Lesson 14: Contributions of Western Philosophers to Early childhood education
Waldorf Education
According to this, education is an art.
Its goal is to present or give life to the children’s experience with wonder and enthusiasm.
The presentation of subject matter must be alive and should be to the child’s experience.
To truly educate a child, the HEART and WILL must be reached as well as the MIND.
The intention is not merely to instruct, but to inspire and motivate each child’s creative forces from within; to lead the child to a balanced development of clear and precise thought, a rich and healthy emotional life, and a developed power of will which allows worthy application of his or her thoughts and feelings to practical challenges in the world.
Children pass through basic stages of cognitive development and the Waldorf curriculum is designed to engage the abilities of the growing child during each of these stages. In the preschool this is accomplished through guided creative play; in the elementary school through the imaginative and artistic presentation of material by the class teacher; and in high school through challenging the student’s awakening capacity for independent thought.
Arts are an integral part of this curriculum. All students learn to paint and draw, beginning in kindergarten. Sculpture also begins in kindergarten with the modeling of figures out of colored beeswax and progresses to working with clay in the elementary school, stone and metal in high school. All the children sing, play the recorder, learn to read music, and in third year begin stringed instruments. Each year, every grade presents a play that relates to its academic programme.
Each art follows a sequence of development from year to year and all of them supplement and reinforce the main lesson curriculum. Artistic activity is woven into the entire fabric of each subject and is used to teach all subjects.
Class teacher: One unique aspect of a Waldorf grade school is the class teacher.
The class teacher ideally remains with his or her students from first through eighth grade, facilitating a strong bond of trust between students, parents and teacher.
The class teacher presents the main academic subjects, coordinates with the special subject teachers, and provides the link between home and school.
The class teacher is able to bring continuity to the curriculum. Through intimate knowledge of the group of children. The class teacher is also able to select, emphasize, and draw upon those aspects of a discipline that best address the needs and interests of the class.
Participants