I have been studying alternative forms of education, including Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Classical Education, and Unschooling, for about 5 years. I began studying education, because I knew that I wanted to homeschool my children.
Since February 2009, I have been listed with the State of Texas as a child-care provider and have been running a small home daycare. As I took care of different ages of children, I came to realize that I wanted to create more of a preschool environment and to get away from taking care of babies and young toddlers on a daily basis. I developed a strong desire to create the kind of preschool that I would want my children to attend.
The Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia approaches to early childhood education appeal to me for different reasons. I love the free, magical play from Waldorf. The activities in the Montessori Method teach young children to take care of themselves and their environment as well as how to communicate non-violently with others. Reggio Emilia allows the child to be an active participant in what they are learning and doing; it is more child led. In all of the methods, the aesthetics of the school environment is highly valued, as is a mixed age group.
The preschool environment in a Waldorf school is set up to resemble a home, and the teacher's primary concern is to create a warm environment in which the children feel safe and loved. There is a daily routine, which gives the children stability. The teacher engages in activities with the children, so that they learn by example.
My goal is to provide a beautiful, positive environment, where small children can learn while they play and have responsibilities that help create this environment. I will use many of the Montessori activities, but in a more practical way. For example, pouring activities will be done while we are cooking or having teatime. The children will pour their own glass of water or milk from a small pitcher while having a snack. They will also have the task of washing the cloth napkins we use during school time. When the carpet is messy from playing, one of the children can grab the carpet sweeper and clean it up. They will help prepare lunches and set the table, as well as clean up their places after mealtime.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of my program, and I am always open to suggestions! If you have anything more specific that you'd like to know, please feel free to ask me.
