I am quite confused on the difference between Waldorf and Montessori education. Can you enlighten me on their difference? Which one is more beneficial for your pre-schooler?

I have friends with kids attending both Montessori and Waldorf. Based on my understanding on their explanation: 1. Montessori - more on manipulatives rather than worksheets -child-centered, the child chooses what materials she wants to work on based on a given set of activities -class size is smaller, approx 10 to 15 -trains students to be independent -word of caution: there are numerous schools with Montessori in their names just to ride with the popularity of the approach. Parents have to make sure that the owner or the administrator was properly trained in the US or Europe by an esteemed Montessori institution. 2. Waldorf -originated in Germany - encourages the child to create his own toys from materials at hand - emphasizes on creativity, thus, the NO TV policy is strongly encouraged My husband and I attended a parent orientation last May for a Montessori school and we’re leaning towards it.

Basically, both value a child's independence, creativity and the child's needs. Personally, I've heard that the Waldorf has some aversion towards technology while the Montessori treat computers as a way to provide access to information but will not be controlled by it. Most of us are more familiar with the Montessori system and if I had to pick one, I'd pick the Montessori. To read more about similarities and differences between the two, you can read the following: http://www.michaelolaf.net/MONTESSORI%20and%20WALDORF.html