Waldorf curriculum unfolds throughout the stages of childhood development to provide a rich, dynamic, and multi-faceted education. In the grades classes, each students’ day is filled with different experiences and activities that encourage engagement and development of the “head, heart and hands.” A child’s day is filled with movement, music, mathematics, composition, drama, storytelling, painting, and creating!
Waldorf educators have always recognized that a child learns best when their whole being – body, emotions and intellect – is actively involved in the learning process. In the grades, each day begins with a two hour Main Lesson, an in-depth exploration of a core academic subject, designed to engage the full range of the child’s capacities. Main lesson typically includes some movement, speech and/or drama activity, and often an opportunity to engage and build relationships with peers. From there, teachers will guide their students through a rhythm of “review, do, new”, which includes deeply reviewing and recalling previously discussed material, illustrating and solidifying their understanding during work time, and learning new and interesting material to further their education. Teaching methods adapt to this change to meet the developmental stage of the child, as well as the academic rigor and expectations, especially as children enter the Middle School. No matter the grade, the imaginative, multi-sensory approach of Waldorf education enlivens learning for the children, and allows them to become active and enthusiastic participants in their own education journey.
