Comparison of Montessori, Waldorf & Reggio Emilia

There are three early childhold education approaches which enjoy great popularity in the United States and indeed throughout the world. They all had their origins in teaching European society's poorest, most disadvantaged children. Dr. Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner and Reggio Emilia founder, Loris Malaguzzi, believed in the intrinsic abilities and capabilities of children. Their approaches, philosophies and methods had a single, common purpose: to produce a better society in which human beings would respect each other and live in harmony and peace.

In America these three educational approaches took root not in the poorest segments of society but in a middle and upper class eager to have something better than what was offered in the public school systems. Here is a comparison of the main features of the three methods.

	Montessori	Waldorf	Reggio Emilia
Founder	Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952)	Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)	Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994)
Philosophy	Education of the whole child	Education of the whole child	Education of the whole child
Spirituality	Religious even mystical	Anthroposophy	Spiritually aware.
Classroom Materials	Prepared by teacher	Prepared by students	Prepared by teacher
Teaching Style	Teacher guides. Different teacher for each multiage class.	Teacher directs. Teacher stays with class throughout primary years	Teacher collaborates. Teacher stays with class for 3 years.
Learning Activities	Children work in groups according to their interests at various learning centers.	Children work as a class on activities designed to develop imagination and creativity.	Children work as a group on activities and project which interest them.
Music/Arts	Singing, dance, painting, sculpture	Eurythmy, painting, singing	Singing, dance, painting, sculpture
Management	Locally owned/operated. Frequently proprietary.	Locally owned/operated. Usually set up as a non-profit.	Locally owned/operated. Usually set up as a non-profit.
Parental Involvement	Occasional extracurricular	Occasional extracurricular	Daily involvement expected/required
Adherence to Methodology	Depends on school operator	Required	Some flexibility depending on local situation.
Certifications Required	Desirable but not required.	Required.	None.
Associations	American Montessori Society; Association Montessori Internationale	Association of Waldorf Schools of North America	North American Reggio Emilia Alliance
Quotations from the three Founders	“We must take into consideration that from birth the child has a power in him. We must not just see the child, but God in him. We must respect the laws of creation in him.”	“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living.”	“Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climb their own mountains, as high as possible. No one can do more. “