Montessori is an alternative teaching system based on the principles of the Italian physician Maria Montessori. This child-centered form of education allows children to learn at their own pace, versus a traditional teacher-led class where students learn material on the same time frame. The Montessori system also instructs students in an environment that engages all of the five seasons, and where older children are encouraged to teach younger students.
Montessori school options in Missouri include Chesterfield Montessori School, Columbia Montessori School and City Garden Montessori Charter School.
Like Montessori schools, Waldorf schools break away from the traditional classroom model of public schools. Waldorf education seeks to use the stages of child development to inform each child's education, and children are urged to learn through performance, storytelling, art, dance and by embracing nature.
In Missouri, the Shining Rivers School is an option for parents who would like to place their children in a Waldorf School.
Home schooling is another alternative education option. Homeschooling requirements and regulations vary by state; in Missouri, the state does not regulate home schooling programs. This means that one parent is responsible for creating an education program for her child in the home that covers 1,000 hours of instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies and science each year. For more information, visit the Department of Education website.
While public schools focus on a traditional range of subjects, including English, mathematics, social studies and sciences, career magnet schools teach students the skills they need to start a specific career. These schools may grant partial college credit. Manual Career & Technical Center is one such school in Missouri, which teaches students automotive repair, cosmetology, early childhood education and culinary arts. Kansas City Career Academy is another technical school in Missouri that provides career education through hands-on learning.