Introduction

I have created this blog journal in order to reflect on my reading of educational contexts. The topics I have chosen to discuss in my blog are; Montessori education, Steiner education, Forest schools and the use of play in education. These topics all consist of different contexts of education and therefore I found it interesting to reflect on these areas and see the similarities and differences. I believe that in completing this assignment it will allow me to increase my knowledge in these topics and enable me to have a better understanding of education and its different contexts.

Steiner Education

A Steiner Waldorf education differs from other forms of education as it aims to educate the whole body, this meaning the ‘head, heart and hands’. A Waldorf school caters for children from the age of three or four to the age of eighteen or nineteen. Rudolf Steiner set up his school bearing in mind the changing need of the child as they mature into adults.

The first Waldorf School was set up in Germany in 1919 by Emil Molt. During the last six years of his life Rudolf Steiner committed himself to the creation of this school based on his idea of what education should be. Steiner believed that a child developed in three stages, each stage lasting approximately seven years; the first stage being ‘the young child’. From birth to age seven a child learns through imitation and example. The second stage is believed to be from age eight to fourteen, at this age a child learns through their relationship with who teaches them. Children at this age need someone with authority and discipline; they must also have trust and love for the one that teaches them. Finally, the adolescence stage, from fifteen to twenty one they require respect and freedom. Also, pupils at this age need an expert in their field; therefore teachers of the upper school are ‘Specialist Teachers’ (Trostli, 1998).

With regards to the younger pupils attending a Rudolf Steiner school, formal education does not begin until a child has grown their adult teeth. This is due to a belief that a child needs ‘all his powers for his bodily task’ and introducing a formal education at the same time would be effecting a child’s natural development. Similarly, reading isn’t introduced to pupils until later in their education. In Waldorf education children begin to learn through movement and gesture, then through painting and drawing to writing and finally these skills will take them into reading (Edmunds, 1962, p. 19 & 36).

An interesting feature of a Waldorf school is their whole school participation. This can be seen in the ‘Children’s Festival’ they have a couple of times a year. The Children’s Festival consists of children of all ages in the school presenting to the rest of the school what they have been working on in class. Some examples of what they might present are; a play, instrument demonstrations, singing, etc. The range of ages in the school gives Waldorf pupils a different educational experience to the average pupil. The older students have the opportunity to reflect on their own childhood years from working closely with the younger pupils, and the younger children have the opportunity to foresee what is to come in their years ahead (Edmunds, 1962, p. 83).

References

Edmunds, L. F. (1962). Rudolf Steiner Education: The Waldorf Impulse. Hertfordshire: The Garden City Press Limited.

Trostli, R. (1998). Introduction. In R. Trosli, Rhythms of Learning: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents & Teachers (pp. 20-22). Barrington: Anthroposophic Press. 

Montessori Education

Montessori education is centred on a child’s need for freedom. In a Montessori classroom children have the freedom of movement and choice. This means that they are able to choose what activity they do and are able to work at their own pace. However, for this system to work the children must learn responsibility and respect for other children.

Montessori education has three key elements, these are; the child, the favourable environment and the teacher. Maria Montessori had specific environments which she believed affected the way in which a child performed. A typical Montessori school would have; child sized tables and chairs, open floor space, indoor and outdoor classrooms. There is also open shelving within the classroom in order to give the children the freedom to choose their own activity.

Another key feature of Montessori education is the idea of children of a range of ages working together in order to encourage each other’s learning. The older children teach the younger children through modelling behaviour and explaining exercises, whilst the older children learn basic teaching and patience skills from working with younger children. (Isaacs, Barbara, 2012, p. 34)

Maria Montessori believed that a child develops in three stages; the absorbent mind, childhood and adolescence. The stage ‘the absorbent mind’, which is from birth to six years old, is when the brain develops. During this time the child uses their senses and learns through exploration and being active. The stage ‘childhood’ is from age six to age twelve; Montessori believed that during this stage of development the child is eager to learn. The final stage ‘adolescence’ saw a child from the age of twelve to eighteen. During this stage Montessori’s theory was that the first three years (twelve to thirteen) was physical development and the last three years (fifteen to eighteen) development is the need the person has for a social group whom they can identify with (Isaacs, 2010, pp. 13-17). Montessori schools teach these age groups based on this theory of development.

The teacher’s role in a Montessori classroom is to have trust and respect for the pupils, allowing them time and patience to learn independently. Maria Montessori called her practitioners a ‘director/directress’, rather than teachers, due to the child being kept as independent as possible in the classroom. A director/directress in a Montessori school would simply observe the class rather than teach.

The above descriptions of a Montessori school can also be seen in Susan Feez’s ‘A Visit to a Montessori Children’s House’. In this case study Susan Feez describes the Children’s House she visited; she described the environment as “light-filled, spacious and airy” with “child-sized furniture, low shelves” and “open-space”. In the morning, when the children first arrived, they have three hours of personal choice activities, working alone, in pairs or small groups. Materials used for activities includes; child-sized jug, bucket, cloth, brushes and sponges. The school use these tools in order to improve domestic skills. Susan Feez noted in her case study the input of the teacher. She said the teacher was “observing carefully but not intervening”. (Feez, 2010)


This is a video I found on the Swansea's Montessori Children's Room website. It shows what kinds of activities take place in this school.
The Children's Room (MEAB, 2010)

References

Feez, S. (2010). Montessori and Early Childhood. London: Sage.

Isaacs, B. (2010). Bringing the Montessori Approach to your Early Years Practice. New York: Routledge.

Isaacs, Barbara. (2012). Understanding the Montessori Approach: Early Years Education in Practice. New York: Routlegde.

MEAB. (2010, June). Home. Retrieved January 2014, from The Childrens's Room: http://www.the-childrens-room.co.uk/ 

Forest School

Forest schools are believed to be very beneficial on a child’s learning. The idea came from Scandinavian countries and was adapted and brought in to practice in the UK in the year 2000. Forest schools have been thriving ever since.

Forest schools don’t necessarily take place in a woodland area, one of the purposes of a forest school is to make children aware of their natural surroundings, and this might be any outdoor environment. As forest schools are a safe environment children are able to find their independence through taking manageable risks teaching them to keep themselves safe. This risk-taking ability encourages self-esteem (Knight, 2011). A Danish forest school teaches children about vital life skills such as risk-taking, taking on challenges and how to assess their skills (Williams-Siegfredsen, 2012, p. 12).

Denmark forest school practitioners also believe that the outdoors is very beneficial to a child’s development. It is said to develop their ‘physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional competencies, it also keeps them healthy’. Research has also shown that children who spend more time outdoors have better social skills, are more attentive, obtain fewer infections, have fewer conflicts and better brain function, they also have better language development, and learn more vital life skills (Williams-Siegfredsen, 2012, p. 13).

There are many activities that can be done in a forest school. For early year’s pupils this might include a walk around the wood, pointing out things they see along the way, such as changes that have happened. This teaches the children about the seasonal changes in a year and the habitat in the woodland. They may use tools they take into the wood to explore further, using their senses, or they may collect and take back materials to explore in the classroom. For older pupils activities might include; building dens, digging through earth and exploring the environment.

(School,2008)

An example of an activity which the children can only benefit from within a forest school is in a case study by Clare Lamb. In this case study a class of fifteen pupils had previously been learning about rocks and soil, money, building structures and writing for varying audiences. This is what happened when they took what they had learnt in the classroom into the forest school. Allowing their imagination to run wild, six of them came up with the idea that they would make a ‘meatball’ shop in the woodland. The work they had done in class came up various times; they discovered that the soil can be different colours and therefore questioned the teacher about it, they also made their own money out of leaves and made their own table using wood and pieces of rope. The pupils were able to use what they had leant, and put it into real life contexts (Lamb, 2011). An exercise such as this tests a child’s acquisition of knowledge and develops their confidence in what they have learnt.

Forest schools all over the UK use these techniques in order to improve a child’s learning. From following the example of the Danish forest school approach, we can see the positive effects it has been having on pupils in the UK. Forest schools will continue to thrive in the coming years for children all over the world.

References

Knight, S. (2011). Introduction: Setting the Scene. In S. Knight, Forest School For All. London: Sage.

Lamb, C. (2011). Forest School - A Whole School Approach. In S. Knight, Forest School For All (p. 2). London: Sage.

School, G. P. (2008, January). Goweton Primary School. Retrieved January 2014, from Swansea-edunet: https://swansea-edunet.gov.uk/en/schools/GowertonPrimary/Pages/CMSImageView.aspx?a=6be6b393fabd4e41b3fc22bf2c831eaf&i=0

Williams-Siegfredsen, J. (2012). Understanding the Danish Forest School Approach. New York: Routledge. 

Play In Education

Play is used as a method of learning as children learn best when they feel secure and motivated. Their motivation comes from their wanting to do something, and all children want to play.

The freedom that comes with play allows a child to make up their own rules, goals, materials, people and time. This freedom develops a child’s confidence and self-belief; this will lead to a state of emotional security (Bennett & Henderson, 2013).

The use of learning through play is believed to encourage a child’s cognitive development. Spontaneous activity in children’s play can develop a child’s discovery, reasoning and thought. These activities include; ‘bodily skills and movement, make-believe play, direct concern with physical things, animals and plants, and direct enquiry into whys and wherefores” (Manning & Sharp, 1977, p. 12). There are many benefits of play in education. According to Bruce ‘play co-ordinates learning, different kinds of learning are brought together in play, it allows children to make the connections between classroom tasks and real-life scenarios’. (T, 1996)

The roles of the teacher or adult during play exercises is to allow children the freedom of choice, set up suitable environments, and encourage and suggest methods of play when the child’s play becomes repetitive and lacks progression. With the help of a teacher children’s play can be educational and have purpose (Manning & Sharp, 1977, p. 15)

There are three main forms of play which enhance the child’s educational development. These are sensory, imaginative and exploratory. Sensory play is when learning activities require the children to use their senses. For example, the use of shaving foam, play dough, sand, etc. for the children to form letter shapes and numerals and so on.

Imaginative play enables the child to use their imagination. This method of play can be seen in role play activities such as ‘dressing-up’, ‘home corner’ and ‘castles, caves or forests’. In these play situations a child develops their speaking and listening skills, story-telling and social interaction. Below is an example of a school in the Swansea area taking part in a role play exercise which taught them about the real life experience of a wedding as part of their topic ‘happiness’.

(Swansea, 2013)

Finally, exploratory play allows children to find out things for themselves. They are able to explore their surroundings including the outdoors, in a safe and secure manner. They can handle and explore the use of tools and equipment, make choices about materials and selecting equipment to use, and through adult encouragement they are able to ask and answer relevant questions.

Play is encouraged in the classroom as it allows every pupil an opportunity to develop their own potential and capabilities, regardless of their level of intelligence.

References

Bennett, V., & Henderson, N. (2013). Young children learning. In W. S, A Student's Guide to Education Studies (pp. 168-174). Abingdon: Routedge.

Manning, K., & Sharp, A. (1977). Structuring Play in the early years at school. London: School Council Publications 1977.

Swansea, C. a. (2013, November 3). Plasmarl Primary School. Retrieved December 29, 2013, from Plasmarl Primary School: https://swansea-edunet.gov.uk/en/schools/Plasmarl/Pages/CMSImageView.aspx?a=338558fdefd14252ae2b227484288e50&i=38

T, B. (1996). Helping Young Children to Play. London: Hodder and Stoughton.