Non-traditional schools offer an alternative style of education:<\/h6>\n\n- Belief: There is more than one way to educate children and that\u00a0education should match a person\u2019s learning style, instead of trying to force them into learning through an adopted style.<\/li>\n
- Approach: Encourage children to work on their own and at their own pace.<\/li>\n
- Text books:\u00a0Montessori and Waldorf schools follow education methods based on their founder’s teaching philosophy.<\/li>\n
- Class tutor: Your child will probably have the same teacher for two or three years (Waldorf schools generally have the same teacher for six years).<\/li>\n
- Role of teacher:\n
\n- In a Montessori classroom the teacher is a facilitator; a companion in each child’s own learning process who quietly observes her students, watching them learn.<\/li>\n
- All Waldorf educators must be artists; that all their teaching activity, regardless of subject taught, is filled with living artistry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Class size:\u00a0They tend to be relatively small, with generous pupil teacher ratios.<\/li>\n
- Less structured curriculum:\u00a0The learning journey tends to be less about passing exams and more about the process of learning through experience, problem solving and teamwork.<\/li>\n
- Concept of time:\u00a0Younger children are given unlimited time to play and explore each morning, there are bells to announce the end of class.<\/li>\n
- Outdoor play: Children spend a large part of the day playing outdoors and away from toys, fostering their creative imagination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some regard Finland as the leader in the world education system. Children do not start school until they are seven and even then, their day is quite short, 8am-12pm. Before the age of seven no child is expected to know how to read or write. Instead, their entire primary education system is built around creativity. You can see on the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) graph below that this has not produced poor results, quite the opposite. \u00a0Another interesting point is that private schools do not exist in Finland, instead education is considered as an instrument to balance out social inequality.<\/p>\n
![\"Education](\"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/F3413FFF-2B81-4F64-A154-387432217E46.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
If we can\u2019t all move to Finland, then what are the options for non-traditional schools in Madrid?<\/h6>\n
The more widely recognized alternative styles of learning of Montessori, Reggio Emelia and Waldorf have become so popular they have formally evolved into non-traditional schools that can be found all over the world and here in Madrid there are many to choose from.<\/p>\n
Montessori schools<\/h6>\n\n- Montessori schools often allow students to choose their own tasks or activities. These are often concrete tasks that are self-correcting, and can be completed on one’s own or in small groups.<\/li>\n
- There is emphasis on work that’s\u00a0concrete, hands-on, challenging, and\u00a0developmentally appropriate. This is meant to promote\u00a0independence, self-confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.<\/li>\n
- Montessori teachers act as guides, setting up the initial conditions (preparing the environment, introducing children to materials) and then challenging students with progressively more difficult material,\u00a0when appropriate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reggio Emilia<\/h6>\n\n- The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education views young children as individuals who are curious about their world and have the powerful potential to learn from all that surrounds them.<\/li>\n
- Educational, psychological, and sociological influences are important factors to consider in understanding children and working to stimulate learning in appropriate ways.<\/li>\n
- Reggio teachers employ strategies such as exposing children to a wide variety of educational opportunities that encourage self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving.<\/li>\n
- The approach aims to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills through projects designed to capitalize on children\u2019s interests. To be successful, the approach requires lots\u00a0of parental involvement\u2014with projects, curriculum and more\u2014something that’s\u00a0ongoing throughout the school year.<\/li>\n
- Art is emphasized and incorporated in many projects and activities. Students use lots of different kinds of artistic media throughout the school year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Waldorf<\/h6>\n\n- The\u00a0first (and largest) Waldorf School emerged in Spain in1990, it is now known as called Escuela Libre Micael and is located in the district of Las Rozas, Madrid. Since then several more have sprung up in Madrid and across Spain.<\/li>\n
- Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf philosophy, believed the educator\u2019s first task is to help students develop an aesthetic appreciation for life and learning.<\/li>\n
- Waldorf schools focus on developing the whole child\u2014emphasizing collaborative, hands-on learning, along with the arts and\u00a0music, which are integrated into other areas of study.<\/li>\n
- A Waldorf environment will often feel more like a home than a traditional classroom, designed to instill comfort, familiarity, and a sense of predictability in the students\u2019 day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you are interested in learning more about non-traditional schools for your child in Madrid, please do get in touch. We have visited most and are familiar with their teaching styles. \u00a0We would love to give you our honest and unbiased opinion and guide you in making this decision.<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re planning a move to Spain and trying to make sense of schools in Madrid, there are a few ways to get started \u2014 depending on where you are in the process.<\/span><\/p>\nSome families begin with a clear overview of how the system works. Others prefer personalised guidance or hands-on school search support.<\/span><\/p>\nYou can see the different options here and choose what suits your situation.<\/span><\/p>\n\ud83d\udc49<\/span> C\u00f3mo empezar<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
- \n
- In a Montessori classroom the teacher is a facilitator; a companion in each child’s own learning process who quietly observes her students, watching them learn.<\/li>\n
- All Waldorf educators must be artists; that all their teaching activity, regardless of subject taught, is filled with living artistry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Class size:\u00a0They tend to be relatively small, with generous pupil teacher ratios.<\/li>\n
- Less structured curriculum:\u00a0The learning journey tends to be less about passing exams and more about the process of learning through experience, problem solving and teamwork.<\/li>\n
- Concept of time:\u00a0Younger children are given unlimited time to play and explore each morning, there are bells to announce the end of class.<\/li>\n
- Outdoor play: Children spend a large part of the day playing outdoors and away from toys, fostering their creative imagination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some regard Finland as the leader in the world education system. Children do not start school until they are seven and even then, their day is quite short, 8am-12pm. Before the age of seven no child is expected to know how to read or write. Instead, their entire primary education system is built around creativity. You can see on the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) graph below that this has not produced poor results, quite the opposite. \u00a0Another interesting point is that private schools do not exist in Finland, instead education is considered as an instrument to balance out social inequality.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nIf we can\u2019t all move to Finland, then what are the options for non-traditional schools in Madrid?<\/h6>\n
The more widely recognized alternative styles of learning of Montessori, Reggio Emelia and Waldorf have become so popular they have formally evolved into non-traditional schools that can be found all over the world and here in Madrid there are many to choose from.<\/p>\n
Montessori schools<\/h6>\n
- \n
- Montessori schools often allow students to choose their own tasks or activities. These are often concrete tasks that are self-correcting, and can be completed on one’s own or in small groups.<\/li>\n
- There is emphasis on work that’s\u00a0concrete, hands-on, challenging, and\u00a0developmentally appropriate. This is meant to promote\u00a0independence, self-confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.<\/li>\n
- Montessori teachers act as guides, setting up the initial conditions (preparing the environment, introducing children to materials) and then challenging students with progressively more difficult material,\u00a0when appropriate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reggio Emilia<\/h6>\n
- \n
- The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education views young children as individuals who are curious about their world and have the powerful potential to learn from all that surrounds them.<\/li>\n
- Educational, psychological, and sociological influences are important factors to consider in understanding children and working to stimulate learning in appropriate ways.<\/li>\n
- Reggio teachers employ strategies such as exposing children to a wide variety of educational opportunities that encourage self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving.<\/li>\n
- The approach aims to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills through projects designed to capitalize on children\u2019s interests. To be successful, the approach requires lots\u00a0of parental involvement\u2014with projects, curriculum and more\u2014something that’s\u00a0ongoing throughout the school year.<\/li>\n
- Art is emphasized and incorporated in many projects and activities. Students use lots of different kinds of artistic media throughout the school year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Waldorf<\/h6>\n
- \n
- The\u00a0first (and largest) Waldorf School emerged in Spain in1990, it is now known as called Escuela Libre Micael and is located in the district of Las Rozas, Madrid. Since then several more have sprung up in Madrid and across Spain.<\/li>\n
- Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf philosophy, believed the educator\u2019s first task is to help students develop an aesthetic appreciation for life and learning.<\/li>\n
- Waldorf schools focus on developing the whole child\u2014emphasizing collaborative, hands-on learning, along with the arts and\u00a0music, which are integrated into other areas of study.<\/li>\n
- A Waldorf environment will often feel more like a home than a traditional classroom, designed to instill comfort, familiarity, and a sense of predictability in the students\u2019 day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you are interested in learning more about non-traditional schools for your child in Madrid, please do get in touch. We have visited most and are familiar with their teaching styles. \u00a0We would love to give you our honest and unbiased opinion and guide you in making this decision.<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re planning a move to Spain and trying to make sense of schools in Madrid, there are a few ways to get started \u2014 depending on where you are in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n
Some families begin with a clear overview of how the system works. Others prefer personalised guidance or hands-on school search support.<\/span><\/p>\n
You can see the different options here and choose what suits your situation.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49<\/span> C\u00f3mo empezar<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n