparing him or her for success in life, the decision of private education versus public education becomes a long-term decision that you are making for your child’s future. Is a private education more beneficial than public? In a number of important ways, private education will be more beneficial to your child now and in the future.

Individualized instruction

One factor that attracts many people to private school is the fact that private programs have complete control over class size. The private program can simply close enrollment once all the classes reach a predetermined size. Keeping class sizes small makes it possible for private programs to offer more individualized instruction to students. Individualized instruction sets your child up for success because it is a way to ensure that your child truly masters important concepts before moving on to the next. Montessori programs, for example, are designed to allow each student to learn at his or her own pace. The small class size makes it possible for the teacher to design an individualized learning plan for each child.

Opportunities for cooperative learning

Private school can also provide your child with opportunities for cooperative learning that are difficult to provide in public school. For example, Montessori classrooms are designed to be multi-age. This means that students get the opportunity to work with peers who may be younger or older than them. The standard design of public schools – especially in the elementary years – is to group children based on age. Private schools do not have to abide by that design which can provide your child with the benefit of learning to work with kids who are a range of different ages. The real world is not neatly categorized based off of age so this design is a better representation of what working cooperatively will be like as your child goes through life.

Freedom to choose educational philosophy

Private programs have the freedom to choose the educational philosophy on which they are based. This means that the curriculum, classroom design, and enrichment opportunities you will see in private programs can vary significantly from public schools. Your child can benefit from attending a program that is based on a philosophy of education that promoted individualized instruction. For example, the Montessori Philosophy of education is designed in a way that ensures each student gets an individualized learning plan and has the opportunity to move at his or her own pace. This design will allow your child to develop a strong foundation in early education that can be built upon in the future.

The unique environment of the private school classroom can provide your child with a number of benefits. The best way to learn how private education will benefit your child is by scheduling a time to observe a class at each program you are considering. Classroom observation will allow you to see for yourself all the ways that private education is set apart from public school.