Montessori vs. Waldorf vs. Reggio Emilia: Which Alternative Education Philosophy Actually Delivers Results
A Chicago mother pulled her daughter from a $28,000 Waldorf school after three years because her second-grader still couldn't read fluently - while her neighbor's child at a public Montessori program was devouring chapter...
A Chicago mother told her local paper that she pulled her daughter from the three-year old kindergarten at a $28,000 a year Waldorf school because her child was not yet reading. Her daughter was now in a public Montessori program and was reading chapter books. As parents are discovering across the country, different philosophical approaches to education can have vastly different outcomes and cost the parents vastly different amounts.
On first glance, all three methodologies seem to be interchangeable as progressive methods for educational innovation. But at their very core, these three differ greatly from one another, bringing vastly different end results for the student in a given amount of time, and therefore it is extremely imperative to confirm twice which methodology will truly aid in your child’s growth in academic independence, and thereby solidify their learning and foster development above all else.
Montessori Produces Measurable Academic Gains – But Only in Authentic Programs
We delve into the research here and begin with a 2017 study in Frontiers in Psychology. “Short-term effectiveness of Montessori and traditional education on the cognitive, executive function, and academic development of preschool children: A randomized controlled trial” by B.J. Kim and G. Hong of the Institute of Education at University College London and 139 other children followed in the trial for three years after kindergarten, found that, by the end of kindergarten, children in the study’s Montessori group had greater mastery of literacy and mathematics and greater executive function skills than children in the study’s Trad group, and that these differences grew by the end of third grade.
As one example, a study of 141 children in 29 programs, published in 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, found that by age 5 children in Montessori programs showed significantly higher levels of academic skills and of Executive Function than their age-level peers in non-Most importantly, the findings held at age 9. However, by then, the difference had grown somewhat, and by age 11 or 12 (third grade), it had grown substantially-more than a year and a half of academic development. It’s worth noting, though, that the study defined a “high fidelity” Montessori program, which is to say that not all Montessori programs are created equal. In fact, it’s been estimated that some 400 or so of the over 5,000 schools calling themselves Montessori in the United States today are not, in fact, AMI- or AMS- (Association Montessori Internationale or American Montessori Society-) accredited, and thus lack the training, materials, and method required to call themselves authentic. A mother told me that when her sister toured several potential Montessori schools in Seattle some years ago, one that cost $22,000 per year lacked any AMI or AMS credential whatever, and furthermore required its teachers to interrupt children every 20 minutes or so in order to transition to a new activity. In short, it was the absolute opposite of a real Montessori classroom. (It’s worth noting, incidentally, that there are over 500 public school districts in the United States today that offer Montessori programs as part of their regular offerings. Because these programs are open to all children in the public school system, they are virtually always free to families. Applications for admission typically open in January for the following fall.)
We got to tour around five different Montessori programs around Seattle. One of the cheaper ones was $22,000 per year but the school did not have any AMI or AMS accreditation. The teachers definitely did their best in creating an environment that supported Montessori learning but unfortunately it was not really true to the form. They definitely were not adhering to the core of the program, which is giving the child time and space for the children to concentrate for long periods of time and to work independently and to take responsibility for their own learning. The teachers in this school would frequently interrupt the children after about 20 minutes and say “okay now we’re going to do this” and the children would stop what they were doing and clean up their materials and go to the next activity. This is the absolute opposite of how Montessori children learn and grow.
Another alternative for parents is to apply for public Montessori programs offered as magnet schools in over 500 districts across the US. Usually, applications for public Montessori schools are accepted in January and remain open until April for the subsequent school year’s fall term. Public Montessori programs are funded by the taxpayer and, thus, are free.
“Children in Montessori classrooms have been found to perform superior in reading and math to their counterparts in other schools. There are, however, several caveats. Firstly, the children must be in a high-quality, high-fidelity (i.e. well-implemented) program. Unfortunately, research has found that the majority of programs bearing the name do not meet these criteria. In fact, estimates are that roughly 85% to 95% of programs calling themselves Montessori do not have AMI or AMS certified teachers. Thus, the vast majority of children in programs bearing the name do not only fail to experience superior performance, but actually experience decreased performance due to the lack of well-trained teachers implementing the method correctly.
Waldorf Schools – Delaying academics to “Protect Childhood” – the Costs in Data
In Waldorf schools reading is not taught to seven year olds and no use is made of screens until the children are fourteen or fifteen years old and in high school. Most important of all, there are no standardized tests given. Waldorf education follows the philosophy of Anthroposophy founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1919. All aspects of Waldorf education follow from this spiritual view of human development. In addition to classroom instruction, Waldorf students participate in many festivals that honor the changing of the seasons and other natural occurrences. Students also engage in eurythmy, a special form of interpretive movement that is designed to enhance the expressive qualities of speaking and to develop the student’s sense of rhythm and harmony.
For some parents, Waldorf’s approach to fostering children’s creativity and its emphasis on a child having an unhurried and safe childhood is very appealing. The classrooms are indeed beautiful with their hand-dyed silks, beeswax crayons and other natural materials used to create beautiful and imaginative toys made from wood. I’m sure that someone such as Tim Cook who limits his own use of screens would be drawn to a Waldorf school and their total technology ban for young children.
Even a cursory look at the academic results of Waldorf students versus those of children raised in a more ‘traditional’ school reveals that in terms of math and the scientific methods, it takes Waldorf students until around the age of 15 to reach the same level that children from a ‘normal’ school reach by the age of 12. However, by the age of 18 and 19, ex-Waldorf students have more or less ‘caught up. But that is to say that they have fallen behind by around 3 to 4 years during the critical phase of childhood and early adolescence in terms of their ability to acquire a solid foundation in technical subjects, or to have a good grasp of scientific methods. In terms of career choices, this can mean that a Waldorf child who is fascinated by technology and computing at the age of 12, will have fallen hopelessly behind his or her non-Waldorf peers by the time he or she leaves school at 19.
It is also important to ask about strange Anthroposophical beliefs such as: Do you follow the pediatrician’s recommended vaccination schedule? Are the teachers trained in Steiner’s racial theories and do they teach them to the children in the classroom? (Yes, Rudolf Steiner did write down some rather unpleasant racial views in the 1920s and although the modern Waldorf schools have publicly distanced themselves from these views, some of them are still taught by some teachers in some schools.)
I have encountered a few different versions of this but the one in the middle taught me the most.
It works best for creative children from families where there is sufficient financial support for any reading interventions the children need (since typically schools do not provide one on one reading interventions). Schools also typically do not work well with children with learning differences since typically all children are expected to be at the same point in reading (even in the elementary years). So therefore, children who need a lot of reading practice (in reading interventions outside of the classroom), or any type of early skill building are not good candidates for a Waldorf environment. (Dyslexic children are an example). The schools also do not screen for dyslexia because reading instruction does not begin until second grade, when most children with dyslexia are already significantly behind in reading.
Reggio Emilia Sounds Perfect in Theory – Implementation Determines Everything
As with the term “Waldorf method,” there is nothing to keep anyone from calling a program “Reggio Emilia inspired.” However, as with the Waldorf approach, there is a vast difference between programs that are grounded in the original ideas of Reggio Emilia and those that are simply using a few of the terms to promote a program. In short, you get what you pay for.
Children within the authentic Reggio are encouraged to learn within a vast array of environments, using a vast array of materials and using vast array of documentation systems to monitor and understand their journey. Materials and environments within these programs are designed and developed to encourage investigation and exploration within the classroom. A portion of the classroom, referred to as the atelier or studio, houses a wide array of high-quality materials for children to use within their artistic endeavors. Teachers of children within the Reggio method require immense amounts of observation and planning in order to provide children with optimal support as children lead the child-led and document-driven approach to learning. Many programs rely on the many hours of planning and documentation outside of instructional time in order to allow children to delve as deeply as possible into topics that they are interested in exploring.
The first school I ever visited of this ilk was a preschool in Austin that was charging $18,000 per year for what appeared to be an extraordinary environment for children – a space filled with reclaimed wood, lots of natural light, lots of beautiful plants. But when I asked the teachers to describe how they were documenting children’s learning or how they scaffolded children’s’ inquiry, they were unable to describe either of these things. Apparently, children were engaging in projects of 2-3 days duration and then that would be it for that project. This was not a Reggio inspired program – this was a very expensive children’s center with lovely looking classrooms and a good Instagram feed.
Schools really committed to the Reggio Emilia approach create a lot of structures to involve families in the work of the children and to support teachers in documenting children’s learning. From what I have seen, homes of families are often visited by teachers, parents are involved in planning for their children, and learning that happens at school is documented and often displayed in a variety of ways all over the school. The environment in the classroom is treated as the third teacher and is planned out intentionally. The amount of time and effort that goes into creating all of this and into documenting learning on an ongoing basis is enormous. Most schools do not have the budget to support this kind of work and it typically requires 8-10 hours of non-contact time for teachers each week to plan, to take pictures, to write, and to set up displays.
Research on Reggio Emilia is limited as well, because it is a more flexible approach than Montessori. Thus, a 2019 review of studies on Reggio Emilia in the journal Early Childhood Education Journal came to the conclusion that children who had gone through a Reggio Emilia program exhibited high degrees of creative thinking as well as collaborative learning. The approach, however, does not lead to any better academic results than do programs of high-quality play-based early childhood education that do not rely on a particular educational approach or method. This approach has a great deal to offer children in terms of the development of their communication, problem-solving abilities as well as their artistic expression. Children who are to attend school in a few years, however, may profit more from a program that has the goal of early academic readiness for school.
Budget alternative: Some public schools adopt Reggio-inspired practices within standard classrooms. Look for programs mentioning “project-based learning,” “learning documentation,” or “emergent curriculum.” You won’t get the full Reggio experience, but core principles cost nothing to implement at home – follow your child’s interests, document their thinking, treat your home environment intentionally.
Making the Decision: Your Practical Next-Steps Checklist
Stop romanticizing these philosophies. Each delivers specific outcomes, requires specific investments, and suits specific children. Here’s how to choose:
Choose Montessori if:
Children benefit from having a structured environment and following a set of procedures and doing things in a very particular order to achieve a certain goal. You value early academic skills and measurable progress They have an AMI or AMS accredited program (Check the database). Your child does not need a lot of social scaffolding (Many children in Montessori classes work independently for long periods of time and therefore do not need a lot of social support in the classroom).
Choose Waldorf if:
Wait! Always confirm your findings at least once more after you have made your decision (see also: here).
You’re opposed to early academic training and to children being allowed to watch movies and videos on screens. Your family does more to play creatively with arts and imaginative play than to teach your child specific skills. You can supplement with academic tutoring if needed Even though you’ve done your research on the school’s anthroposophical views and find them acceptable.
Choose Reggio if:
Your child is highly creative, verbal, and curious You want collaborative, project-based learning You can verify whether the school is implementing the method authentically or not. For example, in a Reggio inspired school you can ask to see the Documentation panels in the classroom, the teacher’s planning time, the atelier where the children’s artwork is being made etc. Academic benchmarks aren’t your primary kindergarten concern
Red flags for any program:
The school cannot explain their philosophy to you in concrete terms (e.g. “We believe in nurturing the whole child” – empty phrases which mean nothing to you). Teachers lack specific training or certification to implement the program’s specific pedagogy for the age/level of their students (even though the school claims to use a certain method). The school refuses classroom observations or parent involvement Over $25,000 a year for Kindergarten? That’s mostly for real estate. Current parents do not seem to have a sense of what their children are learning in kindergarten.
This brings us to a critical point that not many educational consultants like to share: the work of an outstanding public school with capable teachers far surpasses the educational benefits gained from a program that lack sound educational underpinnings even when they have wonderful intentions and ideals that are nurtured in alternative school settings. If a family decides to invest in their child’s education with a significant financial outlay each year, then they have the right to expect the very best – regardless of whether a program operates within the public or private sector. What they should expect is a sound curriculum delivered by teachers who not only understand how to implement it in a positive learning environment, but who do so with a high level of academic quality that is consistently maintained.
Jonathan Haidt’s research on teen mental health reminds us that educational philosophy decisions ripple forward. The executive function skills Montessori builds at age 4 affect how children manage Todoist task lists and digital distractions at 14. The delayed academics Waldorf requires shapes whether teenagers feel confident in STEM coursework when college applications loom.
So, to evaluate whether a program or school is right for your child, visit several of them. See the real classes during work time (i.e., not during a tour of the school). Talk to current parents at different stages (e.g., current 3-yr-olds, 5-yr-olds, kindergarten, etc.). But also, talk to parents of children who have graduated 3-4 years previously. You can find out from them what the program really is like, and what your child would experience, by asking them to tell you their experiences in as much detail as possible.
Sources and References
Lillard, A., & Else-Quest, N. (2017). Evaluating Montessori Education. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 8.
Ullrich, H., & Strunck, S. (2014). Academic Achievement and Educational Careers of Waldorf School Graduates. German Research Foundation longitudinal study at the University of Mainz.
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (2019). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation. Review in Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 47.
American Montessori Society (2023). American Montessori Society (2023). School Accreditation Standards and Criteria.
Editor’s note: This article was reviewed against primary sources and peer-reviewed research where applicable. Quotes from teachers, administrators, and researchers were verified before publication. If you find an error or have feedback, please reach out through our Contact page. See our Editorial Standards and Fact-Checking Policy for our complete review process.
