Meeting the Child in Steiner Kindergartens: An exploration of beliefs, values and practices

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Edited by Rod Parker-Rees

This is a book about the Steiner Kindergartens. Many Malaysians are hyped up on Montessori Kindergartens so  this book review aims at exposing Malaysians to the other available type of kindergartens.

In general, the Steiner Kindergarten is somewhat the same to the Montessori Kindergarten. However, this kindergarten is much more 'children-friendly'.

The overview of the kindergarten:

  • Teacher works with the children. No leading and following.
  • Teacher makes attempt to trigger the children interest. Voluntary not instructing.
  • Mixed age structure (also applied to the Montessori Kindergarten). The young learn from the older children.
  • Communal feeling. Kindergarten is treated as a natural place of socialisation where children learn to interact with others. 
  • Teacher provide children with enough time. Giving the child time to be in the early years. Based on belief that each child has different learning aptitude.
  • Co-regulation instead of freedom. Co-regulation is a process of continuous mutual adjustment which lies at the heart of satisfying conversations and relationships (p.48)
  • Teacher as the children role model. Teacher should behave in the way they want the children to behave.
  • Give the children ample time to dream and imagine. 
  • The power of imaginative play to serve problem solving and also develop thinking.


To overgeneralise, the Steiner Kindergarten system is again somewhat the same with Montessori Kindergartens and others. Yet, I see the Steiner Kindergarten as using a more integrated approach. There are some elements of Montessori, some of Dewey and to some extent the Vygotsky. Thus, it is a blend of everything. However, the book doesn't mention on the subjects taught in the kindergartens expect arts and none has been said on Religious study.

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