For those of you who are wondering what Waldorf education is all about, here is a great overview written by Dr Christine Gruhn, a parent with children who attend the Davis Waldorf School.
via : Chicago Waldorf School
“The Waldorf curriculum is not boring, even for very bright children, as children paint, draw, garden, dance, cook, knit and learn one or two foreign languages in their early years.
Every day, each child in every Waldorf School is greeted by their class teacher, with a handshake and a personal greeting. This is the same teacher that they, hopefully, will have from first through eighth grade.
During main lesson, first graders learn the shapes and names of the letters through imaginative stories told by their teacher, and they learn words and sounds through memorization of poetry and other works. Children in Waldorf schools do not typically learn to read until second or third grade, and as a result, most of them become incredibly good listeners.
Some parents panic when they learn of this “late” reading, but current research shows that there is no academic benefit to early reading. By third or fourth grade, children in Waldorf schools are reading at or above grade level.
First graders are still in the world of imagination, and love to hear stories of elves, fairies, gnomes, dragons and good triumphing over evil. How much more valuable this is to their development than to be struggling through “See Jane run.”
Early reading might provide parents and schools with a certain level of comfort but it does not enrich the child, nor does it make reading fun or enjoyable. Waldorf schools are not trying to delay reading, but are providing a literacy experience, which involves enriching children’s lives with words from the beginning, reading and telling complex stories to children at home and at school.”
For more info on Waldorf Education, please visit my Waldorf page.
And, be sure to enter our super Sparkle Stories Giveaway here…
Discovering Waldorf is a weekly series of articles written by ‘everyday’ Waldorf families. The contributors to this series share their ‘real-life’ insights and inspirations on all kinds of Waldorf topics. This series is not meant to be Waldorf philosophy in its purest form, but rather a snapshot of how we can all incorporate Waldorf ideas into our lives to help nurture and encourage the magic that is in our children. If you have a topic you wish to learn more about (or want to share) on Discovering Waldorf, send me an email at vined(at)ymail(dot)com.
Blessings and magic,
Donni
One Response
My daughter is a first grader at a Waldorf school so I really enjoyed this post. Thank you