Books about School and Schooling
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Books about School and Schooling
March 2009
Hey does anyone know where to get Waldorf books? for parents &
kiddos? I found Liputto online after a bit of a search and am
just wondering if anyone knows of any bookstores that carry
similar books, used would be awesome. Thanks!
julie
the ark toystore on 4th st. has some, new and expensive, as many are
printed in Europe. also you may find some at libraries and/or special
order from other libaries within the system.
anon
October 2001
I am seeking a good lay person's book (or several) that
explains/compares different theories of elementary school education. I'd
like a clear understanding of the differences between
Waldorf/Montessori/other private approaches, etc. What is the difference
between "developmental" education vs. "academic?" Are there other labels
I should know? Also, does anyone have any advice about how to evaluate a
public elementary school (other than test scores)? Thanks.
Sarah
There are many wonderful resources for picking schools on the
Neighborhood Parents Network web site at
http://www.parentsnet.org/npn_schools.html
including a "Guide to Selected Informations Sources" that includes books
of this sort. Good luck! Sima
Sima
My son (turning 2) will be starting at a Montessori school (A Child's World
- actually goes through 6th grade) next month. One book that I found to be
an excellent explanation of the Montessori system is called "Montessori A
Modern Approach" by Paula Polk Lillard (1972, Schocken Books). I am
currently working on "The Montessori Controversy," by John Chattin-McNichols
(1998, Delmar Publishers). I am only about 1/4 way through; it is a textbook
so not as interesting a read (and a lot more expensive than the other), but
seems to also have some good information. One chapter specifically discusses
the Montessori model and curriculum for the elementary classroom. I got both
books from Amazon.com. A note: Maria Montessori never legally protected her
method (from an intellectual property standpoint), so any school can call
itself Montessori, and there is a big variety between those that do, so
consider that when you go from book to actually visiting any program. Tracy Tilin
One of my favorite books on education for children is _Summerhill School,
A New View of Childhood_ by A. S. Neill. Summerhill is a 75-year-old
free/democratic school in England. There are several similar schools in
the U.S. The book won't compare and contrast Waldorf/Montessori
approaches, but it is an excellent springboard for thinking about
education in general.
A good resource for all kinds of alternative education is the Alternative
Education Resource Organization, AERO. They have a website:
http://www.educationrevolution.org/ which has many useful links for
parents trying to sort out what kind of education will be best for their
child.
Best of luck,
Anne
I remember desperately wanting just what you asked for - a
guide book to explain all these educational philosophies
clearly. I never found the perfect book, but here are some
resources: Check out the the Neighborhood Parents Network
(http://www.parentsnet.org/npn_schools.html), which offers
panel discussions with parents from various East Bay
independent schools (one coming up on October 20). This a
good opportunity to hear a jargon-free presentation of
different educational philosophies. You might try to locate
a copy of "The Parents Guide to Alternatives in Education"
by Ronald Koetzsch, which describes the philosophy and
methodology of schools with many different approaches to
early childhood education such as Montessori, Waldorf, home
schooling, various schools by religion, and Holistic
schools.
Keep in mind that understanding a single label, such as
"Montessori" or "academic" or "progressive" probably won't
give you as much information as you really need - there are
different flavors of Montessori, varying approaches to
progressive education, and the word "academic" can mean just
about anything! Many schools incorporate aspects of a
variety of approaches. For example, my daughter's school,
Windrush, while most strongly identified with the
progressive tradition (John Dewey, Reggio Emilia school),
also incorporates the cognitive work of Piaget, Elkind, and
Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences), as well as the
Humanist Tradition of places such as Bank Street School,
and aspects of Montessori approaches. Our faculty are
continuously reviewing research in education in order to
revise and improve their teaching methods. So how can you
keep up? Well, short of getting a degree in education and
reading the works of Piaget, Skinner, Dewey, Holt, Steiner,
etc., your best bet is to read, really read, the materials
from each school you visit, and also ask, when you visit, at
least this simple question: "What is your philosophy about
how children learn?" And then follow up by asking for
examples of how they teach particular subjects at different
grade levels. Hopefully you'll get some concrete examples
that will make sense. And be sure you find some real live
parents at the school who can also enlighten you by
explaining things in layperson's terms. (If you don't know
anyone there, ask the admissions director for names.)
You might also try reading the following:
http://eric.uoregon.edu/trends_issues/choice/alternative.html
http://www.pathsoflearning.org/archives/PoL.htm
Good luck!
Natasha
Check out NPN's website at http://www.parentsnet.org/npn_schools.html.
Natasha Beery's articles are particularly helpful, and there is a good
listing of other resources.
Lysa
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