Significant features of Steiner’s early years practice

The following features of Steiner-Waldorf School education are still observed in some settings
today:

• Steiner identified three essential qualities which require support for the best possible
development of children. These are ‘willing’ (doing), ‘sensitivity of feeling’ (affective) and
‘thinking’ (cognition). In the early years, ‘willing’ is the focus of the setting, with staff focused on
constructing an environment that is child-centred, and enables learning through experience and
practical, hands-on activities.

• Steiner’s early years approach also focuses on physicality, self-initiated exploration, and
creative activities. All developmental activities or provisions aim to develop the child in a
holistic way, by fostering independence and creativity, recognising individual strengths, and
respecting individual interests.

• Steiner-Waldorf schools observe strict routines, so that planned activities take place at the
same time each day. This is to help children feel secure in the predictability of their schedule.

• The learning environment supports open-ended play, and has a ‘homely’ feel, with toys and
props encouraging independent engagement. The classroom enables creativity, imagination,
and a child’s autonomy of their own learning.

• Rather than direct instruction, educators in a Steiner setting strive to lead by example and
behave as ‘role models’ worthy of imitation.

• Rudolf Steiner’s theory of child development proposes that children are active agents of their
own learning, and are driven by their innate curiosity and drive to grow and evolve. This is
reflected by the emphasis on their own feelings and understanding, rather than being overly
reliant on textbooks and formal instruction methods.

• Although teachers do grade students in a Steiner setting, they try to keep it informal and less
target-driven. Homework isn’t introduced until later years and, even then, is kept to a
minimum. This is intended to keep childhood stress-free and encourage children to learn at a
more natural pace.

EMILIA REGGIO
In fact, environment is defined as the “third teacher” in the Reggio Emilia approach. This is
because it allows children to explore their interests, collaborate with other children openly, and
learn from experiences inside and outside the classroom. The Reggio Emilia classroom is very
welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. Teachers draw inspiration from the community, their
students’ cultures, nature, and fill the room with natural, colorful, and useful materials – from
musical instruments to seashells. Reggio-inspired classrooms are designed to encourage
relationships, communication, and collaboration through play. Classroom materials are
thoughtfully incorporated to encourage creativity, problem-solving work, experimentation,
exploration and open-ended play.

An open environment for learning also creates flexibility, giving teachers the space to be more
responsive to the individual needs of each child in the classroom. When a child is given the
chance to explore something on her own – particularly in nature – she can take the time to
learn and understand more about the object or concept. The teacher may ask the curious
student to draw a picture to describe this object, or act out a feeling it provokes using pretend
play. The possibilities are endless when you open the door to open-ended exploration, and
discover the educational power of play.

This alternative-style classroom is set up in a way that reflects the culture that the child living
in. Elements of light, transparency, and natural materials are a big focus of the aesthetic design
within the classroom. Children are given access to learning materials (such as books, crayons,
and blocks), but the layout and style of the class is built around the notion that children should
be inspired to direct their own learning. There is also some open space for children to explore
their hundred languages, and to allow free movement where it is desired – such as dancing,
making music, or playing pretend. There are no assigned seats in a Reggio Emilia classroom.
This concept encourages organic opportunities for exploration and connection, and sparks a
real joy in learning for young students.

Waldorf

One of the key features of the Waldorf educational philosophy is the special attention paid to
art and nature and its inherent connection to humanity. Steiner believed that a focus on art and
nature in education would lead to a greater appreciation for the "beauty" of life: "Joy and
happiness in living, a love of all existence, a power and energy for work - such are among the
lifelong results of a right cultivation of the feeling for beauty and art" (Piening et al., 1979). This
love for life is seen in the daily activities of these schools which emphasize music, art, and the
imagination. Even the aesthetic atmosphere of the classroom reflects the "holistic"
atmosphere. The Tampa Tribune describes a Waldorf setting: "Imagine a classroom with old
wooden tables, a backyard garden and children learning to knit and crochet. Where art and
music is intertwined with every subject, students write their own textbooks and the toys are all
handmade" (Hoffman, 1995). This educational philosophy allows for children to learn in
nurturing environments in order to allow for their true individual identities to blossom. This
approach to educating children so that they grow in all aspects of their life emphasizes the
"child-centered" philosophy, in that the learning environment centers around the children,
rather than the material being taught. In other words, each child is valued for his or her
achievements in different areas, not just how well she or he did on a math test or a spelling
bee. Every child is valued for their accomplishments, be it a beautiful painting displayed on the
wall or a well written book-report read out loud. Supporters of this "child-centered" movement
view all children as unique individuals with their own gifts and needs: every child deserves the
same attention given to gifted and learning-disabled, every child is "special

Waldorf Classroom Management

I have been doing lots of reading this summer on the subject of classroom management. One
little bit of knowledge I have gained in my years of experience is that establishing rhythms,
routines and habits in the classroom is what makes the bustle of creativity possible in main
lesson. And, even more important, these rhythms, routines and habits need to be directly
taught and regularly practiced. The first few weeks are the time to show the students mundane
things like how we line up before school and how we hand out supplies as well as more
complicated things like how to resolve disputes on the playground and what kind of language
we use when talking to each other. Of course many of these topics go beyond the work of the
first few weeks, but that time at the very beginning of the school year is most important.