Waldorf Schools

Waldorf schools are based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), an Austrian educator and founder of Anthroposophy. Steiner's first school opened in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany, for the children of the Waldorf-Astoria Company's employees, giving the name “Waldorf” to schools associated with Steiner's educational philosophy. Steiner's school flourished, and by 1938 schools based on his philosophy had opened their doors in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. Political interference by the Nazi regime forced closure of most Waldorf schools in Europe until after the end of World War II. Today, Waldorf schools make up one of the most swiftly growing independent educational movements in the world and have expanded to over 900 schools in 83 countries with 253 PreK-12 schools in the United States.

Steiner's philosophy of education countered the conventional German educational philosophy of the early 20th century and challenged common European educational practices. He disagreed with existing curricular structures that were teacher centered and focused on basic literacy, mathematics, German history, and religion; he opposed a schooling system that was exclusive, with few students continuing schooling past Volksschulen, the 8-year elementary school. In contrast, Steiner's mandate for educational reform featured development of the whole child without sole emphasis on the intellect, and a pedagogy that included trust and confidence in the child as part of the learning process. He wanted his schools to be open to all children, coeducational, and designed as a 12-year school. Additionally, he believed in education that was teacher-directed yet emphasized collaboration among students, service to the community, interdisciplinary approaches, and the development of students' imaginations. This blend of educational elements merged progressive beliefs about the social nature of learning in authentic learning situations with more traditional teacher-centered pedagogical methods. Steiner also proposed that teachers maintain primary governance of the schools, a tradition upheld from the first school in 1919 to the present.

Steiner was particularly concerned with the development of school-age children and suggested that they evolved through three pedagogical stages, each stage shaped by children's developmental proclivities. These beliefs continue to influence curricula and pedagogy in today's Waldorf schools.

Steiner suggested that during the first stage, from birth to age 6 or 7, children learn by imitation, empathy, and experience, and early childhood curricula engage children in traditional life activities (e.g., baking, cleaning, gardening), cultivating feelings through the arts, and stimulating creativity and fantasy through imaginative play. Retaining this focus, modern Waldorf schools take a position against television and the use of computers for students at this age.

The second stage of development, between ages 7 and 12 or 13, is marked by the child's need to learn through rhythm and images. Teachers remain with their students during the second stage as they study visual and dramatic arts, movement, music, foreign languages, and what Steiner referred to as meaningful literacy. Although Waldorf schools' literacy curriculum has been challenged by some mainstream educators because reading instruction does not begin until age 7, Steiner adopted a wide definition of literacy that included not only reading and writing but experiences that allow students to derive meaning from music, the visual arts, and dance.

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