Maria Montessori is the lady who is responsible for the Montessori school system’s success and development. In the city of Rome in the year 1907.
Key Takeaways
- Montessori is an educational approach that emphasizes independence, freedom within limits, and hands-on learning.
- Waldorf is an educational approach emphasizing creativity, imagination, and holistic learning.
- Both Montessori and Waldorf focus on child-centered education. Montessori emphasizes individuality and self-direction, while Waldorf emphasizes imagination and creativity.
Montessori vs Waldorf
Montessori education is based on the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator. The Montessori approach emphasizes self-directed learning and the development of practical life skills. Waldorf education is based on the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. The Waldorf approach emphasizes the development of the whole child.
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It is a strong belief in Montessori education that children learn best by playing games. Cleaning, self-care, cooking, and caring for others are all opportunities for youngsters to learn and experience real-life skills.
Academics and life skills are rarely taught to children under the age of seven in Waldorf education. They do, however, include arts and games in their programme.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Montessori | Waldorf |
|---|---|---|
| Established by | Maria Montessori | Rudolf Steiner |
| Established year | 1907 | 1919 |
| Initially Located | Rome | Germany |
| Inclined towards | Children | Teachers |
| Age limit | Grouped into (12-15, 7-11, 3-6) years, age group. | Below seven years of age. |
| Curriculum | Set by children, taught by children, taught separately to each student. | The teacher teaches all the students together. |
What is Montessori?
Maria Montessori is the individual who is responsible for the Montessori group’s success and establishment. In the city of Rome, in the year 1907.
Cleaning, self-care, cooking, and caring for others are all opportunities for youngsters to embrace real-life skills and experiences. When it comes to language, age-appropriate math and mixing science teachings into games and tasks also work in this method.
Teachers offer the lessons to each child individually in the Montessori approach. However, there are situations when one youngster teaches another child.
What is Waldorf?
Rudolf Steiner was the driving force behind the formation of the Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany, twelve years after the founding of the Montessori school in 1919.
Academics and life skills are often not included in Waldorf education for children under the age of seven. They do, however, include arts and play.
Teachers in a Waldorf school have a traditional obligation of teaching the entire class where students are seated. The teachers teach the same topic to all of the students in class.
Main Differences Between Montessori and Waldorf
- In the Montessori method, the lessons are taught to every child separately by the teachers. However, sometimes the lessons are taught by one child to another child.
- Montessori methods include imagination and play as an integral part but also constitutes work that fetches experience, creative endeavours, age-appropriate tasks.
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
