Montessori Vs. Emilia Reggio Vs. Waldorf

Looking back, I laugh now at how much attention goes into preschool selection. Please don't stress about this.

My best advice is to attend the different preschools in your area. See what you think when you're there. You may be gung-ho Montessori after your research, but if your local provider isn't very good, it doesn't matter.

The key thing is to visit the school, talk to the administrators and teachers and get a real sense of what the learning and playing environment is like there. Would YOU want to go there? What is the turnover rate like? Does the place seem clean and safe?

Ours didn't follow any of the big name philosophies, but our kids were happy there and learned all they need to to be successful in kindergarten. You may find that you select a preschool that's the same way.

I think a visit to each of the schools, and a chat with the directors will be your best resource in making your decision. Ultimately, it the decision comes down to what you feel most comfortable with and what seems to be the best fit for your child.

We chose a play based daycare and have our DS enrolled three full days a week 9-4. The daycare doesn't adhere to any of the above philosphies. (sp?) Despite it being "non-academic" Our three year old, knows all this numbers through 100, his letters, can make and trace certain letters, recognizes certain sight words, can track words while reading, and has been introduced to different artistic styles (Van Gogh, Serrat, Michaelangelo, Picasso etc.), and even some basic science (things melt and freeze, catepillars pupate and become butterflies, trees have seasonal changes, etc.). More importantly, he understands classroom dynamics, listening and following directions, has a modicum of self regulation, can share, empathize and socialize appropriately.

Best to you as you make this decision.
F. B.

I think all three of those are "play based" which is what you want in a preschool.
Our preschool used the "High Scope/Emergent" ciriculum (sp?) which was also play based. There were NO academics, but words, numbers and learning were fully integrated into the program. There was structure, circle/welcome time, outside and clean up time, etc. but the kids were always free to do whatever activities they wanted to within those parameters. The focus in preschool should be on building social and emotional intelligence, so that kids will be ready to focus on cognitive (academic) intelligence by the time they start K.
Whatever you choose, look for a school that is NAYEC accredited, that's the sign of a serious, high quality program.

So, first, I would not look at any Wikis for these philosophies, but instead check out their official websites:

https://www.amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-t...

http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/02_W_Education/index.asp

http://www.reggioalliance.org/faq.php

Here is a comparison which I think is pretty on target:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/choo...

So, here's the thing-- I have worked in quite a few child care environments and am familiar with all of these philosophies. I would say that you know your child best... some of these philosophies will suit a given temperament where others might not be a good match. Add to this that some centers which label themselves with these titles (add 'constructivist' as a philosophy very similar to the Reggio model) might have different priorities than the true, strict philosophy, and some may or may not have teachers who have studied the philosophy, but who are loosely interpreting it. (There you have the 'waldorf-inspired', etc. One preschool I sub at where my son went describes themselves as "Waldorf and Montessori inspired", which is what my preschool was as well, although mine had a firm base in emergent curriculum and also followed Reggio traits as well.)

Much of what I would suggest looking at is not just the philosophy, but also the teacher's level of education in that particular philosophy, years of experience.... how does the environment *feel* to you as a parent? I knew one teacher who narrowly interpreted Montessori as having only 2 or 3 activities out for the children to use at any given time, which caused stress for the children. (this was not at a Montessori school, btw) I know of very regimented Waldorf programs which insist that families not allow television or screen time for their children and which embraced Waldorf as a family lifestyle and not just as a teaching philosophy limited to preschool.

All this to say, this is one of those times when you really want to go with your gut. I encourage parents to check out programs in person, see what the 'tone' of the group is. I would say it is less about the philosophies and more about the teachers and the child, to be quite honest. If it feels like a good match, if the teachers are warm with the children, receptive to their needs, if their program feels like there is depth and structure with a concerted focus on helping the child develop socially and emotionally as well as intellectually-- those are all things to look for, mainly because if children have support in these realms, the rest of their learning usually comes more easily. The preschool experience is 'grounded' for them by teachers who ensure the environment feels manageable, safe and available for them to explore. If those realms of social and emotional support are not in place, even if everything else is, children are less likely to thrive and learn, because developmentally, between 3-5, this (social/emotional) is where the core development is naturally taking place.

I hope I gave you some good references and that this helps you a bit. As someone who appreciates 'what's good' about all three of these methods, I am more concerned about the actual staffing and who my child will be in contact with throughout the day than I am the philosophies, which can be interpreted as loosely or stringently as the director and teachers see fit.

ETA: and, as Mamazita pointed out, the NAEYC accreditation can be very helpful. There are good programs, too, which are not accredited through this association, but for larger CDC (child development centers and preschools) this is a good sign that the center wants validation, oversight and review. Be sure to ask how 'old' the accreditation is, though-- I say this only because I did work at an NAEYC certified CDC and in the course of two years, we had two directors who made poor hiring choices and the quality had gone downhill. :(

Try to think about what you would really like your child to get out of going to preschool. I was a SAHM when my oldest was ready for preschool, so I was looking for a place where he could continue exploring his world and growing that way, but I was also looking for a very relaxed atmosphere where he could learn to be ok without Mommy around. He needed to learn how to respect an adult who wasn't Mommy and how to socialize with his peers.

When my youngest was ready for preschool, he had already been in daycare full-time for a year, so his needs were different. He actually had some delays, so I was looking for something more academic (for lack of a better term) where his delays could be addressed. He attends PreK at our elementary school, which is perfect for him for many, many reasons, not the least of which is that he won't be changing schools next year and should already know a couple do the kids in his class.

Consider what you are most wanting in a preschool, and visit a few places. You might want to look at one that is likely to have other kids from your school district. I hadn't thought of that with my oldest, so he only knew one other kid (out of 5 kindergarten classes) but he adjusted just fine.

It's a daunting task, but just take it one visit at a time. And trust your gut.

There is a lot out there. Honestly as long as the child is happy and playing at the preschool...that's what matters.

Pick something affordable. Church schools tend to be well run and have the lowest turnover. The expensive schools that are chains have high turnover. I would avoid those. They really woo the parents with their ads, but the quality just is not there.

Definitely visit. A friend put her son in a more academic program, but he had not been in the program since he was 2 and they were irritated with his need to catch up. There was nothing wrong with HIM, just the school. My DD did half days, full week, play-based preschool at a local church. It was partially to get her used to school, as she would enter K as a young 5. I think that had she not had some preschool, she would not have been ready for K. Not emotionally. She learned a ton - by playing and started K with a good academic foundation.

So think about your kid's needs and where he or she will go for kindergarten. Find the one that fits your schedule, budget, the child's needs, and will provide a positive entry to the idea of school.

The best thing you can do is tour them to get an idea of what you like and what you think would be best for your child.

I am not a fan of Waldorf.
I am not really familiar with Emilia Reggio.
I like Montessori, but I think one of my children would have loved it and the other, not so much.

I toured about 5 area Montessori schools and they were very different from one another! But it gave me a good sense of what Montessori was and how differently they operated.

I ended up with our local, affordable, play-based, developmental, Parent-co-op preschool that my first born went to. It was great. But I knew my daughter (now 9) would have loved Montessori. Unfortunately, I was not willing to shell out $6,000/yr for preschool. We paid $1,200 instead for 3 half days (they didn't offer full days).

One thing about Montessori is how they play. Each child takes out a small mat which they call their "work" I believe. They take out trays of things to explore (play with). Nobody is allowed to take things away from someone's mat without permission. This type of environment would probably be great for both introverts (who don't like their personal space being violated) and extroverts (who might need to learn how to respect personal space). To learn more about the needs of extroverts and introverts, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka wrote a great book called YOUR SPIRITED CHILD.