Grades 1-8
“The heart of the Waldorf method is the conviction that education is an art - it must speak to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, his heart must be reached as well as his mind.”
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The Waldorf grades curriculum is one of extraordinary scope and richness, fully integrating the sciences, humanities and arts. In the grades program, the focus of each morning is the two hour main lesson, in which one core academic subject is taught for several weeks at a time. Each subject block is approached in a variety of ways, studied in depth and enlivened with the arts.
Schedule of the day
- 9-11 - Main lesson - math, language arts, humanities and science taught in 2-4 week blocks
- 11-11:30 Snack and recess
- 11:30 - 1:00 Specialty classes: Spanish, Japanese, music, painting
- 1 - 1:45 Lunch and recess
- 1:00- 3:15 Specialty classes: Handwork, outdoor games, strings ensemble
Students design, write and illustrate their own main lesson books on each subject. In the afternoon, specialty teachers bring foreign language, games, instrumental music and singing, handwork and eurhythmy to the program each week.
At Madrona School, the uniqueness of each child is appreciated and encouraged.
The Waldorf method serves a variety of learning styles – visual, aural and kinesthetic. Learning happens naturally and rhythmically in a non-competitive environment. Traditional grading systems are replaced with written evaluations of student progress. Ideally, the teacher takes a class through many grades. This provides an opportunity for developing deep, meaningful relationships between students, their families and their teacher.
As well as educating the mind and cultivating artistic skills, we seek to establish healthy growth and habits. Daily rhythms in the classroom teach important lessons in self-discipline. Fine and large motor skills are consciously developed through handwork, games, sports and the unique movement art of eurhythmy. Through the years, each child learns to knit, sew, weave, model with beeswax and clay, work with wood, and play the recorder.
Attention to the earth’s yearly rhythms and a strong connection to the natural world develops through outdoor play and exploration, gardening, seasonal stories and festival celebrations. The Waldorf curriculum is designed to meet children at their developmental age level.
Children entering a Waldorf grades program are slightly older than in conventional schools. First grade is geared to six and seven-year olds. This continues up the grades. The subjects and activities taught in each grade are carefully chosen to meet the children’s stages of growth and nurture their development.
Drama, drawing, painting, modeling, poetry, song, eurythmy, and musical instruments are woven throughout the main lesson subjects in all of the grades.
As the students reach the higher grades, more advanced artistic skills are introduced in separate lessons of woodwork, perspective drawing, stringed instruments, and ensemble.
In addition to the main lesson subjects, our school offers special subject lessons in foreign language and handwork/crafts for all eight years of Waldorf education.
