Montessori vs Steiner – Understanding different educational philosophies.

What is Montessori?

Montessori – “ Based upon the natural laws of human development”

The Montessori Method is a philosophy that encourages each individual child to develop at his or her own pace, within a safe, caring and well-ordered environment.

Dr Maria Montessori was the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome medical school and became interested in education through her work as a doctor, treating what today are known as children with special needs.

She then went on to establish schools for the disadvantaged children of working parents in Rome. She approached their education, using the classroom as her laboratory for observing children and finding ways to help them to achieve their full potential.

What happens in a Montessori classroom?

Within a Montessori school the morning should last for a minimum of three hours in which there is no fixed ‘timetable’. There are no time limits for the child as he/she may work with whatever they choose for as long as they like. This is known as the ‘three- hour work cycle’ is another essential feature of the Montessori approach

You will find independent children who are encouraged not only to do things for themselves but also to think for themselves. The Montessori approach is based upon the natural laws of human development. Maria Montessori observed that children under six absorb limitlessly and effortlessly from the world around them and in so doing lay down all the foundations for later life.

The classroom is set out with a “free flow” environment so that children are not restricted to where they can go and can independently move from one activity to another individually, in a group or with a friend.

Everything in the classroom is designed to support and develop their curiosity. It gives the children the opportunity to practise the skills of everyday life to develop concentration and co-ordination of mind and body.

Children are prepared to write and read from the minute they come into the class through a series of activities that gradually build all the individual skills required so that when they are ready it is just a natural progression. Geography, history, biology, botany, zoology, art and music are covered with a hands-on approach that is based on the fact that children learn most effectively from their own experiences.

Ask any child who has been educated in a genuine Montessori school who taught him to read and he will probably say ‘I taught myself’.

What is Steiner?

Steiner – “A spiritual and humanistic approach to learning”

The Steiner education is based on a humanistic approach to pedagogy (the science and art of education) and the spiritual approach to learning and understanding the human body, soul and spirit known as Anthroposophy.

Anthroposophy works on the basis that children’s creative, spiritual and moral dimensions require as much attention as their intellectual ones.

Rudolf Steiner was a highly trained scientist and respected philosopher. Steiner came to the conclusion that western civilization would increasingly bring destruction to itself and the earth if it did not begin to incorporate an objective understanding of the spiritual world and its interrelationship with the physical world.

Steiner’s spiritual scientific methods and insights have given birth to practical holistic innovations in many fields including education, banking, medicine, psychology, the arts and, not least, agriculture.

Steiner strongly believed “Education is designed to enhance, enrich and support the developmental phases of childhood”.

What happens in a Steiner classroom?

A Steiner classroom would insist on a balance of artistic, practical and intellectual teaching – plus an emphasis on social skills and spiritual values. Children typically start the day with a longish prayer that talks about ‘the spirit of God’ and ‘the soul that lives in me’

They play with simple unfinished, wooden toys rather than bright plastic ones, to allow their imaginations to develop. From the age of six, children will commence formal learning and are introduced to reading and writing material. They learn at least two languages and study mental arithmetic almost daily.

The Steiner philosophy dictates that screen images hinder the development of thought and imagination, calculators and computers are banned until children are older. They are discouraged from watching t.v and listening to the radio as they believe a devil called “Ahriman” talks through electronic devices.

Their physical development is inspired through a ritualised dance form called Eurythmy which is a type of body movement that results in “visible speech.” it acknowledges a person’s capacity to communicate through non-verbal gestures and is made up of discreet movements that represent various phonetic sounds to communicate with spirit world.

Many Parents who are asked if they know the difference between Montessori and Steiner, often reply

“Aren’t these the schools where children do what they like”? The answer is: No! They’re the schools where children like what they do.

To find a Steiner or Montessori school near you search http://www.look4nurseries.co.uk/