nws curriculum 1

Welcome to Waldorf Education

90 years of Waldorf education around the world

Waldorf education values

The Phases of Child Development

The First Seven Years IMITATION

• The Second Seven Years IMAGINATION

• The Third Seven Years TRUTH, DISCRIMINATION & JUDGMENT

How Waldorf Meets the Child at these Stages of Development

Preschool and Kindergarten

NWS Early Childhood Programs

• Sweet Pea Parent and Child

• Marigolds Daycare

• Bluebell and Sunflower Kindergartens

Waldorf Teaching Approach

• The Class Teacher

• The Main Lesson

• “The right thing at the right time”

• Main Lesson Books

The First Eight Grades

• Literacy and numeracy

• Drawing and painting

• Poetry recitation and drama

• Singing and playing recorder

• Handwork and woodwork

• Eurythmy movement art

• Games and sports

• French

Class One

• Introduction to alphabet & writing

• Introduction to + , – , x , /

• Fairy tales, folk tales, nature stories

Class Two

• Writing (punctuation, syllables, sentence building)

• Early reading skills

• Arithmetic skills

• Fables and Saint stories

• A class play

Class Three

• Basic elements of grammar

• Arithmetic skills

• Measurement, time, money

• Farming, gardening, house building

• Hebrew stories

• A class play

• Trip: Argenta Farm

Class Four• Arithmetic (fractions)• Grammar, composition, reports• Local geography and history• Norse mythology and sagas• Form drawing (pre-geometry)• Study of humans and animals• A class play• Trip: Fort Steele

Class Five

• English composition, spelling, reading• Canadian geography• India, Persia, Egypt, Greece• Decimals, fractions, freehand geometry• Botany• A class play• Trip: Olympic Pentathlon

The Middle School Years

• Outdoor Education

• Friday Electives

• Project Weeks

• Block Exchanges

Class Six

• Composition, grammar, spelling, literature• Geography of the Americas• Roman and Medieval history• Business math, percent, geometry• Physics, geology, astronomy• A class play• Trips: Kokanee Cabin & Biking tour

Class Seven

• Deepening of L.A.: Research papers, literature• Geography of Europe/Africa/Americas• The Renaissance and Age of Discovery• Algebra, geometry• Physics, inorganic chemistry, physiology• A class play• Trips: Low ropes course and trip

Class Eight

• Deepening of L.A.: Research papers, literature• Geography of Africa/Asia• History of revolutions, modern history• Algebra, geometry• Physics, organic chemistry, anatomy, meteorology• A class play• Trips: High ropes course and culmination trip

The Transition to High School

Mount Sent inel School

Results in Nelson

• Waldorf Alumni Scholarship

• Top Academic Student awards-Gr. 9 • Top All-around Student awards-Gr. 12• Governor General’s Award• Columbia Basin Trust awards• Social Service awards

• Founding and active members of social action groups

• 15 years of NWS students graduating from high school

Profile of a Waldorf Graduate (Based on a 2007 North American study)

• 94% of Waldorf graduates attended college or university

• 88% graduated from college

• 42% chose science as a major

• 47% chose humanities as a major

• 91% are active in lifelong education

• 92% placed a high value on critical thinking

For more information

www.whywaldorfworks.org

www.nelsonwaldorf.org