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Top Ten Educational Preschool Philosophy Models

When choosing a school for their children, parents often give serious thought to the preschool philosophy of an institution. This is because goals and student-teacher relationships are intrinsically related to ideologies.

Accordingly, the strategy a school uses significantly impacts the quality of the preschool setting.

Ten Preschool Philosophies 

Parents are in dire need of guidance in selecting a suitable preschool and in understanding its preschool philosophies. In order to help parents make a more educated choice regarding their children’s education, this article will showcase eleven ideologies. Keep in mind your child’s unique personality and learning style as you explore different tactics.

Montessori

The core principle of Montessori education is that children have an inherent responsibility to play. Montessori’s philosophy on early childhood education mainly aims to let kids learn at their own speed and develop their independence by letting them make their own choices.

Montessori’s education includes practical life, language, mathematics, sensory development, and cultural aspects. Collectively, this pre-school philosophy aims to provide children with the finest possible learning experiences. In this education, kids study music, science, and geography.

Using models and hands-on materials is central to the Montessori approach to early childhood education. In math classes, for example, teachers act as guides, showing students how to utilize learning aids before stepping aside so that the students may try solving problems themselves.

The four main goals of the Montessori method of teaching young children are outlined by the American Montessori Society. They are:

• Boosting kid’s imagination and spirit.
• Heightening kids’ self-esteem and desire for self-sufficiency
• Fostering courtesy, discipline, and kindness among kids, allowing them to become responsible citizens
• Developing their critical thinking, observation questioning, and problem-solving skills

Waldorf

The Waldorf school provides the perfect environment for children to grow up in since, unlike other schools, it is structured to seem like a typical family home. 

Expanding children’s comprehension of art and culture and cultivating their critical thinking skills are essential tenets of this concept of early childhood philosophy. Also, practical skills, such as cooking and gardening, are highly valued.

This preschool idea uses natural materials like ropes, shells, and beeswax crayons instead of synthetic ones like plastic or iron.

Tutors at Waldorf schools may stay with the same class for almost seven years, and students adhere to strict daily and weekly schedules. Teachers and students build trusting relationships using this method.

Waldorf schools use creative teaching methods, like cooking, singing, and playing out stories. This way of teaching kids is meant to help them grow mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Project-based

Teachers who use the project-based learning model see each student as a person and see themselves as guides. With the help of their teachers, students work together in groups to solve problems, come up with answers, and finish projects.

In this method, students learn more by doing real-life projects, going on field trips, and getting hands-on experience. This way of teaching preschoolers helps them use their skills and form good learning habits by making learning fun and inspiring them to be self-motivated.

Reggio Emilia

Preschool instructors who have been educated in the Reggio Emilia method use a project-based strategy to learn about their pupils’ interests and then use that knowledge in the classroom. Teachers should personalize their teachings to each student’s particular interests and areas of interest, according to this preschool teaching philosophy.

If a student is interested in the lives and deaths of ancient species, such as dinosaurs, a tutor may opt to offer courses on these subjects. As time passes, a tutor may opt to adjust the lessons to reflect the student’s growing interests.

This kind of instruction emphasizes the development of students’ analytical and creative thinking abilities. This method emphasizes giving children a range of expressive, verbal, and cognitive experiences to help them develop their innate talents.

Emerging Education

Themes such as puddles and dinosaurs are chosen based on the interests of families and youngsters. These passions are prone to change.

Projects

While working on projects, children often dive deeply into studying concepts, ideas, and hobbies. These programs, known as excursions, might span anything from a week to an entire school year.

Development Of Representations

Different forms of artistic expression, such as music, theater, print, and visual art, are used in different classrooms to convey new ideas and concepts. Educators make accommodations so all students, including those with varying learning styles, may participate and retain course material.

Collaboration

Groups of all sizes are encouraged to work together through the use of essential interpersonal skills such as talking, comparing, and negotiating to solve problems. The method stresses the need for a youngster to strike a good balance between their identification with their group and their sense of belonging within that group.

Community

Daycares and community centers often provide preschool programs. Community preschools have no overarching concept, making them comparable to religious preschools. A community philosophy for preschool could use a mix of approaches on occasion. Make sure you ask about the philosophy of a community preschool before enrolling your child.

Religious

Different ideologies are taught at religious preschools and churches. Depending on the philosophy, they may include religious programming within their curriculum.

The religious preschool curriculum incorporates religious themes into the stories, songs, and games that the children play with.

Though most religious preschools welcome children of all faiths, some religious preschools only accept children who actively participate in the school’s stipulated religion.

If you are looking for a preschool where your child may start learning about religion at a young age, consider a religious preschool.

Language Immersion Or Bilingual Preschools

In a bilingual or language immersion preschool, classes are presented in two or more languages. In this preschool, kids study in languages including Korean, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, German, etc.

Since young children pick up new languages rapidly, several preschools take advantage to help youngsters learn them.

A school could create a timetable where pupils must speak a particular language each day. For instance, kids may speak English on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays and Italian on Wednesdays and Tuesdays.

Academic Preschools

Academic preschools promote reading and preschool math ability. This philosophy concentrates on preparing youngsters for kindergarten and future grades.

Preschools with this attitude develop a schedule of activities comparable to what kids would experience in kindergarten, thereby making classes constant and predictable.

Furthermore, this ideology invests significant effort in teaching kids to distinguish colors, time measuring, problem-solving, reading, and math skills.

International School

Countries generally build schools in other friendly nations, establishing cross-border connections. Most individuals prefer to enroll their kids in these institutions to make their youngsters study other languages.

Those wishing to expose their children to diverse cultures and ethnic diversity will typically select foreign schools.

Such schools employ the host country’s language to conduct school activities in certain situations. But since they are used occasionally, children also learn other languages.

Play-based

The United States has the most widespread adoption of a play-based philosophy among preschools. Preschool education based on this principle emphasizes the importance of play as a means of learning. A child’s imagination, self-esteem, and eagerness to learn are all fostered by this age-appropriate learning approach.

The classroom is organized into many stations, like a reading corner, a theater corner, and a puzzle table. A teacher’s job is to help students learn in an environment that encourages play and developing their creativity.

The tenets of the play-based philosophy encourage teachers to guide students toward mastery of foundational knowledge through imaginative play. Toys, sand, and other materials may help children learn about measurement and counting.

Due to various group activities, such as story time and circle time, children also have plenty of opportunities to move freely about the classroom.

Children will acquire not just the ability to think critically and solve problems but also the ability to work together, share, and resolve conflicts peacefully rather than aggressively. These skills are honed when kids learn to share toys or figure out who gets to play which role in a pretend play scenario.

Conclusion

The philosophy of preschool education you may be considering for your child should be carefully considered. While some preschools adhere strictly to one philosophy, others draw from different sources. Think carefully about your child’s needs and interests in relation to the various ideologies before making a final decision.