Montessori, Waldorf, Piaget, Vygotsky - what do these names actually mean?  - Learning Time HK

Montessori, Waldorf, Piaget, Vygotsky - what do these names actually mean? 

If you have a child, chances are, you’ve heard of some of these names. These people were trailblazers in early childhood development and education, and many of their ideas live on today. 

Maria Montessori 

All our kits and toys are inspired by Montessori’s approach to teaching young children. Essentially, Montessori-inspired toys are tangible, simple, and usually have one or two ‘challenging aspects’. The child is expected to explore at their own pace and work through the ‘difficulties’.

Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf)

The Waldorf approach focuses on developing a child’s creativity and imagination through holistic learning experiences. It’s the opposite of what we see in classrooms today i.e. quantitative assessments and letter grades. Our kits are strictly play-based, open-ended, and encourage your child to play creatively. 

Jean Piaget

Piaget was one of the first psychologists to theorize that children and adults think differently on a fundamental and psychological level. He developed his theory on the stages of cognitive development which gave us insight into how children think and learn at each age and stage. 

Lev Vygotsky

In our opinion, Vygotsky doesn’t really get the attention that he deserves. Vygotsky stipulated that at each stage of development, there are certain things that a child can do on their own, certain things that a child simply cannot do, and things that a child can do with the help of someone more experienced. It’s this last category that we highlight in our kits because this is where children learn the most. Through our guides, we guide caregivers on how to be the best teacher they can be to their children. 

Although we draw inspiration from these people, we also account for all the research and advances in early education since their time. Our kits incorporate the best of both worlds to bring you the most age-appropriate, effective, and innovative materials. 

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