Waldorf Education

 









 
As parents and educators we can give nothing of more lasting value to our children than an education which will help them cultivate the self-assurance and creativity needed to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world.  The ability to think creatively and solve problems will be crucial to their success regardless of their chosen fields of endeavor.  With this in mind, Waldorf schools strive to develop the child's full human potential.


Waldorf education is the largest and fastest growing non-sectarian educational movement in the world.  There are over 800 schools and an additional 600 nursery/kindergartens in 35 countries, including 150 in North America.  Founded in 1919 by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, the renowned Austrian educator, philosopher, scientist, and artist, the pedagogy of Waldorf education is based on his profound insights into the human being and the nature of the developing child.

Waldorf education provides a rich experience that aims to prepare children to meet the challenges of our world and the future - with clarity of thought, a caring heart and confidence to initiate change.  It achieves its aims with a fully developed approach that addresses the whole child:  mind, body and heart.  The Waldorf curriculum recognizes that children have distinct, age-related educational and emotional needs according to their naturally unfolding stages of development.  To meet these needs, the arts are integrated into virtually every element of the curriculum.  Children experience the lesson's content through drawing, painting, song, recitation, drama and movement.  Manual dexterity is promoted by supplementing lessons with a broad range of handwork - from knitting and weaving to woodwork, pottery, bookbinding and metalwork.

The Waldorf method works because of its acute sensitivity to each age level's special nature and uniqueness.  Subtle changes in the development of the child are mirrored in the curriculum, guiding not only what is presented but how it is presented.  It is this profoundly simple insight and its 85 years of successful application worldwide that give the Waldorf movement particular relevance today.

The Waldorf child learns about the world through experience of the hands and the heart, as well as the mind, and in so doing, acquires a living wisdom that enriches the intellect and deepens the natural joy and wonder of learning.  It is this genuine inner enthusiasm for learning that is the hallmark of Waldorf education.