Grades
The heart of the Waldorf method is that education is an art—it must speak to the child's experience. To educate the whole child, his heart and his will must be reached, as well as the mind.
-Rudolf Steiner
Lower Grades
Grades 1-4 lay a foundation for a lifelong love of learning through rich, imaginative, and developmentally appropriate curriculum. During these years, core curriculum like language arts, science, and math are learned through story, art, sculpture, handwork, games, and movement, and intentional hands-on activities that engage the whole child—head, heart, and hands.
Each grade’s curriculum builds on the previous. First grade introduces letters and numbers through fairy tales; second grade explores legends in fables, third grade focuses on practical life skills through farming, shelter, and measurement blocks, and fourth grade dives into Norse mythology, local geography, and applicable fractions math. With the understanding of the entire first through eighth-grade educational journey, the same teacher typically stays with the class through these years, fostering a deep understanding of each child as an individual and a strong sense of community amongst the students.
Upper Grades
Grades 5-8 guide students through a transformative period of growing independence and critical thinking, with a curriculum that meets their developmental needs through rich, integrated learning.
Through a developmentally-appropriate approach to teaching, fifth grade explores ancient civilizations and botany, while emphasizing balance and beauty in both academics and movement. In sixth grade, students deepen their understanding of the physical world through geology, physics, and Roman history, alongside formal geometry. Seventh-grade curriculum fosters intellectual awakening with studies in the Renaissance, exploration, and human physiology, as well as more advanced algebra and creative writing. By eighth grade, students engage with modern history, revolutions, and world geography, while refining their scientific understanding through chemistry and physics, along with their year-long Eighth-Grade Projects. These years appropriately support the emerging adolescent with increasing academic challenge, artistic expression, and meaningful social learning. Our goal as educators is to send them off as well-rounded individuals capable of rising to their highest potential.
