Montessori EducationWhat is Montessori? Montessori is an individualized approach to education for children from toddler through high school that helps each child reach full potential in all areas of life. It is a student-centered approach that encourages creativity and curiosity and leads children to ask questions, explore, investigate and think for themselves as they acquire skills. A Montessori environment focusses more on a student's learning than on a teacher's teaching. Specially trained Montessori teachers guide, coach and facilitate each child's learning through continuous observation and assessment. What makes it unique? 1. The "Whole Child" Approach The primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well as cognitive skills. Under the direction of a specially trained teacher, the holistic curriculum allows the child to experience the joy of learning, gives the child time to enjoy the process, ensures the development of self-esteem, and provides the experiences from which children create their knowledge. 2. The "Responsive, Prepared, and Adaptive Environment" In order for self-directed learning to take place, the whole learning environment - facilities, room, materials, social climate, and experiences - must be supportive of the learner. The teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. An atmosphere of support and trust enables the children to explore and discover confidently. 3. Mixed Age-Groupings The multi-age grouping in each class provides a family-like setting where learning can take place naturally. More experienced children share what they have learned while reinforcing their own knowledge and skills. The multi-age community interaction is intrinsic to Montessori. This encourages rich language experiences, and opportunities for the development of empathy and social learning. In order to respond to the diversity of individual children’s developmental needs, classes in the Casa and Elementary programmes group children across a three-year age span. Toddler programmes may have a one year age span in order to comply with Ministry guidelines and/or the individual school’s programming. Learning with and from each other to develop the social skills that form a class community. The social setting is like that of an extended family. The emergent skills of the individual children come together to form the class community. 4. Cooperation and Collaboration Children are encouraged to respect and support one another in their learning, and with their daily needs and experiences. Learning is a social process. 5. The Montessori Materials Dr. Montessori's scientific observations of the children led her to design a number of multisensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials. These facilitate learning which builds from the concrete to the abstract in constructing their knowledge. 6. Self-Directed Learning Children are free to work at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others. The teacher relies on his or her observations of the children to determine which new activities and materials may be introduced to an individual child or to a small or large group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small group collaboration within the whole group community. 7. Freedom with Limits Each Montessori class, from toddlers through elementary, operates on the principle of freedom within limits. Every program has its set of ground rules which differ from age to age, but is always based on core Montessori beliefs - respect for each other and for the environment. 8. The Teacher Originally called a "Directress", the Montessori teacher functions as designer of the environment, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record keeper, and meticulous observer of each child's behaviour and growth. The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning. This extensive training includes supervised classroom practice teaching and is specialized for the age group with which a teacher will work, i.e., infant and toddler, 3 to 6 year olds, 6 to 9 year olds, and 9 to 12 year olds. *Resources consulted: http://www.ourkids.net/blog/waldorf-vs-montessori-schools https://primarymontessori.com/7-ways-montessori-education-gives-child-confidence-life/ http://montessoriofjerseycity.com/facts-about-montessori-education-and-montessori-approach/ http://www.ccma.ca/what-is-montessori |
Waldorf Schools
What is Waldorf?
Waldorf schools offer a developmentally appropriate, experiential, and academically rigorous approach to education. They integrate the arts in all academic disciplines for children from preschool through twelfth grade to enhance and enrich learning. Waldorf education aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities. Founded in the early 20th century, Waldorf education is based on the insights, teachings and principles of education outlined by the world renowned artist, and scientist, Rudolf Steiner. The principles of Waldorf education evolve from an understanding of human development that address the needs of the growing child. Music, dance and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about and tested. They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world. Teachers in Waldorf schools are dedicated to generating an inner enthusiasm for learning within every child. This eliminates the need for competitive testing, academic placement, and rewards to motivate learning and allows motivation to arise from within. It helps engender the capacity for joyful life-long learning. Waldorf education is independent and inclusive. It upholds the principles of freedom in education and engages independent administration locally, continentally and internationally. It is regionally appropriate education with hundreds of schools worldwide today. Waldorf education is truly Inspired Learning. What makes Waldorf unique? The curriculum was designed, based on a deep understanding of child development which delivers age-appropriate subject matter and activities throughout the child’s education. Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, proposes a philosophy of child development that suggests a human is a threefold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages on the path to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The Waldorf curriculum is broad and comprehensive and designed to bring age appropriate subjects that support each of these developmental phases. 1. Multi-disciplinary Approach The teacher recognizes the multi-faceted way that each child learns, and strives to meet the needs of all types of learners, kinesthetic, visual and auditory. Through experiential learning, the teacher recognizes that in order for a child to truly “know” something they need to experience it physically, emotionally and intellectually. The curriculum is enlivened and strengthened by incorporating fine arts (drawing, painting and sculpture) and practical arts (knitting, sewing and woodworking), music (voice, recorder and violin) and movement into daily practice. Waldorf education is richly steeped in the humanities, foreign languages (French from grade 1), sciences, and the arts, and strives to create a genuine love for learning. 2. Teachers The role and work of the teachers in a Waldorf school also represents a unique aspect to Waldorf education. The faculty works together to establish curriculum decisions, create teaching schedules, and discuss all issues relating to the classroom and the children. Waldorf teachers are deeply committed to their students and the school. *Resources consulted: https://maplesplendor.ca/waldorf-schools/ https://whistlerwaldorf.com |