Waldorf education rests on the premise that human beings are spiritual beings. Thus the birth of a baby, in addition to being a time of joy, is also a sacred time as the new parents welcome into the family someone who has only just left the spiritual worlds.
The Waldorf doll is the representation of the human child, a mirror of our potential as human beings. When the child plays with the doll they are exploring what it means to be a human being in relationship with others.
While both Montessori and Waldorf schools believe children need a connection to the environment, they are different in that Montessori focuses on real-life experiences and Waldorf emphasizes the child's imagination and fantasy. Waldorf schools were founded by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist and philosopher.
In Waldorf pedagogy, young children learn best through immersion in un-selfconscious imitation of practical activities. The early childhood curriculum focuses on experiential education and imaginative play. The overall goal of the curriculum is to "imbue the child with a sense that the world is good".
Waldorf classrooms have a signature look and feel, emphasizing calm, beauty, natural light, and natural furnishings. Many classrooms are painted in soothing light pink colors. Natural wood furniture and wooden toys are the norm. Toys are simple, usually wooden or fabric, and many toys are hand-made.
Key components of the Waldorf teaching system include the following: Focus on child development. Individualization.
These scientists, led by neuroscientist Larrison, not only found that Waldorf students significantly outperform their peers on standardized tests at the end of their middle school curriculum (8th grade), they emphasize that Waldorf students' superior performance occurs even though the students do not have a history of ...
A composite profile of the recent Waldorf graduate tells us that they (practically all) attend college, for which they feel strongly prepared (95%), are accepted to the top three colleges or universities of their choice (90%), complete their initial degree (92%), and often choose thereafter to continue to graduate or ...
Many parents who visit a Waldorf school for the first time are attracted by Waldorf's unique approach: the old-fashioned pace, an abundance of arts and crafts, a dearth of technology, plenty of outdoor education, and an emphasis on hands-on learning.
ARE WALDORF SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS? Waldorf schools are non-sectarian and non-denominational. They educate all children, regardless of their cultural or religious backgrounds.
Between the ages of seven and 14, children learn best through lessons that touch their feelings and enliven their creative forces. The Waldorf lower school curriculum is alive with fairy tales and fables, mythological sagas, and stirring biographies of historical figures.
Waldorf dolls have minimal or no faces in order to encourage the imagination of the young child—to cultivate her “inner picturing” abilities.
Waldorf schools integrate intellectual, artistic, and practical instruction throughout the curriculum. The development of social skills and ethical values are key elements of Waldorf Education, woven throughout the curriculum and every grade level.
They are sanguine (air), choleric (fire), melancholic (earth), and phlegmatic (water). We all have each of the four temperaments. Steiner believed adults should work to harmonize the temperaments in themselves.
Some common drawbacks mentioned in connection with Waldorf schools are the same things that many parents like, such as the lack of emphasis on technology and standardized testing, and the focus on imaginative play in early childhoood (formal reading instruction does not begin until first grade).
The Waldorf idea is to wait to teach reading until children are around age 7 so that they can finish key aspects of their physical development before asking them to focus on academic work. The goal of waiting is to promote healthy physical development throughout life.
The broad-based nature of the Waldorf curriculum appears to make it well suited to the ARD/ADHD child. Certain features of the pedagogy in particular seem to address the needs of these children.
Main differences between Montessori and Waldorf schools. Academics: Montessori schools focus more on core academics, at least in preschool. Waldorf schools normally don't introduce core academics, at least formally, until grade 1 or 2. Work and play: Montessori schools favour work over play.
For instance, in the nursery, kindergarten, and early grades, a soft, warm, pink tone is usually selected for walls and curtains because of its gently active and supportive quality. Pink is a loving, innocent color, decidedly feminine in character.
Try telling or reading a story one day. Then on the next day, retell the story, act it out, paint, draw, or model something from the story. Waldorf education incorporate the arts into lessons and life – drawing, movement, music, drama, modeling, painting, and speech. All in addition to stories, of course!
The Waldorf method of education is based on a keen awareness of child and human development and seeks to educate the child as a whole person, not just their academic development. This theory considers every aspect of the child's growth with an emphasis on the heart, hands and mind.