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Steiner Waldorf schooling: What you need to know
The Steiner Waldorf school movement is a highly respected international educational movement with over 1050 schools in 60 countries. Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf Education is based on an understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child – the heart and the hands, as well as the head – or the academic, artistic and social aspects of human development and education.
next – The philosophy that guides the curriculum
Table of contents
Steiner Waldorf schooling: What you need to know
The Steiner Waldorf school movement is a highly respected international educational movement with over 1050 schools in 60 countries. Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf Education is based on an understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child – the heart and the hands, as well as the head – or the academic, artistic and social aspects of human development and education.
next – The philosophy that guides the curriculum
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The philosophy that guides the curriculum
Steiner designed a curriculum that is responsive to the developmental phases of childhood and the nurturing of the child’s imagination in a school environment. Steiner thought that schools should cater to the needs of the child, rather than the demands of the government or economic forces, so he developed schools that encourage creativity and free thinking. His teaching seeks to recognise the individuality of the child, and through a balanced education, allow them to go into the world with confidence.
And how does this work in practise? One of the key tenants of Steiner Waldorf education is utilising art as a practice, and language to develop the feelings. Using folk tales, histories, fairy stories, poems, music and games that are part of world civilisation, a Steiner Waldorf teacher will create a cultural atmosphere in which the children are taught reading, writing, arithmetic, nature study, geography, science, languages, music and other subjects.
A feature unique to Steiner education is that the teacher stays with a class for the six years a student is in the school. This is to allow the relationship between the teacher, the children and their families to grow, and allows the teacher to develop an intimate understanding of the needs of each child, and to nurture the development of a real spirit of sharing and community within the class.
next – The early years – Kinder and Prep
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The early years – Kinder and Prep
During their first seven years of life, children are physically forming and learn about the world through imitation. Steiner education believes free, creative play is considered the best preparation for self-realising adult life. To this end, the teacher endeavours to create an environment that gives children time to play and encourages them to exercise their imagination and learn to conjure up ideas from within themselves.
Activities offered for the four to six-year-olds are based on the house and garden, including sweeping, gardening, cooking, building cubbies, looking after animals, singing, listening to stories, helping to prepare the meal table, cutting fruit, painting, clay modelling and drawing. Children learn to enjoy building, using the natural materials in the room to make their own constructions and patterns.
At this age, children are discovering how to relate socially with a peer group and take part in fundamental life tasks. Through meeting and playing creatively together, children learn vital interpersonal skills. The teacher plays an important role in enabling relationships between children to strengthen through play.
Young children develop primarily in their doing, learning through imitation and physical activity, so Steiner does not provide formal classes for these age groups.
next – Teaching methods Class 1 – 6
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Teaching methods Class 1 – 6
Reading and writing are taught from Class 1. Students may start to learn letters by walking the shape on the floor in the classroom, and drawing pictures that include the shape to allow a deeper connection with, and an understanding of the letters, rather than just memorising the abstract shapes. The children write words and read their own writing before working with printed literature.
An understanding of numbers is built on the basis of concrete, real-life tasks – such as dividing a cake to share, estimating, measuring and through counting aloud, chanting of tables, musical rhythms and skipping games. These learning experiences are real and meaningful. The children may also learn games such as chess, which enhance thinking and mathematical ability.
next – The main lesson
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The main lesson
One of the basic elements of the Steiner curriculum, the main lesson involves the thorough working of the main subjects (such as geography, science, history, mathematics or literature), taught in main lesson blocks of about two hours per day, over several weeks. It is always conducted in the morning, when the children are fresh and is followed by a change of activity.
Topics are approached through a variety of means, including stories, painting, recitation, a physical group project or a game, until the children have made some connection to it with every part of themselves. It is then set aside to ‘digest’ and a further topic is taken up. This pattern is natural to children, as anyone who has observed the success of ‘crazes’ in a playground will know. The result is a thorough and satisfying assimilation of knowledge, thus maintaining the child’s enthusiasm for learning.
next – Who does Steiner Waldorf education suit?
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Who does Steiner Waldorf education suit?
Tracey Sayn Wittgenstein Piraccini, CEO at Steiner Education Australia says any family is suited to Steiner as it provides a rich, engaging curriculum that addresses the development of all aspects of a human being – social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual. However, she says parents should understand the Steiner approach before enrolling their child – that students do not begin formal academic learning until Year 1, and that kindergarten is play-based (developing very important social skills and pre-literacy and numeracy skills before abstract concepts are introduced.)
“Parents who want their children to have a schooling filled with digital technologies at an early age would not agree with our approach – we introduce IT later when we have given students a solid grounding in all other skills so they can apply their understanding of the world to digital technology,” she says.
next – Like the ethos but worried about your child achieving the expected educational requirements?
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Like the ethos but worried about your child achieving the expected educational requirements?
Tracey says parents can be assured that all Steiner schools have robust and rigorous curriculum which has been recognised by ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) as meeting comparable educational outcomes to the Australian Curriculum by the end of Year 10. In Years 11 and 12 all schools follow their state and territory requirements as well as providing additional enriching programs and projects.
Timing is important if you decide to go with Steiner. Tracey says parents should be aware that if they move their child from a Steiner school before Class 3, their child would not have covered as much content as in a State school due to the nature of the play-based curriculum in the year before Class 1. By the end of Class 3, most children have reached or even exceeded what they would have learnt in another learning environment.
“Students who move from a Steiner primary school to a state high school, or from high school to university or work environment, transition very well and feedback from schools and universities is that the Steiner students are a delight to teach, ask thoughtful questions, are highly engaged and have a positive attitude to learning,” Tracey says.
next – Steiner administration
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Steiner administration
Fees and charges are set by the individual school, but will set you back several thousand per year on average, increasing with age as with most private schools. If you think Steiner is right for your child, it’s recommended that you call your local school and schedule a time to do a tour and interview.