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Inspired Education
By Lindsay Evans
Web Exclusive - August 15, 2008
Children are born with a naturally intense curiosity to understand the world around them. Parents, children's first and most influential teachers, often face confusion and anxiety when contemplating their child's transition to a school environment.
Early childhood education has benefited from the wisdom and insight of many caring individuals through time, and continues to evolve today. The works of Rudolph Steiner, Maria Montessori, and others have significantly shaped the way children interact with their teachers and within the classroom. By recognizing the needs of young children and implementing strategies to effectively guide their curiosity, these educators have developed many different, but highly effective methods in early childhood education. Many independent and publicly funded schools continue to employ their methods today.
At first glance, learning about different educational methods that are popular today can seem overwhelming. A common question is, "What makes one philosophy different from another?" The purpose of this article is to introduce several well-known educational styles and emphasize their differences so parents will have a base of knowledge as they search for the school that fits their family.
Waldorf
Waldorf education is based on the works of Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner. The first Waldorf School, founded in Germany in 1919, arose from Steiner's studies in a new branch of philosophy he called Anthroposophy (a Greek word meaning "human wisdom"). Steiner believed that a human's spiritual experiences could be analyzed using scientific reasoning and communicated to others in order to benefit humanity as a whole. Each individual should be allowed infinite personal freedom to explore and reflect on one's spirituality; the wisdom gained would in turn nourish the body and soul. Though Anthroposophy as a subject matter is not taught directly to Waldorf students, this paradigm of spiritual wisdom spawned an educational movement whose stated goal is, according to the website waldorfanswers.org, to "produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives."
Waldorf classrooms use natural materials such as wood and wool in their toys and classroom decor to help nourish children's instinctual reverence for nature. Students, particularly in early childhood, are introduced to new material in artistic ways--through storytelling, music, or dramatic presentation, for example--to fully engage a child's senses and imagination. Nourishing the whole child, "head, heart, and hands" is central to the Waldorf model. Because Waldorf education strives to balance academic learning with artistic and practical activities, children may learn knitting, gardening, movement, and other skills along with academic material. "Early childhood is an incredibly rich time of growth and learning, but the process of learning is far more important than the content of learning at this stage of life," says Joan Almon, coordinator of the Alliance for Childhood and editor of the book, What is a Waldorf Kindergarten? In preschool and kindergarten, the focus is typically on play, imagination, imitation, art, movement, and fairy tales. "The model for early childhood education is not a school model, but the home itself with children of different ages experiencing life together, such as siblings do," says Almon.
In the US, Waldorf education is most commonly found in preschools, kindergartens, or elementary schools, although some schools may teach children through middle and high school. In addition to hundreds of private Waldorf schools in the US, there are now more than 30 Waldorf-style schools operating under the public school system (for a list, see waldorfanswers.org/PublicWaldorf.htm#list). The Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America website (www.waldorfearlychildhood.com/membership_directory.asp) lists Waldorf preschool and kindergarten programs in the US.
Parents researching Waldorf schools should take time to understand a particular school's methodology and vision. While some schools are affiliated with accredited organizations, such as the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, many others implement their own ideas of Waldorf education.
Montessori
Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, opened the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907 following post-graduate work with children with mental disabilities. Her success with disabled children led Montessori to develop an educational philosophy that would benefit children worldwide. Montessori believed children are natural learners and have a great capability to teach themselves when exposed to proper materials and activities. Montessori spoke of the child's absorbent mind and viewed children as competent beings who, when given respect and trust, excel in a self-directed educational environment.
The Montessori classroom is home to children in three-year age groups (0?3, 3?6, and so on). The classroom caters to the needs and interests of the child, creating a learning environment where children can move freely from one carefully prepared activity to another as they wish. Child-sized furniture, plants and nature boxes, and small pets make the classroom a comfortable child's world. The teacher introduces new materials to the children individually and models their correct use, then remains a silent presence as the students experiment and explore creatively with the activity. Practical Life materials teach children hands-on skills, such as scrubbing, pouring, mixing, and folding, and address a child's love of learning through all five senses. These materials are usually self-correcting ("Oops, the water spilled when I was pouring it!"), thereby validating children's ability to teach themselves. Montessori teachers are trained to recognize sensitive periods in a child's development and use their observations of the children in the classroom environment as a basis to further the curriculum. A child may repeat activities as often as desired until mastery is achieved. The teacher ensures that each child masters all classroom material during the three-year period.
A 2006 study by Dr. Angeline Lillard and Nicole Else-Quest, published in the journal Science, reports that children with a Montessori education performed as well as or better than their traditionally educated peers in both academic and social assessments. Dr. Lillard attributes these findings primarily to the special Montessori learning materials, social-skill building, and child-centeredness of the Montessori program. "There is often explicit social teaching in Montessori, with lessons on how to resolve conflicts, nicely ask for something, and so on. I believe children are seeing more and more examples of poor social interaction in the culture, and that they therefore especially need this kind of explicit teaching and role-play," says Lillard.
An estimated 5,000 schools in the United States, 300 of which are publicly funded, use Montessori methods. Montessori schools are commonly preschool, kindergarten, or elementary programs, though several middle and high schools exist in the US. Montessori schools may be accredited by organizations such as the Association Montessori Internationale (founded by Dr. Montessori in 1929) or may be non-affiliated. Again, parents should investigate a particular school to fully understand its vision. The Montessori Connections website lists private and public Montessori schools in the US (www.montessoriconnections.com/).
Reggio Emilia
The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education evolved out of a community effort in the town of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy shortly after World War II. Concerned with rebuilding their lives and community after the war, parents, educators, and concerned citizens worked together to create an approach to education that would bring a positive influence to the world. Intentionally not a prescribed method, the Reggio approach values the individuality of each school community, and is based upon consideration of priorities and ideas from the people it serves. "Reggio is constructed uniquely between children, teachers, and parents with differences for context and culture influencing these multiple constructions," explains Julianne Wurm, author of Working in the Reggio Way: A Beginner's Guide for American Teachers.
The Reggio Emilia approach was developed for children up to age six. Reggio educators view the school environment as the child's third teacher, and therefore take great care in creating a place of beauty and community. This may be implemented differently among Reggio schools, as each school evaluates what might best suit its particular situation. "Practitioners start to ask themselves what this means and looks like for their setting and with their view of the child," says Wurm.
Documentation of the learning experience is central to the Reggio approach and is seen as a medium through which students, parents, and teachers can physically see the connections made in the learning process. The Reggio classroom is a gallery to display the evolution of the children's schoolwork. Teachers assist students in documenting their work, which may include expression through a child's "multiple symbolic languages," such as art, music, or drama. In the same light, Reggio teachers are committed to consistent evaluation of their own practices and make continued efforts to improve.
Student inquiries largely direct the course of the emergent curriculum. Teachers are trained to recognize issues children may be struggling to understand and offer subject matter based on their observations of student interactions. Students create their own hypotheses and methods to solve problems, while the teacher acts as researcher, resource, and guide. The class works on short-term projects, which may last a week or so, and long-term projects, which continue through a school year. While the teacher introduces the long-term project subject matter at the beginning of the school year, short-term project ideas are student-based, often with one idea leading to another. In the Reggio approach, education is seen as a true community effort and responsibility. Parent and community involvement is crucial to a successful Reggio school, as their input is used to influence the school on many levels such as policy and curriculum.
No organizations exist to accredit Reggio schools, and this fact is part of Reggio philosophy itself. Teachers committed to Reggio believe educating children is a learning process that has much to do with the school's unique students and community. For a list of self-nominated Reggio schools in your area, see the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting website (ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/reggio/reggio.cgi).
What's Right for You?
The most important thing you can do in researching schools for your child is to visit the school while it is in session. Check to see if the school's ideals and goals are really being met in the classroom. Happy, inspired students and open, nurturing adults are a sure sign that the school is on the right track, no matter what its founding philosophy.
Consider your child's personality and interests as well as your family's priorities when evaluating schools. "Don't forget that you're not just choosing a school for your child, you're choosing a school that's right for you?a school where you feel good about dropping your child off in the morning," says mom Kate Dobiecka of New Haven, Connecticut. Kate's daughter was doing fine at her first school, but Kate decided to look for another alternative after noticing religious and political influences that did not jive with her family values. "For us, Montessori was the perfect fit," she says. "Everything is very matter-of-fact; it's child-centered, well-structured, non-competitive, and balanced." Kate feels that finding the right school for her daughter was a valuable pursuit, and sees the proof every day. "My daughter can just be who she is," she says proudly. "She's thriving and growing there."
Additional Options
You may also consider options such as a public preschool or kindergarten. Visit your local public school and talk to parents whose kids are enrolled. Depending on the school district, teachers, and funding, you may find a successful program that works for you.
Another option is a cooperative preschool or kindergarten. Co-ops are independent schools organized and administered by a group of parents who hire trained teachers for their children. Parents share responsibilities of running the school and assist in the classroom on a rotating basis. You can learn more here: www.preschools.coop
In Sudbury schools, children are free to direct their education and are guided by their own interests. Sudbury model schools believe that a person's character, rather than a specific body of knowledge, will determine success in life. Although more common for older children, many Sudbury schools offer preschool and kindergarten programs as well (www.sudburynetwork.org).
Of course, homeschooling is also an option. A growing number of mothers choose to educate their children at home in small independent groups. Curriculum resources and social networks abound online. Here is a good place to start: www.homeschool.com.
Lindsay Evans is a freelance writer and teacher at her daughter's Montessori school.
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