About Waldorf Education

Learn more about 100 years of Waldorf education and watch the Waldorf film.

Waldorf Education was developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, and is based on a developmental approach that addresses the needs of the growing child and maturing adolescent. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education in to an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head.

Waldorf schools are not religious, but as part of its pedagogical method it is based on the belief that there is a spiritual dimension to the human being and to all of life. Waldorf Education approaches all aspects of schooling in a unique and comprehensive way. The curriculum is designed to meet the various stages of the child’s development. Waldorf teachers are dedicated to creating a genuine inner enthusiasm for learning that is essential for educational success.

Preschool and Kindergarten aged children learn primarily through imitation and imagination. The goal of the kindergarten is to develop a sense of wonder in the young child and reverence for all living things. This creates an eagerness for the academics that follow in the grades. Preschool and Kindergarten activities include:

  • storytelling, puppetry, creative play
  • singing, eurythmy (movement)
  • games and finger plays
  • painting, drawing and beeswax modeling
  • baking and cooking, nature walks
  • foreign language and circle time for festival and seasonal celebrations

For more information please go to Waldorf Education: An Introduction