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The Waldorf curriculum is designed to be responsive to the various phases of a child's development. The relationship between student and teacher is, likewise, recognized to be both crucial and dynamic throughout the course of childhood and early adolescence. This relationship is cultivated during ages seven and fourteen; during this time, the students ideally stay with the same teacher, looping up each year. The class becomes a type of "family" as well, with its own authority figure. Within this ideal environment, the student comes to know and respect his or her teacher, and over the years, the teacher is able to discover the healthiest ways to educate each individual child.
The main subjects such as history, language arts, science and mathematics are taught in main lesson "blocks" of two to three hours per day, with each block lasting from three to five weeks. The total Waldorf curriculum has been likened to an ascending spiral: subjects are revisited several times. Each new exposure affords greater depth and new insights into the subject at hand. Students use what they have learned to create their own handmade, beautifully illustrated lesson books, called Main Lesson Books. At the end of each block, the teachers thoughtfully evaluate the students progress, identify the student's strengths, account for the students weaknesses, and plan subsequent lessons with each student's individualized learning style in mind. Parents receive regular block reviews as well as a comprehensive, individualized end-of-the-year report.
See below for actual lesson reviews written by grades teachers:
Grade 1:
Language Arts
Grade 2:
Nature Studies
Grade 3:
Math
Grade 4:
Geography & Math
Grade 5:
Astronomy
Grade 6:
European History: The Middle Ages
Grade 7:
Algebra
Grade 8:
Fall Overview of Main Lessons
Watch a quick youtube video on Waldorf education here: http://youtu.be/auPFtjKfqTo
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