Curriculum
The Waldorf curriculum weaves an in-depth classical education with lively exploration into artistic experiences. At the White Mountain Waldorf School(WMWS) we work to infuse each subject with the philosophy that the process of teaching is itself an art that encourages and enlivens the child’s creative spirit. In addition to a solid foundation in traditional academic areas, a Waldorf curriculum offers a wealth of unique opportunities.
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"The need for a truly human education has never been greater than it is today...We need schools where capacities of imagination and intelligence, or courage and fortitude, or practicality and skill are awakened, nurtured, and strengthened." -- Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
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Unique Aspects Of Waldorf Education: An Education For The Whole Child
THE ARTS - drama, painting, drawing, music, practical arts, and modeling are integrated into the entire academic curriculum, including mathematics and the sciences. The Waldorf method of education through the arts awakens imagination and creative powers, bringing vitality and wholeness to learning.
THE GRADES TEACHER takes the same class of children through the elementary and middle school grades, teaching all the main subjects. For the teacher, this means time to really know the children and help them unfold their gifts, as well as the enormous challenge of working with a new curriculum each year. The child finds stability and ongoing guidance in the continuity of having one teacher.
TEXTBOOKS are not used in the elementary and middle school grades. Instead, the teacher creates the presentation and the children make their individual books for each subject taught, recording and illustrating the lessons. These "Main Lesson" books, artistic and beautiful, are an important way in which art is integrated into each subject.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES are taught beginning in kindergarten, giving the children insight into and facility with other cultures. The languages chosen vary according to the location of the schools: at WMWS, we offer French and German.
THE SCIENCES are taught experientially- that is, the teacher sets up an experiment, calls upon the children to observe carefully, ponder and discuss, and then allows the students to discover the conclusion, the law, the formula, etc. Through this process, rigorous independent thinking and sound judgement are encouraged and developed.
AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMANITIES CURRICULUM that begins in second and third grade with mythology and legends and takes the children through the full sweep of their cultural heritage. Each culture's stories provide the background for the study of history and are presented through excerpts from original texts. By living into these cultures through their legends and literature, the children gain flexibility and an appreciation for the diversity of mankind. By the end of eighth grade, the students have traveled from Greece and Rome- through medieval history, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Exploration, up to the present day.
The Waldorf curriculum weaves an in-depth classical education with lively exploration into artistic experiences. At the White Mountain Waldorf School(WMWS) we work to infuse each subject with the philosophy that the process of teaching is itself an art that encourages and enlivens the child’s creative spirit. In addition to a solid foundation in traditional academic areas, a Waldorf curriculum offers a wealth of unique opportunities.
___________________________________________________________
"The need for a truly human education has never been greater than it is today...We need schools where capacities of imagination and intelligence, or courage and fortitude, or practicality and skill are awakened, nurtured, and strengthened." -- Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
___________________________________________________________
Unique Aspects Of Waldorf Education: An Education For The Whole Child
THE ARTS - drama, painting, drawing, music, practical arts, and modeling are integrated into the entire academic curriculum, including mathematics and the sciences. The Waldorf method of education through the arts awakens imagination and creative powers, bringing vitality and wholeness to learning.
THE GRADES TEACHER takes the same class of children through the elementary and middle school grades, teaching all the main subjects. For the teacher, this means time to really know the children and help them unfold their gifts, as well as the enormous challenge of working with a new curriculum each year. The child finds stability and ongoing guidance in the continuity of having one teacher.
TEXTBOOKS are not used in the elementary and middle school grades. Instead, the teacher creates the presentation and the children make their individual books for each subject taught, recording and illustrating the lessons. These "Main Lesson" books, artistic and beautiful, are an important way in which art is integrated into each subject.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES are taught beginning in kindergarten, giving the children insight into and facility with other cultures. The languages chosen vary according to the location of the schools: at WMWS, we offer French and German.
THE SCIENCES are taught experientially- that is, the teacher sets up an experiment, calls upon the children to observe carefully, ponder and discuss, and then allows the students to discover the conclusion, the law, the formula, etc. Through this process, rigorous independent thinking and sound judgement are encouraged and developed.
AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMANITIES CURRICULUM that begins in second and third grade with mythology and legends and takes the children through the full sweep of their cultural heritage. Each culture's stories provide the background for the study of history and are presented through excerpts from original texts. By living into these cultures through their legends and literature, the children gain flexibility and an appreciation for the diversity of mankind. By the end of eighth grade, the students have traveled from Greece and Rome- through medieval history, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Exploration, up to the present day.
