Curriculum

The heart of the Rudolf Steiner or Waldorf method is the conviction that education is an art. Whether the subject is arithmetic, history, or physics, the presentation must live - it must speak to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, their heart and will must be reached, as well as their mind.
Through the heart, the hands, and the mind, Waldorf children are invited to explore the rhythms of the earth, poetry, music, colors and form, movement, numbers, history, life and the secret spaces within, creating a sense of wonder, gratitude and responsibility.
Waldorf learning respects the uniqueness of each child, while working in rhythm with the natural stages all children pass through. The pattern which unfolds in the individual child in many ways reflects the pattern which has unfolded throughout human history. Since these stages are in harmony with the development of civilization itself, the great stories of all time - from fairy tales and fables to Nordic and Greek myths - become the cornerstone of the curriculum. The young child learns by sparking the imagination through myth and the older child embraces learning through scientific inductive reasoning.

The Waldorf School curriculum strives to appreciate changing abilities of the growing child in a very concrete way by offering subject matter specifically suited to the faculties which the child is developing at a given age.

The main lessons, including language arts, science, math, history and geography, are taught in blocks of three to five weeks during the morning lesson hours, when the children are freshest for academic work.

Throughout each grade the children encounter a stimulating depth of experiences in the arts. Drama, drawing, painting, modeling, poetry, song, and musical instruments are woven throughout the main lesson subjects in all of the grades.

As the students reach the higher grades, more advanced artistic skills are introduced in separate lessons of woodwork, perspective drawing stringed instruments, and choir.

In addition to the main lesson subjects, our school offers special subject lessons in foreign languages (Spanish & German), and handwork/crafts for all eight years of Waldorf education.

Waldorf Kindergarten (Ages 4-6)

The Kindergarten child experiences the world through movement and activity. The Waldorf Kindergarten setting provides a rich environment and a wide spectrum of activities from vigorous play to quiet listening. The mixed age group makes the Kindergarten more home like and the daily and weekly rhythms help the child feel safe and secure. The rhythms include creative play, artistic activities, work activities, nature experiences and fairy tales in an atmosphere of beauty, harmony and purposefulness. In order to provide a solid foundation upon which subsequent academic learning can flourish, the Kindergarten program addresses the development of the young child’s healthy physical body, and habit life provides opportunities for social interactions, nourishes the creative imagination and encourages a sense of wonder and reverence for life.

Grades 1-8

In the first grade the child more consciously looks at nature around him, still using the fairy tale story as a basis for learning sound forms and rhythms which naturally develop into reading, writing and arithmetic. Spanish or German and the playing of the recorder are introduced at this time.

In the second grade the child is introduced to the fables representing human beings’ lower nature, and the stories of the saints, humanity’s upper nature. There is continued work in the mathematic processes, as well as reading and writing.

In the third grade the child studies Old Testament stories to learn about people’s first struggles to live on the earth. In geography they study housing, naturally learning measure and weight. They learn about gardening, farming, and cooking.

In the fourth grade the child begins to look at their local geography, studying the place where they are standing. Through the study of the Norse myths they experience their own final separation from nature.

In the fifth grade the child now feels solid and secure enough to study a whole nation, to delve into ancient history up through the Greek times. Through their study of art, science, government, and gymnastics they live for a short time in the perfectly balanced harmony and beauty of the Greek.

In the sixth grade, the child delves into the study of the Roman Empire, its greatness, vanity and total collapse. The children of this age can begin to empathize with this time of struggle and growth in humanity’s history and therefore can feel that they are not alone in their inward struggles. Physics is introduced to study the natural world.

In the seventh grade the emphasis of both history and geography is on Europe, the lives of the early explorers, and the expansion of the known world. Algebra and geometry are studied, as well as inorganic chemistry.

By eighth grade one has reached modern history and can oversee the wholeness of the globe, thus completing the picture of humankind’s development and the world around them. The child feels whole, at ease, strong and ready to face the rigors of the modern world.

The Arts

The arts include: drama, drawing, painting, modeling, poetry, song, eurythmy, and musical instruments are woven throughout the main lesson subjects in all of the grades. As the students reach the higher grades, more advanced artistic skills are introduced in separate lessons of woodwork, perspective drawing, stringed instruments, choir, games / physical education.

To view an outline of the curriculum for all 8 grades click here

"Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives."

-Rudolf Steiner