Could someone do a quick compare/contrast for me, please?
I know a little about each but not enough and was hoping one of you could give me a cliff notes version. I was at a montessori school today, and it looked awesome. My son isn't even 2 yet, our options are wide open, and I will do more research on it all, hence the just wanting a little info on it, or maybe just some "I don't like Montessori because..." or whatever.

The variety of preschools available now does indeed make choosing one a confusing process. Consider this a brief overview; you can get more in-depth information from a visit to your local library.

THE MONTESSORI METHOD
Montessori schools were started in 1907 by an Italian woman named Maria Montessori. Programs that carry her name vary significantly, although the teachers should be trained in the Montessori method. Many Montessori schools are preschool only, others go through eighth grade.

As an example, here's how Kathy Cox, director of Bellevue Montessori School in Bellevue, Washington, explains her school:

In each classroom there is family-style grouping; children ages three to five are together. All of the learning materials available were designed by Maria Montessori for a specific purpose and developmental age. In the classroom, there are four distinct areas:

1. Practical life. Here the children learn to pour and stir, cut and paste, use the art easel and the like. The focus is on learning concentration, and refining large and fine motor skills.

2. Sensory materials. Children work with objects that teach size and color discrimination. For example, one child would put a series of different-sized cylinders in a row from largest to smallest. Children also learn to track from left to right, which is important for reading.

3. Language and reading. In this center, children learn letters phonetically. They learn with their eyes and ears, and also by touching letters cut from sandpaper.

4. Math. Children learn to count, add and subtract by manipulating objects such as beads or beans. They also are taught to recognize numbers.

The most important aspect of the Montessori method, says Cox, is that teachers respect the children and the work they do, and don't talk down to them.

WALDORF SCHOOLS
The Waldorf schools were founded by Rudolph Steiner in the first part of the 20th century, and they are established in many countries across the globe. Their goal is to cultivate children as world citizens.

Here's how Edith Kusnic, administrator of the Waldorf School in Seattle, Washington, describes their program:

The same teacher follows the children from prekindergarten through eighth grade. (The Waldorf School in Seattle goes through eighth grade, but of the 600 schools worldwide, many continue through high school.) The curriculum integrates math, reading, science and history during the morning "main lesson," which is in-depth, multidimensional learning on a single subject. The subject area changes every three weeks.

Cultivating the imagination takes a primary focus; the "main lesson" curriculum unfolds with stories that go from fairy tales to myths and legends to understanding socialization. The focus is on developing the child's "heart, head and hands." Any subject, such as pioneer life, would focus not just on the facts. It would include information about what people did with their hands, and how they felt.

Most important, the school strives to develop confidence and competence, not only in the academic areas but also in arts, including handwork, music and woodworking.

OTHER OPTIONS
In addition to Waldorf and Montessori schools, there are cooperative preschools in which parents run the business of the school, hire the teachers and participate in the classroom. Another option is a religious preschool attached to a temple or church. Some teachers run preschools out of their own home. The options are endless.

To make the right choice for your child, your best bet is to observe a variety of preschools and trust your own instincts about which environment is most suited to your child's temperament and interests. You know your child better than anyone else. You'll recognize the school where your child will thrive.

One point to keep in mind is that Montessori and Waldorf "in theory" are one thing, and in practice may be quite something else. What I mean is that the Waldorf or Montessori concept may make your heart sing, but the actual school and/or teachers in your area may be...well, not right for your family (or just plain crappy). Personally, I think if y'all have a good repoire with the teacher the *type* of school is secondary.

There are various essays online that compare the two. I think one is on the Oak Meadow website. Most are written by Waldorf afficianados, and have a "flavor" of not knowing about Montessori in depth.

Most of the "I don't like Montessori because..." I've seen in forum discussions has to do with individual schools, not the Montessori method itself. "Montessori" isn't a copyrighted/licensed term -- I could slap a sign on my door declaring that I'm teaching Montessori here, and there's no governing body to force me to take it down, whether I use *any* Montessori concepts or not. So, most complaints tend to hinge on things that aren't Montessori, but just happen to be taking place in a school with "Montessori" on the door. Waldorf has tighter control of its name, btw.

One difference I've noticed is that Montessori is child-led. Children decide what they need to work on when, with some gentle guidance from the directress. Waldorf is teacher-led, as it is assumed that children don't know what they should be working on. Both theories have merit, and how they play out in your local schools will depend on the teachers and personalities involved.

This Montessori school looked (and from what I hear) really is the real deal. And it seems that way. Everything I have read on it (like next to nothing) ends up going along with what I was seeing at this school, if that makes sense. The only thing that kind of bugged me about it was how quiet it was, it just seemed kind of odd that the kids weren't talking...why weren't any of them talking?
Anyway I just reserved a stack of montessori books from the library.

doing a bit of random searching for montessori in this forum and found this thread... so... it's been a little while, but i thought i would answer this question:

Originally posted by annb
The only thing that kind of bugged me about it was how quiet it was, it just seemed kind of odd that the kids weren't talking...why weren't any of them talking?


in a montessori classroom, the teachers foster a super strong sense of independence... and with that comes something of a maturity... or... gosh, i can't find the words i'm looking for today... there is a bit of serious-ness to whatever they are working on - learning and mastering a skill takes concentration... so the lack of "normal" classroom white-noise that you heard is totally normal for a primary class (2-5 year olds)...

If you've read any of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work on "flow" (for example, Flow: the psychology of optimal experience ), that sort of describes what's going on. As a matter of fact, Csikszentmihalyi does quite a bit of work with one of the international Montessori organizations, since the ideas mesh so well.

Jami, are you considering Montessori? Or a teacher? Or considering Montessori homeschool? What's the scoop?