Waldorf vs Montessori?
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Anonymous
| Anyone done both and can share your experiences? |
Anonymous
| See this link: http://www.michaelolaf.net/MONTESSORI%20and%20WALDORF.html |
Anonymous
| Isn't Waldorf based on Christianity? |
Anonymous
|
I would describe Waldorf as based on "humanity" not Christianity. The children learn about humanity and its various beliefs and practices through history: Nordic gods and legends, farming practices and shelter building, the Old Testament, Greek history/gods, then Roman, Ancient Persia and the East, etc. My 8th grader is now studying American history and a more modern era of history in the world (South Africa and Apartheid).
In my experience, I had more of a solely "christian" slant in public school back in the 70's. Here there are traditions and cultures brought in from all around the world and we're lucky enough to have a diverse parent population. Snacks are brought in to experience food from another culture and stories shared to describe religious holidays and practices. The form drawing is amazing in any grade. It really ties in using both sides of the brain and hands. The drawings look deceptively simple but as an adult who's tried to emulate what the kids are doing during parent-teacher night I was surprised at what it took to accomplish the task (the kids' were better than mine, easily). Here's a very good description of Waldorf education through the grades (I chose a different school so that it was not related to WWS). http://www.capeannwaldorf.org/grades-1-8/detailed-curriculum-descriptions Regarding the link posted above about Montessori v. Waldorf: I have to say that I can't agree with the assessment that "When academic subjects are studied they are taught in a more traditional way, the teacher talking, the children at desks being taught in a group." For example, my second grader is learning her times tables while standing up and reciting aloud poems while they stomp their feet to emphasize the sum and clap their hands to count off the factors. I'd say more but the Waldorf school link I put in here describes it in plenty of detail. Note the drawing next to Grade 6 - Rome is one portion of their math work. Not typical by any means, it really engages their whole mind and body. |
Anonymous
| Waldorf schools have a very high percentage of anti-vaxxers. |
Anonymous
| What is an anti-vaxxer? |
Anonymous
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People who don't believe in vaccinating their children. http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2011/11/01/who_dares_confront_the_parents_of_the_bay_area_waldorf_school_wi.html
Rudolf Steiner (creator of Waldorf) explicitly did not believe in vaccinations. Statistically, it's true that Waldorf schools have lower vaccination rates than other pedagogical models. It also draws the kind of naturalistic hippie types who are skeptical of vaccinates because they are not "natural" |
Anonymous
I am not an expert, but it seems misleading to me to suggest that it is not based on Christianity. It's not solely a Christian school, but the four holidays that are central to the curriculum are certainly Christian, as well as seasonal. |
Anonymous
| If you do waldorf, you have to really believe it and stay in for the long haul. You really only start seeing the benefits towards the later grades. If you pull a 3rd grader out of Waldorf and dump them in public school they'll feel horribly behind. But I've read the entire Waldorf curriculum and it's quite comprehensive. |
Anonymous
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As an educator, I wouldn't say Waldorf is "christian based" in the way that a parochial school is. If that one school's days off are based on holidays, well, so are public schools - what do you think spring break is in this are? It's based around Easter, and Christmas break is certainly there because of Christmas, not Kwanzaa!
My sister's son now goes to a Waldorf school after having a truly horrible experience for 3 years at a public school. (not in this area of the country). The waldorf has been a godsend as he can now focus on school, learning, and not on all the other stuff that was keeping him from learning. He's bright, doesn't have a learning disability, but the style of education wasn't working. He entered his waldorf in january of his 3rd grade year and hasn't looked back and never had even a tinge of the behavior "issues" that were reported. yes, they do learn to read later than the public schools, and certainly later than Montessori, which really PUSHES reading early. BUT research has found that for children without learning disabilities, by 3rd or 4th grade both early readers and late readers have equalized and the early readers aren't necessarily better readers. It's not necessary that a 4 yr old learn to read then - most childrens' brains are more ready for the concept at 6 or 7 yrs old. So Waldorf teaches lots of other pre-reading skills, and hits reading later. They don't do as many skills-based tests as public schools do, so a child would have to get used to that once he re-enters the public school. the systems of Montessori and Waldorf are just so very, very different, you're trying to compare apples and oranges. So visit several of each type, read what you can, and decide. I will say, I'm really impressed with the reading I did when my sister said she was looking at the school, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd have been a Waldorf teacher! And, yes, perhaps the parents are a bit more "earthy crunchy" but whatever, my sister actually hasn't found that in the elementary school her son attends, so perhaps that's just at some Waldorfs. Frankly, Montessori schools are usually so pricey, you could make sweeping generalizations about anti vaccinations among the rich and privileged, etc. I'd rather you focus on the style of education at each one, and you make the decision. For some more info on Waldorf, the FAQs for one school (Waldorf School of Lexington in Lexington, MA) are on this link: http://www.thewaldorfschool.org/FAQ Cruise around the website, you'll learn about the mission, concept, educational goals, etc. My sister has found that her son at Waldorf and her daughter (at public) have pretty much the same days off. And believe me, that one she attends isn't Christian, my sister could NOT deal with that as an avowed atheist! |
Anonymous
Why do you believe a Waldorfed third grader would be behind in a public fourth grade? |
Anonymous
It's not Christian based the way that a parochial school is, but it's certainly got a bigger emphasis on Christianity than any public school. It's not that school vacations coincide with Easter and Xmas, it's that Michaelmas, Easter, Christmas etc. are important parts of the school curriculum, and it's disingenous to suggest otherwise. Here is a FAQ on Waldorf that has a summary-- 17. Are Waldorf schools religious? In the sense of subscribing to the beliefs of a particular religious denomination or sect, no. Waldorf schools, however, tend to be spiritually oriented and are based out of a generally Christian perspective. The historic festivals of Christianity, and of other major religions as well, are observed in the class rooms and in school assemblies.... http://www.waldorfanswers.com/WaldorfFAQ.htm#List |
Anonymous
I am not sure from what perspective you are asking this question. But assuming that you are an outsider considering Waldorf schools, Waldorf schools don't believe in reading before age 7. Some Waldorf adherent claims that reading before age 7 is dangerous to the mind. They generally discourage academics in the younger age and spend a lot of time in more of what the outside people think of as fantasy play. I am not how strictly Waldorf the area Waldforf schools are. You could also be asked to not own any toys not made of woods and to not own any electronic medias. Montessori on the other hand is famous for producing precocious readers and mathematicians. And they really don't try to control the students outside the classroom as much. Very different approach. Waldorf is much more of a philosophy (Steiner). Montessori is more of an educational approach. |
Anonymous
| I wish I was brave enough to take the Waldorf route. I am not. |
Anonymous
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I attended Washington Waldorf as a kid and absolutely loved it. I do think the transition to a public school would be difficult for a third grader because school is so different: no textbooks given (we wrote/drew our own), no grades, longer blocks of time to learn information, etc.
I absolutely want my son to have a Waldorf education when he is old enough. |