“Imitation: Play is a Child’s Work and Toys Are The Tools” - Our blended Wald-essori curriculum
ORIGIN The Montessori method was developed in Italy by an educator named Maria Montessori in the late 1800s. Exploration is the heart of the Montessori philosophy, reflected in everything from the role of the teacher to the classroom setup. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their learning by engaging with the environment, making choices, and working at their own pace.
The Waldorf philosophy was developed in the early 1900s, based on the ideas from Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf focuses more on creativity and fantasy than Montessori’s more practical approach. Early childhood classrooms in a Waldorf setting are filled with art, storytelling, puppetry, and fairy tales. (The racial and personal views of Rudolf Steiner are NOT taught or incorporated in the classroom philosophy or curriculum, the two are mutually exclusive.)
ENVIRONMENT Walk into a Montessori preschool classroom, and one of the first things you will notice is the lack of “toys” in the traditional sense. The Montessori method focuses on developing practical life skills using carefully curated manipulatives. Montessori classrooms typically have a home-like feel and promote independence by making materials accessible on low shelves, encouraging children to self-select the activities that interest them. Montessori early childhood classrooms are mixed age, with children ranging from two or three to five years old. Children are empowered to make choices and move around the classroom freely, taking their choice of activity off the shelf and working independently or in small groups. The teacher acts as a guide, facilitating children’s exploration but rarely instructs the whole group at once. The daily schedule includes long chunks of uninterrupted “work” time where children engage with hands-on materials and manipulatives designed to develop early academic skills such as math and literacy. During snack times, children prepare their own snacks with child-sized utensils, set the table, and clean up after themselves.
Waldorf classrooms also promote freedom of movement and encourage choice but focus on creative and imaginative play. You will typically find open-ended materials like dolls, puppets, and play silks to encourage children to engage in pretend play. Many play items are made of natural materials that have a practical purpose. In Waldorf classrooms, children engage in cooking, sewing, and weaving with the teacher collaborating with them. The Waldorf early childhood curriculum also encourages exploration but focuses more on creativity, and often have rituals and celebrations around season changes and other aspects of nature, such as lantern walks and Harvest celebrations. Waldorf programs typically adopt a spiritual component to encourage reverence and respect for the earth and one another. The teacher rarely plays with the children but instead works nearby, engaged in tasks like cooking or sweeping, to redirect or guide the children if needed.
THE TOOLS - Simple & beautiful Toys that follow the Waldorf and Montessori principles do not distract children with multiple impulses. They are usually made from simple natural materials. You will not find any batteries in them. Both methods promote the importance of aesthetics and beauty. Children spend a lot of time playing. Having beautiful toys may help them start paying attention to the aesthetic value of things and develop an appreciation of beauty. Montessori philosophy believes each toy should have an educational purpose and help with the development of one particular skill. A special category of purposeful Montessori toys are items that act as smaller versions of real everyday objects – a great example is a child-sized cleaning set that allows a toddler to actually sweep the floor and participate in household activities. Maria Montessori believed that “the true basis of the imagination is reality.” That is why Montessori toys are always rooted in reality rather than fantasy. The reason is simple -there’s so much beauty and wonder to discover in our world. Many typical Montessori toys are self-correcting. This means that the toy is designed in a way that gives a clear clue about whether it is used correctly or not – so that they can learn by themselves. Small children learn primarily through movement and senses. Maria Montessori believed in the importance of hands-on learning. It means we should let children discover the world by themselves, using their hands and other senses, rather than being told about it.
Waldorf uses “Toys that are made from natural materials, with rich, natural colors, and that are lovingly handcrafted are inviting, and contribute to a child’s “sense of life.” A child is much more likely to feel reverence for a beautiful, handcrafted toy and care for it accordingly than for a mass-produced plastic toy. As Plato so eloquently recognized, “the most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” Waldorf toys are simple and open-ended. Baskets of tree branches, play silks, stones, pinecones and shells all can be transformed into a myriad of objects. During a typical morning in a Waldorf school, one would likely see shells become money; wooden blocks become food; a small piece of tree branch become a telephone; silks become skirts and veils; and so on. By giving children objects that are not highly formed and detailed, they can easily become more than one thing, and give children’s imaginations free reign.
OUR PHILOSOPHY Choosing a blended Wald-essori environment for your child has many benefits. Known for individually paced learning and fostering independence, the method also encourages empathy, a passion for social justice, and a joy in lifelong learning. Children naturally want to imitate adults and their daily activities. Waldorf teachers strive to be adults “worthy of imitation” and bring consciousness to our gestures as we engage in the daily tasks of living, such as cooking and cleaning in the classroom. Knowing that children will imitate our activities we attempt to work in an unhurried and careful way. Bringing consciousness to one’s daily activities at home and providing children with child-sized versions of household items such as a play kitchen, wooden play dishes, and tools such as a broom, or dustpan and brush will allow children to fully engage in their imaginative imitation of daily life and build real life skills as well. Montessori students are given the freedom and support to question, to probe deeply, and to make connections, students become confident, enthusiastic, self-directed learners. They are able to think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly—a skill set for the 21st century.
Each child is valued as a unique individual. The blended education recognizes that children learn in different ways and accommodates all learning styles. Students are free to learn at their own pace, each advancing as they are ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.
Beginning at an early age, it nurtures order, concentration, and independence. Intentional classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the student’s emerging “self-regulation” (the ability to educate oneself, and to think about what one is learning), in toddlers through adolescents.
Students are part of a close, caring community. The multi-age classroom—typically spanning 3 years—re-creates a family structure. Older students enjoy stature as mentors and role models; younger children feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Teachers model respect, loving kindness, and a peaceful conflict resolution.
Students enjoy freedom within limits. Working within parameters set by the teacher and the classroom community, students are active participants in deciding what their focus of learning will be.
Students are supported in becoming active seekers of knowledge. Teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions. Internal satisfaction drives the child’s curiosity and interest and results in joyous learning that is sustainable over a lifetime.
Children will be exposed to our family's personal philosophy of life which is modeled after the teachings of the non-denominational, historical man Jesus the Nazarene. All will be encouraged to love others as themselves, to treat others as they wish to be treated, to become contributing citizens, and to increase knowledge and acquire the skills necessary to love others.