Curriculum Overview

The BREADTH AND DEPTH OF THE CURRICULUM IS A DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF Waldorf education. From kindergarten through the grades, following the developmental stages of childhood, the curriculum mirrors the inner transformations of the child. Approached in this way, the child’s educational experience is both relevant and satisfying. The uniqueness of the curriculum lies in how the children are taught. The method is oral…dramatic…artistic…and creative. It develops the child’s confidence in his ability to think and act, and encourages a growing excitement for discovery and learning. The curriculum awakens in the child a respect for cultured origins and historical foundations and thus fosters a sense of world citizenship. At the same tune, a spirit of scientific inquiry is cultivated which encourages a true interest in the world of nature.

GRADES 1-8
	1	2	3	4
Main Lesson 8:30 am to 10:30 am 3-4 week long blocks	Fairy tales, folk tales, and nature stories. Pictorial and phonetic intro to letters. Reading approached through writing. Introduction to the four processes in arithmetic through a qualitative approach: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.	Legends and animal fables. Reading, writing, elements of grammar. introduction to place value in arithmetic, carrying/borrowing, multiplication tables	Old Testament stories. Study of practical life: farming, housing, clothing. Reading , spelling, writing, grammar, punctuation, parts of speech. Cursive writing. Higher multiplication tables, more advanced work with carrying/ borrowing, long multiplication and division. Weight, measure and money.	Norse mythology and sagas. Composition, letter writing, more grammar. Local geography and map-making. Study of the animal kingdom. Fractions, long division and multiplication.
Arts/Crafts	watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, knitting, hand sewing, drama, form drawing.	watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, knitting, hand sewing, form drawing, drama	watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, crocheting, knitting, hand sewing, form drawing, drama	watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, cross-stitch, form drawing, drama
Music	pentatonic flute, singing	pentatonic flute, singing	Recorder, cello or violin, singing	Recorder, cello or violin, chorus
Movement	eurythmy, circle games	eurythmy, cooperative games	eurythmy, cooperative games	eurythmy, gymnastics, tumbling
Foreign Language	Spanish, German	Spanish, German	Spanish, German	Spanish, German

	5	6	7	8
Main Lesson* 8:30 am to 10:30 am *3-4 week long blocks	Greek myths, ancient history through Greek times. American geography. Composition, grammar, spelling, reading. Intro to decimals, further work with fractions, long division and multiplication. Botany.	Roman and medieval history. European and South American geography. Mineralogy, astronomy, geology. Physics (acoustics, electricity, heat magnetism, optics). Composition, grammar, spelling. Biographies. Geometric drawing with instruments. Introduction to percents, more work in fractions, decimals, business math, and graphs.	Renaissance, voyages of discovery. African geography. Physics (mechanics). Physiology (blood and muscles). Astronomy, inorganic chemistry. Composition, grammar, spelling, literature. Pre-algebra, square roots.	Literature, Shakespeare, short story, composition, grammar, spelling. Review of solids and measurement, algebra, geometry. World economic geography, Asian and American history. Physics (hydraulics), organic chemistry, physiology, anatomy, and meteorology.
Arts/Crafts	watercolor painting, woodwork, 4-needle knitting, drama, form drawing.	woodwork, veil painting, hand sewing of stuffed animals, drama, form drawing, arts elective	woodwork, veil painting, hand sewn dolls, drama, perspective, arts elective	woodwork, veil painting, sewing on treadle sewing machine, drama, arts elective
Music	Recorder, strings ensemble or wind instrument, chorus	Recorder, strings ensemble or wind instrument, chorus	Recorder, strings or winds ensemble, chorus	Recorder, strings or winds ensemble, chorus
Movement	eurythmy, Greek Pentathlon, circus arts	eurythmy, medieval games, physical education, sports skills	eurythmy, physical education, team sports	eurythmy, team sports
Foreign Language	Spanish, German	Spanish, German	Spanish, German	Spanish or German

CLICK HERE for Faculty Bios.