The rationale for this age difference stems from our approach to teaching, which is grounded in child development and the idea of “doing the right thing at the right time.” Waldorf schools take great care to ensure that each child is developmentally ready – physically, socially and emotionally – for the academic challenges of grade school.
With this readiness goal in mind, it may be recommended that a child attend an additional year of kindergarten to benefit from further development. This ensures that we are setting the child up for success and not struggle in the later grades.
Scientific research now indicates that formal or “direct” academic instruction – what we view as traditional school – is not the most beneficial learning approach for children under age 7. Journalist, Paul Tullis, has written about this in his recent article in Scientific American entitled “The Death of Preschool”.
My child is ready to read: why don’t you teach reading in Kindergarten?
We do teach reading from nursery school onward. It is just a different approach. Sensory integration, eye-hand corrdination, tracking, sequencing, mid-line crossing, infantile reflex release, large and small motor coordination – in other words all the things that are used in remediation at older ages with children now, we do early on to prepare the child for reading.
The mainstream’s perception that “earlier is better” to start direct academic instruction in fact runs contrary to how young children learn best. Scientific research in the field of education and language acquisition show us that children’s innate curiosity is what allows them to develop their social, emotional and physical skills through their creative play, their exploration of the world and their social interactions with others.
In terms of literacy, forming an extensive vocabulary is key to a young child’s language skill development. Singing songs, reciting verses, listening to and participating in storytelling are what build a child’s rich vocabulary and lay a solid foundation for reading. No scientific evidence has yet been found that learning to read earlier leads to better readers later.
Neuroscientists, developmental psychologists and education experts are now recommending play-based, indirect teaching strategies to be the most effective methods for young children’s brain development and the best way to prepare children for academic success in later life. Some research points to harmful outcomes of early exposure to formal academics in the preschool years, citing stress and frustration as inhibitors of the brain’s architectural development and as possible indicators of mental and general health issues later on.
For a century, the Waldorf curriculum has understood the vital role of play in early childhood development. The use of age-appropriate teaching strategies and the provision of self-discovery opportunities make up the living, experiential focus in our preschool classrooms. A solid foundation for reading and a love of literacy and are ignited in Waldorf early childhood programs.
Sara Anderson, Enrollment Manager