Hunting For A Preschool, Part 2: Waldorf

Waldorf Wool Felt Crown by Little Red Caboose

I believe that finding a preschool that will make you and your child happy is all about finding the right fit. There are a lot of options out there, and to be honest I don’t think any of them are perfect… but I know that when the school, the teachers, the personality of the child, and the values and expectations of the family line up, a good experience is bound to come out of that. My goal in writing this series (see the first post on the Montessori method) is to give an unbiased look at each type of school so that you can figure out what appeals to you and direct your search from there. Today, in our look at Waldorf education I will be describing a day in the life of a Waldorf class, curriculum, background and philosophy, strengths, critiques and resources. Let’s get started!

A Day in the Life:

A Waldorf Lunch Table, Sanderling Waldorf School

The Waldorf day begins as the children enter the room and are greeted warmly by their teacher. The classroom is painted a soothing shade of pink, and all of the furniture and toys are made from natural materials: wood tables and chairs, hand-made dolls, play silks, wooden blocks and logs for building, and beeswax crayons are all attractively arranged. There is an inviting home corner with a wooden play kitchen, small brooms, baby dolls and a cradle. A quiet area is filled with plump cushions and just a few carefully selected picture books. Everything about the space has been carefully chosen to soothe the senses – there are no jarring noises, no electronics, hard edges, or jarring colors. The teacher is sitting at a table quietly working on a sewing project, as the children freely explore the room.

A group of children are in the home corner, cradling baby dolls and stirring a pot of “soup” made of acorns on the play stove. Two boys are building a castle using wooden screens with play silks draped on top. Once it is built, they scurry under the silk canopy and whisper to each other about the dragon that’s coming. A girl is examining the nature table, which is arranged with a changing display of items collected on the children’s nature walks as well as a felt bowl and several small creatures made of wool. A pair of children who had been drawing with beeswax crayons now become interested in what their teacher is doing, and they approach her. She is mending a tear in one of their baby dolls. The children express concern, and ask if they can help. The teacher gets the children their own sewing supplies, and lets them take turns making stitches to mend the baby doll. When they are finished, they proudly return the doll to the home corner.

To signal clean-up time, the teacher begins singing a little song that the children are all familiar with; she sets a good example by participating in the tidying up, and the children follow suit. The toys and materials are put away, and then the children sit down on the floor for circle time. At circle, they sing songs and recite a seasonal poem. Then the Eurythmy teacher joins the group, leading the class in a series of movement activities that incorporate sounds and musical notes.

When circle time is finished, the children wash hands and then help set the table for snack with cloth place mats, a vase of fresh flowers, plates, cups and cutlery. Several of the children help the teacher cut fresh fruit. Before eating, the group always says a blessing for the food, and sometimes sings a seasonal song. After cleaning up the snack, the children have outdoor play time. In the yard there are child-sized paths and nooks, a sand/mud area, and a small organic vegetable garden. Just as in the classroom, there are no plastic toys outside. Three girls decide to build a den to hide in out of wood pieces, and they set to work. One group of children immediately gravitates toward the sand box, while two friends make their way into the garden to help sweep the pathways.

The children come inside for story time, which is considered very special. The teacher never reads a story from a book, but rather tells a story aloud that she has memorized, sometimes supplementing the story with a little puppet show. The stories are often fairy tales, emphasizing problem solving skills and nature. When story time is done, many of the children are picked up; others who are staying for an extended day get their lunch baskets and sit down with teacher for lunch. Over the weekend, the teacher will be doing a home visit with one of the new students in her class. The home visits are a regular part of Waldorf education: they give the teacher and parents a chance to connect, and reinforce to the child that the relationship with the teacher is an important one.

Curriculum:

Waldorf dolls, Sanderling Waldorf School

Waldorf schools place a strong emphasis on art and craft education, and this infuses every aspect of the day. Much time is spent painting, drawing, sculpting with wax and clay, felting, baking, sewing and building. Boys and girls are taught all of the same skills, from cooking to carpentry.

The oral traditions of poetry, fairy tales, song and verse are used to instill a love of language, preparing the child for reading and writing work in the upper grades. This is a major difference between Waldorf and most other schools: Waldorf preschoolers do not study the alphabet or written numbers. Instead, they develop oral numerical skills through counting games and rhythmic activities, and develop memory and recall skills through the repetition of fairy tales, verse, and poetry.

A respect for the natural environment is an undercurrent to all of the Waldorf methods. Children help care for, clean, and mend the things in their classroom. Local craftspeople are often invited to visit Waldorf schools to share a craft with the children, such as spinning wool or woodworking. Whenever possible, Waldorf schools integrate composting, recycling, and organic gardening into the curriculum. The teachers model a sense of awe and wonder at the natural world, and daily outdoor time is fundamental.

Eurythmy, a form of creative movement, is a feature unique to Waldorf schools. Eurythmy exercises, usually done several times each week, are meant to develop coordination, concentration, and integration of the senses. In a typical Eurythmy class, the students follow the teacher as he performs a series of movements and gestures while making corresponding sounds or notes.

Imagination is highly valued in Waldorf schools. The materials in a Waldorf classroom are chosen because they can be used in many ways – for instance, the play silks can become tents, capes, dresses, ropes, or anything else the child can imagine. The baby dolls used in Waldorf schools typically have no facial features or minimally defined ones, so that the child must use her imagination to fill in the details. The use of oral stories instead of the usual picture books also encourages imagination. This is a major difference between Waldorf and Montessori schools: where Montessori schools use highly specialized, single-purpose materials, Waldorf schools use multipurpose, open-ended materials.

Background & Philosophy:

Gardening at a Waldorf School, photo courtesy The Guardian

Founded in Stuttgart, Germany, by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf education is based on his spiritual philosophy of Anthroposophy. At its most basic level, Anthroposophy recognizes a spiritual element in all life, and stresses the importance of rational thought and free will. Where it gets admittedly a bit strange is in the blending of elements from Christian, Eastern, and European folk traditions: Steiner believed in reincarnation, karma, and Christ, and saw great value in traditional Norse legends and fairy tales. To be clear, Anthroposophy is not a religion, nor is it ever taught to the children in Waldorf schools. The way it is applied to Waldorf schools is in the teaching of respect for all life, the sharing of traditional stories, and reverence for nature. Children from families of all backgrounds attend Waldorf schools.

The Waldorf philosophy sees the early childhood years as a time when children learn primarily by example. Teachers in Waldorf schools make an effort to set a good example in everything they do; from how they dress and speak to how they handle the materials and use their time. This is a natural approach – just as children throughout history have learned by hanging around the grownups and watching what they do, Waldorf children play on their own but also observe and learn from the teacher’s actions.

Learning is seen as inseparable from daily life. In other words, the more relevant to the child’s life an activity is, the more the child will get out of it. This is why you see so many practical activities, like bread making and woodworking, going on in Waldorf classrooms. This is also why Waldorf schools do not teach the written alphabet or numbers to young children. Waldorf schools see young childhood as a time for exploration of the real world and development of the imagination. Later (often at age 6 or 7) children are seen as ready to tackle the abstract concepts of reading and writing.

Teaching children the role of mood is an important part of the Waldorf routine. By deliberately creating different moods for each type of activity (joy at festivals, awe and wonder on nature walks, etc.), Waldorf teachers show the children how to behave in different situations.

Relationships between teachers, parents, and students are usually closer than in other types of schools. Instead of having a Director or Principal, most Waldorf schools have a College of Teachers who hold joint decision making power. Once in first grade, students in Waldorf schools ideally stay with the same teacher through the rest of the grades, which creates much deeper bonds between students and teachers, as well as between teachers and families. Additionally, teachers regularly do home visits, and host study groups and workshops with parents. The goal of this contact with families is twofold: to create better relationships and to coach parents in Waldorf methods. Don’t be surprised if your Waldorf teacher suggests you get rid of your TV!

What Waldorf Schools Do Well:

• The teaching of handicrafts and art. Children learn many skills that were once commonplace, but are now rarely learned. In a Waldorf school, your child will learn to do carpentry, spin wool, paint, draw, sculpt, sew, and mend.
• Development of the imagination. Through rich storytelling, dramas, and open-ended toys, there are many opportunities for make-believe play.
• Respect for life. Kindness and compassion for animals, plants and people is instilled at every level.
• Relationships with families. Waldorf schools take a more proactive approach to parent-teacher relationships than many schools, and in general this serves families very well.

Critiques:

• The written alphabet and numbers are not taught in Waldorf preschools, and Waldorf students do typically learn to read and write later than their peers in traditional schools. Even though these differences disappear by adolescence, some families do not feel comfortable with the Waldorf philosophy on reading and writing development.
• There is an emphasis on Norse mythology, fairy tales, and festivals. Some families may feel that the Northern European traditions are too heavily emphasized, to the exclusion of the stories and celebrations of other cultures.
• Even though it is not taught to the children, some parents may simply feel uncomfortable with the philosophy of Anthroposophy.

Is Waldorf Right For Your Family?

If imaginative play, art, nature and crafts are important to you, then Waldorf education could be a very good fit with your family – these things lie at the heart of the Waldorf curriculum. On the other hand, if you cannot fathom a preschool class not learning the alphabet, you may not feel comfortable with the Waldorf philosophy. If certain aspects appeal to you but you still have concerns, I would suggest taking a tour of a Waldorf school in your area and asking a lot of questions. Even if you have your heart set on Waldorf, be sure to visit the schools in your area before making a decision – each Waldorf school is unique, and their approaches will vary. As always, trust your instincts. When you feel confident in your choice of preschool, your child will feel confident as well.

Resources:

Why Waldorf Works: Everything You Need To Know About Waldorf Education – This website has a good introduction to Waldorf education, links to studies, as well as a North American school search to help you locate a Waldorf school in your area.

The Online Waldorf Library - Search for full-text articles as well as books covering all aspects of Waldorf education.

Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship – Organization serving Waldorf communities in the UK and Ireland; includes a directory of schools and many helpful articles.

European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education – Click on “useful links” to find links to individual country Waldorf organizations, school lists, teacher training programs, homeschooling, and background information.

BBC News article: “Steiner schools ‘could help all’” – Summary of government-funded study of Waldorf schools in England.

Guardian article: “Not a Guardian-reading weirdo in sight” – Humorous article chronicling one mother’s experiences with Waldorf schools.

Related posts:

1. Hunting For A Preschool?
2. Hunting For A Preschool, Part 4: Charlotte Mason, A Homeschooling Approach
3. Hunting For A Preschool, Part 1: Montessori
4. Hunting For A Preschool, Part 3: Reggio-Inspired
5. Knock, Knock, It’s Lori From Camp Creek!