I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more
to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking." ~ Albert Einstein
Kindergarten and Pre-School
The early childhood and kindergarten program at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork is committed to providing a safe, beautiful, and nurturing environment where children can live in their worl
d of wonder and imitation. The school offers a mixed-age preschool and kindergarten for children from three to six years old as well as parent/toddler classes.
Because the child is performing important physical and brain development work, we choose not to rush them with academic drills or abstract experiences. Instead, the children's days are filled with both structured and unstructured activities that exercise powers of imagination.
Research on development of human cognition confirms the benefits for young children from: tactile play, social interaction, nature experiences, listening to stories and songs and working with their hands. These experiences open gateways in the neural pathways that are the building blocks to future learning.
A wide variety of rhythmic experiences support the full development of the mind. This understanding guides our early childhood and kindergarten curriculum. Learning through practical experience is a concept long advocated by progressive educators.
Early childhood and kindergarten students learn building, baking, sweeping, gardening, painting and modeling through imitation of caring teachers. Outdoor play provides opportunities to develop physical strength, agility, grace and social skills. Every effort has been made to provide an environment where teachers and children can explore their environment, let their natural curiosity develop and begin the lifelong process of learning to engage the world. A sense of awe and reverence combined with healthy physical and cognitive growth provide the foundation for transitioning into the grade school.
Grades 1-8 (click here for a full class description by grade)
During the grade school years, a young student learns through a balance of intellectual, emotional and artistic development by engaging the student's head, hands and heart. For that reason, all aspects of the curriculum are linked to the developmental stage of the child.
The Main Lesson
The student's day begins with a two-hour main lesson which incorporates movement, art, and verbal exercises into one primary subject: science, math, history, geography or
language arts. Subjects are taught in blocks lasting from two to four weeks. Subjects requiring ongoing practice, such as arithmetic and language arts are incorporated into the daily rhythm. The main lesson is documented in the student's main lesson book.
Main Lesson Book: Each student creates an individual book for each block which documents their learning with compositions, observations, diagrams, and illustrations. In essence, the student creates their own text books, many of which become family keepsakes.
The Arts
"Intense exposure to music actually expands brain mass. When comparing non musicians with those who started playing music at a young age, researchers found that musicians had a larger mass of nerve fibers connecting the brain's two hemispheres. The implications of this finding are significant. A person's creativity and analytical skills depend greatly on the ability to think with both hemispheres of the brain; yet many of us lack this agility."
~ Conclusion of Brain Study at Beth Israel Medical Center, 1999.
After main lesson, students experience all of the wonder of a classical education fine arts, foreign language, handwork, vocal and instrumental music, physical education and a movement art form known as eurythmy. The school has attracted talented special subject teachers who bring these subjects to life. In an era where funding has been reduced from arts programs in mainstream education, the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork is expanding its commitment to developing well-rounded young people.
The Sciences
Waldorf's education of the sciences begins in 1st grade with a regular exploration of the natural world - seasons, plants, animals and gardening. All of the creative and imaginative learning of the early grades, lays the foundation for later scientific learning. In grades 6th-8th, students explore physics, astronomy, geology, mineralogy, chemistry, anatomy and physiology.
Main Lession Book Examples
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