“Is That Like Montessori?”: How Waldorf is Different

If you’re a Waldorf parent or educator, you’ve probably had this moment: you mention Waldorf education, and someone responds with a thoughtful nod, “Oh! Is that like Montessori?”

It’s an understandable question. Both Waldorf and Montessori schools are known for their cozy classrooms, their emphasis on natural materials, and their commitment to honoring the child. Their founders—Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori—were even contemporaries in early 20th-century Europe. And both believed that education should nurture the full human being, not just train for academic achievement.

But spend even a few minutes in each kind of classroom—or learn a little about their guiding principles—and the differences quickly become clear. So, how do you respond when someone asks that question?

Here’s a closer look at the distinctions that set Waldorf apart.

A Different View of Human Development

While both Steiner and Montessori believed that education should follow the natural stages of childhood, Steiner’s developmental model is rooted in spiritual and holistic principles. Waldorf education works in seven-year cycles, with each stage of life calling forth a different kind of learning.

• In early childhood (birth to 7), Waldorf emphasizes imitation, movement, play, and rhythm.

• From 7 to 14, learning is guided by imagination, feeling, and connection to story.

• In adolescence and beyond, education becomes more focused on critical thinking, individuality, and ideals.

Montessori’s approach is more grounded in scientific observation and emphasizes practical life and sensorial learning from an early age. Children often begin academic work—like reading and math—at age 3 or 4. In Waldorf, those same years are protected for play, storytelling, and artistic exploration, with formal academics intentionally delayed until the child’s sixth or seventh year, when the “picture consciousness” of early childhood begins to give way to more abstract thought.

So when someone says, “Aren’t they both developmental?” the answer is yes—but with very different developmental maps.

How Learning Unfolds: Self-Guided vs. Guided by the Teacher

Montessori is known for fostering independence through self-directed learning. Children choose from a set of pre-prepared materials and work at their own pace, usually individually or in small groups. The teacher, or “guide,” observes and intervenes only when needed. The goal is to cultivate internal discipline and autonomy.

Waldorf, on the other hand, places the teacher at the center of the learning experience, especially in the early years. In kindergarten, the teacher models meaningful work—sweeping, baking, sewing—and children learn through imitation. In the grades, the teacher becomes a storyteller and guide, introducing material through rich narratives, art, and movement. Lessons are typically experienced as a whole class, with a strong rhythm that helps integrate the day’s content.

So while Montessori gives the child freedom to choose from a curated set of tasks, Waldorf gives the child a cohesive, imaginative journey guided by a trusted adult who knows their developmental needs intimately—often over many years.

The Feeling in the Room

Perhaps the most striking difference is something that’s hard to put into words: the atmosphere of the classroom.

In a Montessori environment, you’ll see shelves of precise, elegant materials—golden beads for math, sandpaper letters for writing—and children working quietly, often alone, on their chosen task. The mood is focused and purposeful, with an emphasis on order and precision.

A Waldorf classroom, by contrast, feels more like a storybook home. There are beeswax candles, soft wool dolls, watercolor paintings, and handwork baskets. The day follows a comforting rhythm—circle time, story time, outdoor play, artistic work—all held with warmth, song, and seasonal beauty. The focus isn’t just on what the child is doing, but how they are feeling and experiencing the world.

Both settings are beautiful. But they grow from very different roots.

Final Thought: Two Different Gardens

In the end, Waldorf and Montessori can be seen as two different kinds of gardens. In a Montessori garden, the child moves among carefully laid out rows, selecting which plants to tend and when. In a Waldorf garden, the whole class moves through the seasons together, digging, planting, harvesting—each activity timed to the rhythms of nature and child development.

Both can be beautiful and nourishing. But the experience of growing up in each one is profoundly different.