Some of the more common early childhood education philosophies that people may hear are:

• Montessori: founded by Maria Montessori, “follow the child,” the teacher as a guide, the environment is always referred to as a “prepared environment” because teachers create or make material available as they see children become ready for the next stage of learning. Many of the materials are self-correcting materials, and at the early stages children do a lot of independent work at their own pace. Most children do make their way through the entire curriculum, but at a different pace. There are also three-year work cycles - so children are exposed to concepts at different levels over time in a particular environment,and it takes a full three years to consolidate their experiences in a particular environment. There are three-hour work cycles, or three uninterrupted hours where children may pick and choose their material from what is available to them, which must be honoured. There is multi-year grouping, and children stay with their teacher and in their environment for three years at a time.
• Reggio: emerged out of a community need in Italy, and while Loris Malaguzzi is often referred to as the founder, it was a collaborative approach. They focus on the strength and curiosity of children, and talk a lot about the 100 languages of children - or myriad ways that children can express themselves. The teacher is seen as a “co-learner” in a Reggio environment, so whereas the Montessori teacher is a guide and unobtrusive, the Reggio teacher may be seen actually facilitating discussions and leading explorations. There are small group projects that children take on, together with a teacher. There is a lot of documentation of children’s work.
• Waldorf/Steiner: Rudolph Steiner is the founder of the Waldorf curriculum. The Waldorf method focuses on creating a home-like atmosphere, where a lot of imagination and fantasy play is encouraged.Waldorf toys are, by design, natural and with very minimal detailing - so a child may fill in the remaining details with their imagination. Waldorf also believes that children thrive from predictability and routine, so there are specific times for whole group and small group work, baking and cooking and arts and crafts.
• Kindergarten: Freidrich Froebel is considered the father of the modern kindergarten, and he is responsible for putting forth the idea that  "play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child's soul.” He essentially believed that children had to construct their idea of the world through direct experience, or play, that would help them understand the world around them. To promote learning in this way, he had a series of gifts and occupations which included things like wooden blocks, sticks, clay, sand, slates, stones, etc. He emphasised the importance of open-ended exploration with this material.