"I am struck by the fact that the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think that the same is true of human beings.
We do not wish to see children precocious, making great strides in their early years like sprouts, producing a soft and perishable timber, but better if they expand slowly at first, as if contending with difficulties, and so are solidified and perfected. Such trees continue to expand with nearly equal rapidity to extreme old age."
- Henry David Thoreau
The years before children reach age seven are important for development and for laying the crucial foundation for their later academic learning. At West Coast Steiner School, imagination and play in the early years form the basis for creative thinking and decision-making in the primary years and beyond. Likewise, an awareness of the wonders and rhythms of nature will lead to keen scientific observation and mathematical ability.
Rhythm, repetition and reverence - our "three R's" are the core of Waldorf's early childhood program. They help awaken the child's natural curiosity and inspire an appreciation for the world's diverse cultures, arts and the wonders of nature. In a nurturing, home-like environment, Waldorf teachers strive to preserve the innocence and innate wonder of early childhood for the sake of healthy physical, intellectual and emotional development. By the end of the early childhood phase, children are ready to embark on their primary school journey with their creativity and imagination still intact and ready to engage with the curriculum.
Click here to read about the Results of our Early Childhood Programme
Play
Play is not only a child's real work in life, it is the foundation of creativity yet to come. For the young child, play is a way of understanding the world and is vital for healthy emotional and intellectual development. The inner forces of imagination, cognition, and flexibility, which are developed during play, become the capacities for life-long learning.
The Space
In a Waldorf early childhood programme the physical environment plays a central role. Our rooms are beautifully decorated and the atmosphere is calm and purposeful. All toys are made of natural materials: wooden blocks and wooden toys; shells and stones; beeswax; broad paintbrushes, clear, bright, translucent watercolours, and big sheets of wet paper; large vivid wax crayons - these are some of the materials the young child comes to know and to use with delight. These help awaken the children's sense of touch to the physical sensations of a world that is still new to them. Toys and dolls are simply made with a minimum of detail so that the children's imaginations will bring them to life.