Alternative teaching methods.

Some schools use an alternative education method, for example, Free school, Dalton or Montessori. What education methods are there? What does that education look like? And what does your child do at a school with an alternative education method?

Montessori

Montessori education lives by the motto ‘help me do it myself’. The Montessori school believes your child is naturally independent and wants to be. The education focuses on working and learning independently.

Education at a Montessori school
At a Montessori school, your child often works alone or in small groups. Here your child learns to work with a planner. Your child keeps track of what schoolwork needs to be done or is finished and chooses which task to do when. This helps your child learn to plan, organize, ask for help and handle independence.

Special teaching materials
A Montessori school uses special teaching materials that share a message and build skills. They are always made of natural materials like wood or fabric. All materials are developed for Montessori education and are used in different stages of your child’s development.

Dalton

At a Dalton school, freedom, responsibility and independence are central. A school with a Dalton plan has core values. These are cooperation, freedom and responsibility, effectiveness, independence and reflection. Thanks to these values, your child learns to plan well, take in schoolwork and take responsibility. The older your child gets, the more responsibility they have.

Education at a Dalton school 

At a Dalton school, your child works with daily, weekly and monthly tasks. These can be personal tasks or group tasks. Your child learns to plan, organize and take initiative. The teacher gives tasks to the whole class, to groups or individuals. The teacher considers your child’s needs. Dalton education also meets your child’s wishes and skills by offering choice work alongside the required lessons. Your child chooses which skills to work on at that moment.

Weekly planning

At a Dalton school, your child works with a plan where tasks are planned daily. Every day has a color, like yellow for Thursday or blue for Tuesday. If your child learns words on Thursday, they color that task yellow. This helps your child learn skills like responsibility and independence.

Jenaplan

Jenaplan education focuses on your child’s world of experiences. A Jenaplan school combines teaching and upbringing. Your child learns subjects like math and language but also works a lot on personal development. In class, your child sits with children of different ages who explore, experience, and discover the world together.

Teaching at a Jenaplan school
A Jenaplan school centers on values like cooperation, planning, creativity, and responsibility. Every Jenaplan school is different. The teaching plan is made by looking at what is near the school, like a park or playground. The lessons suit your child’s direct world of experience.

Groups
In a Jenaplan class, your child is with students of various ages. Older and younger children help each other with school work and learn how to interact. Jenaplan education works with a weekly schedule and weekly tasks. There is room for circle talks, creative subjects, and different celebrations.

Freinet

At a Freinet school, your child’s experiences are the starting point. By talking about these experiences at school, students often choose the lesson theme themselves.

Teaching at a Freinet school
Children gather many experiences at home, school, or while playing outside. These are included in the lessons, for example during circle talks or drawing classes. How your child sees the world is central in Freinet education. This way, your child learns a lot about subjects they find interesting or meaningful.

Freinet techniques
Several teaching techniques were made especially for Freinet education. These are used in class and during lessons. Your child develops different skills beyond regular classes, such as communicating and evaluating. These techniques include:

• A work corner where your child can work based on experiences
• A class meeting where students and teachers discuss and organize school work together
• A class diary
• Free text: your child chooses what to write about

Using these techniques, your child learns to cooperate, process experiences, and work independently.