KURIKULUM

The best overall statement on what is unique about Waldorf education is to be found in the stated goals of the schooling: "to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives". That means Waldorf education is intended to enable students as fully as possible to choose and, in freedom, to realize their individual path through life as adults.

Educating the Head, Heart and Hands – the integration of thinking, feeling and willing – is the signature of Waldorf education. The aim of Waldorf schooling is to educate the whole child, "head, heart and hands". The curriculum is as broad as time will allow, and balances academics subjects with artistic and practical activities. 

The rhythm of the day brought the curriculum and enliven each topic with poetry, story telling, painting, handworking (crocheting, knitting, simple sewing, woodwork), modelling, or drama. Thus, intellectual learning is always combined with artistic, rhythmical, and practical work. The challenges of handwork and fine arts are treated not as separate, unimportant options, but as vital parts of a complete education.

Academics are de-emphasized in the early years of schooling (kindergarten). During the early childhood years, the child is surrounded by a homelike environment which encourages imaginative free play and artistic activity. Steiner recognized that the young child learns primarily through example and imitation, with an emphasis on the importance of movement, rhythm, fairy tales and oral language. Steiner felt that it is not healthy for children to concentrate on cognitive skills such as reading, writing and math until the body has reached a certain level of maturity, freeing the forces of growth for cognitive work.The Waldorf kindergarten cultivates and works in support of the pre-school child's deep, inborn natural attitude, belief and trust in and basic reverence for the world as an interesting and good place to live in.