Discover Waldorf Education: Writing & Reading, Part 1

This video, the third in a series, looks at the unique approach taken by Waldorf schools to the teaching of writing and reading. Eugene Schwartz explains the emphasis placed upon the kinesthetic and spatial dimensions of becoming literate.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• waldorf
• education
• schools
• reading
• writing
• eugene
• schwartz
• rudolf
• steiner

[eschwartz1ster]

A good question! Yet remedial experts recognize that letters and words need to be brought into a multi-sensory, kinesthetic experience for children to deeply absorb them. Waldorf tries to provide a variety of sensory and movement experiences, as well as more sedentary ones, because every child will find her connection in a different way. Space is running out - read my book, "Seeing, Hearing, Learning" (Rudolf Steiner College Press).

[InformedChoice]

What are the words a teacher would use to get the children to draw these shapes? IE: today we're going to draw this, copy what I do, put your pen here, everyone together, etc.? How do you keep the children from "free scribbilng", esp. very active children? Where can I find a book that shows how to do this with the drawings? Thank you.

[eschwartz1ster]

@InformedChoice First the teacher tells a story in which a character moves the form, then the children practice moving it through playful games in or outdoors. Once it has been moved with gross motor activity, the children move it in space with their hands. By this time they are RAPT as their teacher draws the form on the chalkboard, and some come up to try it themselves. The drawing on paper is thus only the last step of a long process in which movement becomes form.

[InformedChoice]

@eschwartz1ster Thank you for your response. Could you tell me, how long does a teacher usually spend on one letter and do they only learn one letter at a time?

[eschwartz1ster]

@InformedChoice The teacher generally spends a week each on the first four or five letters that are taught, slowly metamorphosing them from stories and drawings to actual letters. Then the teacher moves much more rapidly -- not all letters are taught in this way -- so that by December most Waldorf 1st graders have learned the letters and their sounds and are ready to write out poems and short narratives.

[TheDreamAngels]

Another awesome video! Thank you for doing these!

[oh2love4love]

I am teaching my son from home, waldorf inspired. it is scary for me though because I worry about meeting his needs.

[Wordtoons]

Hey I really like the idea of teaching kids to draw the shapes without names first as it reflects ideals of language acquisition with not focusing on form and meaning at the same time. I wonder how you may see Wordtoons fitting into this process?.. going from story to letter to word and then taking the word into the image of it's meaning. 

[anga10na]

great.

thank you.

[madasamattarch]

I don't see the connection between being able to walk around in a circle with a bean bag on your head and being able to read and write? It certainly wasn't a pre-requisite as the narrator states, when I was a child!.

[InformedChoice]

Thank you. I have also enjoyed your foundations lectures.