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[quote=Anonymous]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! 
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