Common Early Education Philosophies And Why They Matter -

Have you recently started your search for childcare programs (either daycare or preschool) and come across phrases like “Montessori,” “Reggio Emilia,” or “High Scope?”

You might not be paying that much attention (I know I didn’t when I first started looking), but they are worth a little investigation. They describe early educational philosophies that tell us a lot about how our kids will be taught and cared for.

We can describe an early learning education philosophy as a framework or a set of foundational guiding principles that shape how children are taught and cared for. These philosophies will guide daily interactions, activities, and play.

It’s not a rulebook or a set curriculum, but a guide that influences all daily practices. That includes curriculums, conflict resolution, social interactions, learning activities, and pretty much everything our kids will be doing throughout the day.

Early learning philosophies reflect how a facility views early childhood education and what they think is important for children’s development.

As moms, that’s pretty important for us to know and understand, because it will tell us a lot about what we’re signing our kids up for.

Why Do Early Education Philosophies Matter?

While strong, nurturing relationships between teachers and students are probably the most important part of any early childcare program, early education philosophies are also important for us to consider.

Aligning with your family’s values

Each of us has our own personal values that shape how we raise our kids. When choosing a facility, it’s important to select one that aligns with our family’s values.

Finding a childcare facility that aligns with those values ensures that our children are cared for in the ways that matter to us.

Choosing the right fit for your child’s personality

As we all know, kids each have their own personalities, likes, and dislikes. Different learning philosophies have different guiding principles, and one may match a child’s personality more than another.

Our children flourish when we choose childcare settings that align with their unique personalities and interests.

Predictable expectations

By understanding a setting’s educational philosophy, we can have clear, predictable expectations of how they will manage care and what their learning goals are. That creates a sense of safety in our children and comfort for us as parents.

Evidence-based care

Most early learning philosophies are evidence-based, developed by leading childcare experts with years of experience.

When a preschool or early childcare facility puts an early learning philosophy into practice, that tells us that they value research in early education (even if they have different views on which method is “best.”)

Purposeful experiences

When an early learning philosophy is thoughtfully integrated into day-to-day practice, children are exposed to purposeful, intentional learning that helps them develop in their foundational years.

Common Early Education Philosophies

There are various early education philosophies that you’ll see in different preschools and daycares. Below are some of the most common and well-known approaches in the United States.

Montessori

The Montessori approach is one of the most respected approaches to early childhood education across the world.

In the Montessori approach, children are seen as capable and independent learners, and teachers are seen as guides. Environments are purposefully designed to facilitate freedom of learning within established boundaries, following a structured curriculum. Children are encouraged to be independent and choose activities that are interesting to them, and they may ‘work’ for long periods of time.

Groups are often mixed-age, with encourages the development of empathy, leadership, and conflict resolution skills. The Montessori approach builds autonomy, confidence, and a sense personal responsibility.

Developmental

The developmental approach is the most commonly seen approach to early childhood education in the United States. It emphasizes all domains of child development – physical, cognitive, social, and emotional.

Classrooms are interactive, with a mix of age-appropriate child-led and teacher-led activities that consider the unique strengths of each child, their cultural background, and their specific communities.

Reggio Emilia

The Reggio Emilia approach emphasizes creativity, investigation, and artistic expression. In this approach, the environment and social interactions play a core role in children’s development.

Group investigation and documentation via photographs or drawing are also emphasized as a way to engage, discover, and reflect.

A core concept behind this approach is “The Hundred Languages” of children, which describes the multiple ways – verbal and nonverbal – that children can use to express themselves.

Waldorf

The Waldorf approach is based on an understanding and respect of children’s developmental stages of growth. Children are seen in a holistic light as beings of body, soul, and spirit.

The approach emphasizes the development of innate talents, creativity, and imagination through interaction with nature, ample time for free play, and an unhurried environment.

It favors learning through real-life collaborative experiences over virtual ones in the early years, and employs more academically-focused teaching methods in later years.

This philosophy also places a big emphasis on “the inner work of the teacher” and how this supports child development.

HighScope

The HighScope approach was born out of the research of the Perry Preschool Project of the 1960s, which showed that high quality early childcare had lasting positive effects on adult outcomes.

This approach values active, participatory learning – in other words, hands-on learning – to encourage independent problem-solving. Classroom environments are arranged in a consistent, predictable way that encourages exploration and ease of use. Teachers work alongside children to problem-solve and encouraging them to gradually progress their skills and understanding. Verbal support is utilized instead of praise during activities.

Daily activities are generally structured, with a wide range of activities included to support developmental needs.

A core method of the HighScope approach is the “Plan-Do-Review” sequence – children are encouraged to plan an activity, do it, and then reflect on it with teachers and other students.

Bank Street or Developmental-Interaction

The developmental-interaction approach utilizes a progressive approach to education that focuses on developmentally appropriate social interaction, creative exploration, relationships, and child-centered play.

Children’s interests are the core of the curriculum, and they are encouraged to learn through experience, inquiry, and interaction to build their understanding of the world.

A hallmark of the progressive approach is educating the whole child – addressing the spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual parts of their being.

What’s The Best Approach?

Moms always want the best for our kids, so we naturally want to know – what’s the best early learning philosophy?

As is the case for most things, there is no “best” approach that works for all children. Each one has its strengths, just like each child. There are also valid criticisms to each philosophy that should be considered.

Careful observation of your child and their unique personality can help lead you to the approach that would best suit them and your family.

Questions To Ask Childcare Facilities

It’s great when childcare facilities can tell you about the educational philosophies that guide care, but you want to find out how they are actually putting this into practice.

Asking questions will hep you to determine if and how they are implementing their philosophy into everyday care. Below are some of the questions you want to consider asking:

What is the facility’s early educational philosophy or from which approach does it draw inspiration?

How is the early education philosophy incorporated into daily practice?

How do teachers handle emotional difficulties and conflicts?

Are the majority of daily activities are child-led or teacher-led?

How are teachers educated on the philosophy and what kind of qualifications are needed to teach?

References

“Constructing a Meaningful Philosophy for Your Setting: Tapestry.” Tapestry Childhood Education Platform, 6 Mar. 2025, tapestry.info/constructing-a-meaningful-philosophy-for-your-setting/.

“Philosophy of Early Years Education: Choose the Right Fit.” Shichida Australia, 11 Nov. 2025, www.shichida.com.au/blog/philosophy-of-early-years-education/.

Early Child Care and Education Philosophies, worklife.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Early%20Child%20Care%20Philosophies%20-%20Evergreen.pdf. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Staff, GreatSchools. “Preschool Philosophies, a to Z.” Parenting Advice, GreatSchools, 23 Jan. 2014, www.greatschools.org/gk/parenting/early-learning/preschool-philosophies. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026

NAEYC. “DAP: Defining Developmentally Appropriate Practice.” Www.naeyc.org, 2022, www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/definition.

“Reggio Children – Values.” Reggio Children, www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/valori-en.

“What Is Waldorf Early Childhood Education?” IASWECE, iaswece.org/waldorf-education/what-is-waldorf-education/.

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. “Discover Waldorf Education | Purposeful, Holistic, and Inspired Learning | AWSNA.” Waldorfeducation.org, 16 Sept. 2024, www.waldorfeducation.org/what-is-waldorf-education/.

Taplin, Jill Tina. “Waldorf Early Childhood Care and Education in the 21st Century.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 9, 23 Apr. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1329773.

HighScope. “Our Approach – HighScope.” HighScope, 4 Mar. 2024, highscope.org/our-approach/.

“Our Approach.” Bank Street College of Education, www.bankstreet.edu/about-bank-street/our-approach/.