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The Waldorf Preschool

A harmonious environment, engaging activities, use of natural materials, ample time for play and no direct academic instruction are all important aspects of schools throughout the world that endorse the Waldorf method for working with children. Read about our visit to an impressive school in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

While in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in March, I was able to visit the Santa Fe Waldorf School. The Waldorf method for working with children was named by Dr. Rudolph Steiner in the early part of the 20th century. He believed very strongly that education should engage not only the minds of children, but the bodies and spirits, as well. Today there are more than 800 Waldorf schools in more than 40 countries. In North America there are over 150 schools affiliated with the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and several public schools using Waldorf methods to enrich their teaching. There are also over 50 full-time Waldorf teacher-training institutes around the world; of these, eight are in the United States and one in Canada. No two schools are identical. Each is administratively independent. Nevertheless, a visitor would recognize many characteristics common to them all.

Immediately upon entering the Waldorf School in Santa Fe, we noticed the peaceful nature of the rooms. The lighting is natural and softly muted by the curtains. The floor is carpeted, and the tables, chairs, and play structures are wooden, making the room warm and inviting. The classroom is orderly, uncluttered, and harmonious, with open areas that invite and support children's play. In all, it is a setting that reassures children, because it is much more like a home than an institution.

The Waldorf preschool program is designed to help keep children healthy. It offers a peaceful environment with caring teachers, engaging activities, and ample time for play. Direct academic instruction is noticeably absent from the Waldorf early childhood program, because a conscious effort is made to provide concrete rather than abstract learning experiences and to keep academic pressures out of the young child's world.

However, significant learning of all kinds takes place in the Waldorf preschool classroom. The centerpiece of the program in the preschool is creative play. Through this self-directed, active play, the children learn to problem solve, think innovatively, and experience the satisfaction of carrying their "plans" through to completion. They are allowed to give themselves completely to their work. In a multi-age setting, the older children may gradually assume leadership roles, but all learn important social lessons about caring, cooperation, compromise, and responsibility. This beautiful housekeeping area in the Santa Fe Waldof School kindergarten room looks so soothing and inviting.

Waldorf preschool students also learn a multitude of lessons from the stories they are told. They learn to understand the sequential, organized thought that is modeled in a story and to read the facial cues and intonation of the storyteller. They intuitively come to understand plot and character development. Their vocabularies and imaginations are enriched, and above all, they acquire a love of stories that becomes the foundation for literacy. This beautifully arranged story-telling area in the far corner of the kindergarten room in the Santa Fe Waldorf School invites such story telling.

The schedule for each day in a Waldorf preschool also allows for ample time outdoors. Even in urban areas and in spite of rainy weather, a Waldorf outdoor area offers children a regular opportunity to connect with nature, engage in robust physical activity, and experience the joys and wonders of the changing seasons. The outdoor environment at the Santa Fe Waldorf School supports the relationship between the indoor and outdoor environment. Insert Library 0069

The Waldorf education program is designed to support the healthy development of children by:

• building strength, perseverance, and good habits
• developing social awareness and sensitivity
• awakening a life-long enthusiasm for learning and for work
• building relationships among and betweens students and their teachers
• incorporating the arts into all aspects of learning

While I have been in only one other Waldorf School in my career, I hope to have the opportunity to visit another school soon. Our many thanks to the Santa Fe Waldorf School for sharing the beautiful school!

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