The young child instinctively expects guidance. Without the certainty of his parents and teachers he loses his security . . . Constantly being asked what he wants creates bewilderment in his mind. . . Instead we must develop consciousness and consciously meet the child’s paramount needs. They are easily stated: security and an awareness of growth, love and a certain amount of protection. . . The conscientious and conscious parent will have to play an active and positive role in the education, the leading forth of his child. . . lead the child by conveying firmness permeated with love.
Margaret Meyerkort (Waldorf Kindergarten Educator)
Learning through our senses
Children learn by experiencing the world through their senses. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, spoke not only of the traditional senses, but of others as well, among them touch, movement, balance and sense of life.
By touching an object, information (such as temperature, texture, resistance, friction,moisture, dryness) is gained from it. Through touch, children learn about themselves as well as the world: “Whatever I touch also touches me.” This separation and connection with everything surrounding them later translates to relationships with others, and the development of healthy boundaries. Waldorf teachers provide children with a rich array of tactile experiences with which to develop their sense of touch.
Children are naturally quite active, always moving. Their muscles and joints are strengthened as they move and their sense of movement is awakened. This sense gradually develops as children learn to sit up, stand and walk, in the best of circumstances achieving these milestones in their own time, using the forces of their own will to accomplish them. The daily routine in the kindergarten affords children every opportunity to use their limbs and develop a sense of movement through free and organized play, circle games, and dramatic acting out of stories.
The sense of balance connects us to the three dimensions of space (above/below, left/right, front/back), developing at a natural pace as the child becomes physically ready. The impulse to stand and to walk needs to come from the child’s own inner drive, so that balance is learned at the appropriate pace. Prematurely assisting children to stand or walk (before they demonstrate a wish to do so) prevents them from experiencing this step-by-step struggle in development. Allowing them to learn these skills at their own pace leads to a better development of balance. In our Early Childhood classes we walk on the balance beam, hop, skip, jump, roll around, swing, run and twirl to help stimulate and support the sense of balance. Balance enables the children to feel centered in themselves, have healthy vision and hearing.
The sense of life concerns our well being (whether we feel well or not). This sense helps us notice and monitor what our bodies need and interpret the meanings of our aches and pains. We can support the sense of life by providing children with a safe and stable environment where rhythm and routine prevail along with comfort, warmth, nutritious food and adequate sleep.
HOW WE DEVELOP THESE GOALS:
Each of these goals is developed through the curriculum of the Early Childhood Program.