Montessori vs Waldorf
The primary difference between Montessori and Waldorf lies in their respective teaching methods. Montessori, a well-known term across the globe, is a teaching style for young children that was founded by Maria Montessori in Rome in 1907. Waldorf, another popular teaching approach, was established in 1919 when Rudolf Steiner opened the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany. Although these two types of schools share similarities, they also possess unique characteristics.
The founders of Montessori and Waldorf schools believed that traditional education was harmful to children. They aimed to introduce children to formal subjects in a way that sparked their curiosity and didn’t make them feel forced to study. However, Montessori and Waldorf schools differ in their approaches and teaching styles.
Key Takeaways
- Montessori teaching allows children to choose what they want to learn, guiding them to understand the concept behind objects they are interested in. Waldorf teaching emphasizes teacher-based learning, with the teacher selecting what the child needs to learn or understand.
- Montessori schools focus less on spiritual and philosophical needs, while Waldorf schools believe that understanding nature and natural phenomena requires an understanding of humanity.
- Waldorf schools encourage children to use their own creativity to develop toys and play, while Montessori schools provide specially designed toys to shape children’s behavior and help them learn basic concepts.
What is Montessori?
The Montessori teaching style believes in allowing a child to choose what they want to learn. When a child shows interest in something, the teacher guides them in understanding the concept behind the object. However, Montessori schools do not pay much attention to the spiritual and philosophical needs of children.
Montessori schools believe that toys play a significant role in shaping children’s behavior, so they use specially designed toys and only allow children to play with Montessori-designed toys. These toys help children learn basic concepts while playing. Montessori schools also believe in using modern technology, such as computers and the internet, to help children learn about their surroundings. However, they advocate for limitations on television programs and discourage children from using cell phones and MP3 players. In Montessori schools, much of what children learn comes from their teachers, although books are introduced early on.
What is Waldorf?
In contrast, Waldorf Schools emphasize teacher-based learning. In this approach, the teacher chooses what the child needs to learn or understand. Waldorf schools place a greater emphasis on nurturing a child’s creativity. They believe that to understand nature and natural phenomena, students must have an understanding of humanity. Waldorf schools allow the child’s creativity to guide them, even during play, and encourage children to create their own toys with whatever materials they have at hand.
Waldorf schools believe that media should have a limited impact on a child’s life, which is why they do not use media for teaching. Children in Waldorf schools tend to play more than those in Montessori schools. Additionally, Waldorf schools do not use textbooks in the early stages of education.
What is the difference between Montessori and Waldorf?
- Montessori was founded by Maria Montessori in 1907, while Waldorf was founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1919.
- Montessori allows children to choose what they want to learn, while Waldorf emphasizes teacher-based learning.
- Montessori schools focus less on spiritual and philosophical needs, while Waldorf schools believe understanding nature and natural phenomena requires an understanding of humanity.
- Waldorf schools encourage children to use their creativity to develop toys and play, while Montessori schools provide specially designed toys to shape behavior and teach basic concepts.
- Both Montessori and Waldorf schools believe in using modern technology to help children learn about their surroundings but advocate for limitations on television programs and discourage the use of cell phones and MP3 players.
- Children in Waldorf schools tend to play more than those in Montessori schools.
- Waldorf schools place a greater emphasis on nurturing a child’s creativity, while Montessori schools rely more on teacher efforts.
- Waldorf schools do not use textbooks in the early stages of education, while Montessori schools introduce books early on.
