ABOUT WALDORF
We draw our inspiration from Waldorf education – a worldwide movement for educational and social renewal based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. It is the fastest growing, largest private school movement in the world. In addition to the more than 900 independent Waldorf schools, (approximately 150 in the United States), there are also many public, charter and private schools worldwide that have introduced and utilized Waldorf teaching methods with great success. There are also thousands of families who home school using Waldorf methods and curriculum. For nearly 100 years, the Waldorf curriculum has been thoughtfully developed to meet students’ developmental needs as they journey from the imaginative world of early childhood to the adult world of clear intellectual thought. Its aim is to educate the whole child – head, heart and hands. Lessons that are alive and interesting and which challenge and stimulate the imagination cultivate in the children a feeling of wonder, reverence for life and respect for self and others. A Waldorf education prepares students to enter adulthood with the gifts of self-discipline, initiative, independence, mastery of analytical and critical faculties and high ethical and moral standards.
In the Waldorf school there is no pressure to reduce children to test scores or behaviors. The early childhood years are free from formal academics and instead focus on developing the foundational skills students must master to be successful in school and, most importantly, beyond. In contrast to early academics, Waldorf preschool and kindergarten teachers recognize that reading must be grounded in a rich field of oral learning and meaning. Thus, they carefully lay the foundation for early literacy through storytelling, singing, and movement games. This delightful, practical and healthy approach to education has proven to be an excellent introduction to learning for young children, and it serves as a gentle transition to school life. The curriculum for grades 1-8 can be represented by an ascending spiral of integrated learning which is built upon year by year. Music, foreign language, the arts and practical skills such as handwork and woodworking are an essential part of a meaningful education, and so are infused throughout the entire curriculum.
In the Waldorf school there is no pressure to reduce children to test scores or behaviors. The early childhood years are free from formal academics and instead focus on developing the foundational skills students must master to be successful in school and, most importantly, beyond. In contrast to early academics, Waldorf preschool and kindergarten teachers recognize that reading must be grounded in a rich field of oral learning and meaning. Thus, they carefully lay the foundation for early literacy through storytelling, singing, and movement games. This delightful, practical and healthy approach to education has proven to be an excellent introduction to learning for young children, and it serves as a gentle transition to school life. The curriculum for grades 1-8 can be represented by an ascending spiral of integrated learning which is built upon year by year. Music, foreign language, the arts and practical skills such as handwork and woodworking are an essential part of a meaningful education, and so are infused throughout the entire curriculum.
