Discovering Waldorf :: Waldorf and Neuroscience

I had the pleasure of attending a lecture given last night by Ruth Ker, a well known Waldorf Early Childhood expert and author. It was a brilliant talk which left me inspired and motivated.

Upon leaving the lecture hall at the end of her talk, Ruth handed out informational material. When I looked down at the sheet of paper she had just given me, I was quite literally amazed to see that she had handed me a copy of the article Dr Reggie Melrose (my very good friend) had written for the Discovering Waldorf Series on The Magic Onions a number of years ago called ‘Waldorf and Neuroscience’.  Here I was, starstruck with Ruth Ker, who had just handed me an article that I had helped to bring into the world! What a wonderful lesson that the little things we do can make an impact on the world (and sometimes aren’t so little at all).

Here is that insightful article again… please share it with all of those who are in need of learning about Waldorf from a scientific perspective.

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Why Waldorf Works : Waldorf From a Neuroscientific Perspective

By Dr. Regalena “Reggie” Melrose

Why Waldorf works has more to do with how the brain develops and functions optimally than Rudolf Steiner ever could have known. Sure the educator and founder of Waldorf Education theorized convincingly about how children learn best, but until MRIs and other sophisticated measures of the brain were developed, we had no way to prove or disprove any of Steiner’s theories, not with the kind of precision and accuracy we can now. An overwhelming body of evidence from the last 20 years of neuroscientific inquiry supports Steiner’s theories, including some of the most fundamental foci of Waldorf Education.Three foci thrill me the most, both as a parent of a Waldorf student and as an international speaker on the topic of learning, behavior, and the brain: holism, play, and nature. An emphasis on all three is consistent with how the brain learns best: when the whole brain is engaged at any given moment, when its foundational neural connections have been given ample time to develop, and when it is in an optimally aroused state. Continue reading…“

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For more info on Waldorf Education, please visit my Waldorfpage.

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 www.themagiconions@gmail.com

Blessings and magic,

Donni