This will be a brief synopsis of Waldorf education for the curious parent looking for an alternative approach to education for their child!
We could spend hours, days, weeks, even years discussing what Waldorf education is and is not. Here I would just like to share my understanding (based on my experiences) of what the Waldorf approach and methods aim to create and foster for children and families.
History of Waldorf Education
Waldorf education came about in the early 20th century as a result of Rudolf Steiner’s work. Steiner (1861-1925) was an Austrian philosopher who was a well respected author of scientific, literary, and philosophical matters. Throughout his life he expanded upon his esoteric and natural findings to develop Anthroposophy (a spiritual science), biodynamic agriculture practices, and Waldorf Education, to name just a few of his endeavors.
The first Waldorf school was originally opened for the children of factory workers in the Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Factory in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919.
Waldorf Education Philosophy
Here, I write a brief synopsis of Waldorf education’s philosophy with fear of selling it all too short. Take what follows more as the first bite of a multi- course meal, than the whole meal itself.
The basis of Steiner’s philosophy is that as humans we are threefold beings comprised of body, soul, and spirit. These layers of the self, if you will, ground us to our physical world while maintaining a connection to the spiritual from which we came and will ultimately return to. The goal of education then is to nurture these three “layers” by cultivating thinking, feeling, and willing in the child through their daily tasks and rhythms. This connects to the adage often heard stating that we nurture “the head, heart, and hands”.
The curriculum and methods used in the Waldorf classroom are brought to the children with the intentions of connecting to their head, heart, and hands, developing their thinking, feeling, and willing capacities, which then ultimately form their foundational being of body, soul, and spirit.
The intention, as I see it, is to support children in their process of becoming their own individual humans; supporting them in their process of becoming both Earthly beings and maintaining a spiritual connection, while building capacities to actualize their greatest potential over the course of their lives.
Waldorf Education Methods and Curriculum
So, given the basis that Waldorf education hopes to cultivate capacities of thinking, feeling, and willing to support the body, soul, and spirit in finding harmony within oneself, the curriculum directly mirrors this goal.
Anthroposophy informs teachers and parents of what is happening physically and spiritually at each stage of development. The needs of each stage are drawn from there, and then experiences and exercises are created to hopefully meet that need in the child.
- For example, throughout early childhood one main focus of the child is to grow their physical body. Ample free play is needed for the child to move, explore, and understand what their body can do. Play is very unstructured to allow for the physical faculties and inclinations to play out, while the cognitive faculties are not overly engaged or provoked. The child is coming to know their physical world first and foremost, and time and space must be allotted for this to appropriately develop without engaging their cognition before they are ready.
- Later, for example in fourth grade, the child is experiencing what Steiner identifies as “the nine year change”. This is when a new depth of self awareness occurs where the child recognizes their individuality and also separateness from the world. Brilliantly, this is when fractions are taught, because the math of dividing a whole into parts is exactly what the child is experiencing on a spiritual level within themselves.
It is deeply therapeutic for the outer world to mirror and support what the child is experiencing inwardly. The goal of the Waldorf method is to meet the child where they are in their physical and spiritual development and offer learning experiences that nurture and promote expansion into those given needs and capacities.
A beloved mentor of mine stated “we are cultivating capacities, rather than teaching skills”.
What are the benefits of Waldorf education?
Obviously I am writing from a biased standpoint because I am clearly a proponent of the Waldorf philosophy! But a few benefits of Waldorf education include:
- Excitement for and interest in learning
- Intact and vibrant imaginations for problem solving
- Felt sense of morals developed through storytelling and social games
- Secure sense of self worth and value to a community!
- Curiosity and care for the world
As you can tell, the main goal of Waldorf education is not to obtain an arbitrary amount of information that can be regurgitated for a test, but rather to create the space for children to explore the world around them and come to know themselves through that process. The Waldorf approach to education is much more concerned with who children are than what they know. Their knowledge is a byproduct of their interests and needs being met by a caring adult who creates an environment full of rich, meaningful experiences.
What is the difference between Waldorf and Montessori education?
Waldorf and Montessori methods are in many ways quite similar, but the biggest difference between the two would be the underlying spiritual intention behind Waldorf education.
Waldorf and Montessori both prioritize respect for the child, child-led activities, freedom to explore based on interest, mixed age groups, open ended toys and materials, hands-on activities, etc. Montessori educational philosophy seems to follow a pragmatic, science based approach to learning, while Waldorf educational philosophy is derived directly from the psycho-spiritual understanding of the human being, supporting children in their practical learning by meeting their spiritual needs with utmost much care.
What is the difference between Waldorf and Nature based preschool?
Waldorf and nature based educational philosophies certainly overlap. Ample free time in nature in all types of weather conditions as a path towards learning is used in both methods. But again, Waldorf education has spiritual development influencing what the teacher brings to the children, while it seems nature based education does not.
How do I know if Waldorf is right for my family?
You are the expert for your family! But if Waldorf education is calling to you, I encourage you to read some of Steiner’s work and see how it lands on your heart. Some introductory books I recommend are:
- Anthroposophy in Everyday Life by Rudolf Steiner
- Guided Self- Study: Rudolf Steiner’s Path of Spiritual Development by Torin Finser
- Kingdom of Childhood by Rudolf Steiner
Also, you could check online to see if there is a Waldorf school near you that you could tour and visit. There is a certain type of vibrancy on these school campuses that is infectious. If you have the opportunity, visit a school in person to see if it might be a good fit for your family.
If you are looking to incorporate more Waldorf and Anthroposophic principles into your own home school or family life, stick around with me here to learn and discuss more.
Let me know below about your experiences with Waldorf education!
Blessings on your way!
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