Exploring the pillars of waldorf early childhood education

In the realm of early childhood education, Waldorf stands out for its unique emphasis on nurturing holistic development.

Through honouring the physical, emotional and spiritual requirements of these years, Waldorf education provides a well-balanced learning experience for children.

In this blog post, I delve into the core pillars of Waldorf Early Childhood Education (0-7 year olds) and their impact on young children.

1. waldorf Early Childhood and the age of imitation

Waldorf Early Childhood Education recognises that from birth to seven years of age, children learn primarily through imitation. Owing to this, Steiner has spoken extensively about imitation.

In my blog post titled 'What is Waldorf Education' , I mentioned that Steiner said, all 'moral or immoral actions' are imitated by the young child.

Given this, our starting point as educators should be working on our own self-growth so that we can be positive role models for our children. Moreover, this means that we must be mindful and intentional about all we say and do around children.

Imitation is not only between the adult and child but also, takes place child to child. As such, in settings where there are other children, 0-7 year olds will imitate the behaviours of other children too. Undoubtedly, not all these behaviours will be positive and therefore, loving and gentle boundaries are at times needed.

1. Creative Play in waldorf education

At the heart of Waldorf Early Childhood Education, lies a deep appreciation for creative play.

Rahima Baldwin Dancy in her book titled 'You are Your Child's First Teacher', classifies three different types of creative play.

I. Play arising from the body

This type of play is very characteristic of the very young child who is not yet crawling.

Babies will happily lie on a sheepskin rug, at first moving just their arms and legs. As they get older, they began to rotate their body and can often be found lying away from the rug.

Such play, progresses on to crawling, cruising (holding on to things and walking), walking etc.

In my experience, children under 2 are quite happy with just this form of play.

II. Play arising from imagination and imitation

This type of play develops between the ages of two and three although, it may also be observed sooner.

For imaginative and imitative play to be successful, children need open-ended toys and materials that allow them to explore their imagination freely.

For instance, simple items like wooden blocks can transform into anything a child's mind envisions.

We can also use the power of imitation to promote good habits such as tidying up after play. Watch this reel on my Instagram to learn more about this.

III. Intentional Pretending

According to Rahima Baldwin Dancy, this type of play begins at age four and a half to five. Children are now able to form mental images of what their play should look like, as well as develop a storyline.

Intentional pretending involves fantasy and role play. Role play, gives children the experience of living in the adult world.

As mentioned above, children will imitate everything they observe within their environment, including inner feelings of adults.

For this type of play, children need sheets, silks, crowns and other simple items made from natural materials. They use these 'props' to transform in to whatever character they like.

During intentional pretending, children may take on roles and play out behaviours that may have affected them negatively. In fact, many parenting philosophies view this as a healing experience for the child.

A child's play, can act as a mirror to their experiences in this world.

This is why Steiner recommends carrying out 'child studies', as they help us build a picture of the child's experiences.

During child studies, you intently observe a child over the course of a week and take objective notes. These notes can be a valuable diagnostic tool as they reveal a lot about the child and their experiences.

Play in a waldorf preschool

In a Waldorf preschool, it is common to see all three types of play occurring simultaneously. This is because Waldorf kindergartens are a mixed age group setting with children ranging from three years of age to seven years.

Younger children often gaze with wide-eyed wonder at the skills and abilities of their older peers, eager to imitate their actions. In return, older children embrace a role of responsibility and mentorship, finding fulfillment in guiding and inspiring their younger friends.

In intentional pretend play, you will often see the younger children as the pet animals or babies in the older children's play. A harmonious coexistence of this sort, isn't exclusive to Waldorf schools however. It can exist at home, amongst friends circles and in homeschool groups too.

2. kindling the imagination through Storytelling in waldorf early childhood education

Storytelling holds a special place within the heart of Waldorf Early Childhood Education, igniting young minds with the magic of words and fostering the imagination.

Storytelling can be broken down in to four different types:

i. Nursery Rhymes or Waldorf circle time songs

Nursery rhymes are rhythmical and repetitive in nature, thus they can help with memory and language acquisition.

In Waldorf circle time, the rhymes and verses are usually accompanied with actions.

Acting out songs presents children with the opportunity to use their imagination and creativity. As young children are not yet self conscious, they will happily suggest actions or just come up with their own. It is delightful to see their individual personalities shine through in such moments.

I have a YouTube channel where I share seasonal Waldorf verses and songs as a resource for parents.

II. Waldorf puppet Shows

Waldorf puppet shows are a unique and beautiful part of the Waldorf early childhood experience.

Puppet shows begin in the Parent and Child Group with the 0-3 year olds, as a simple and repetitive oral tale. The group leader uses props made from natural materials to build the setting and complement the main characters within the story.

Telling an oral tale in this way, with the help of props, enables children to build their vocabulary. It also nourishes their creativity and gives children tools and ideas for them to successfully tell their own stories.

In Waldorf kindergartens, for the 3-7 year olds puppet shows progress on to more complex stories and fairy tales.

At times, children will also act in the puppet show to make the story even more alive and interesting for the children.

III. Oral tales - Stories told from memory

Oral tales can be:

• Stories or fairy tales retold by you from memory
• Stories written by you for the children, but told from memory
• Real-life stories from your childhood

Your child will be your best guide when deciding which of these you should pick. A two year old for example will not understand real-life stories from your childhood. Five year olds however, are captivated by more descriptive and detailed story lines and will enjoy real-life stories.

I am a huge fan of oral tales, as they provide the most opportunity for us to connect with those we are telling the story to.

When we free up our sight and concentration from the words on the pages of a book, it becomes available to look at the children. At times, based on their responses, we may choose to elaborate on a part of the story or bring in a twist to keep feeding the child's enjoyment and interest.

IV. Story Books

Reading books to our children is absolutely necessary if we want to see them develop a love for reading.

Book reading is a time of togetherness, children get their parents attention, there is closeness and physical touch,

Overtime, human beings may forget about actual experiences, but feelings stay with us forever. As such, when we sit down with our child and read to them, we are helping them form a positive association with books.

There are many different types of storybooks available.

For children up to the age of two, I recommend picture books with little or no text.

Children of this age like images, as they are learning language and want the opportunity to ask how to name things. In addition to this, they easily lose interest so even short stories can be too much for them.

One of our favourite picture books is 'Out of the Blue by Alison Jay'. Young children enjoy repetition, so you only need a few books at this age.

As they grow, and become more verbal, they find short stories interesting. From around age 4 upwards, you can read longer stories and fairy tales to them.

I recommend Julia Eccleshare's '1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up' as a guide for age appropriate picture books, classic titles and new books.

The age suggestions made in this book are broad range, so you will have to exercise some personal judgment too. Plus, every child is different so what suits your 5 year old might not suit another 5 year old.

3. Consistent Rhythms

In Steiner education, rhythm loosely translates to predictability.

So unlike a rigid timetable with the stress of sticking to timings, rhythm in Waldorf is about knowing what comes next. For example, on Mondays breakfast is always followed by painting or, after lunch we always have rest time.

Consistent rhythms are very important for developing all four life senses (discussed below). Furthermore, consistent rhythms also provide children with a sense of security. This not only allows them to navigate their environment with confidence, but the absence of chaos also reflects positively in their behaviour.

Within the daily rhythm, we like to follow a breathe in and breathe out pattern in Steiner education.

Our normal bodily breathing pattern also follows an in out rhythm. On the outside, a normal breathing pattern contributes to calmness, happiness, contentment and confidence.

(Image taken from https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/breathing-pattern-disorders-an-overview/ 11/9/23)

In Waldorf education, breathing in refers to an activity that requires focus and concentration - we are taking things 'in'. A breathing out activity is more relaxed and may involve projecting ourselves outwardly in to the world.

Alternating between breathing in and out activities helps maintain calmness and gentleness throughout our day. Which makes perfect sense, because our outside world is in harmony with our inside world.

4. the Life Senses

Steiner's educational philosophy posits that in the early years of life, children explore the world around them through their life senses.

The life senses include:

• touch,
• sense of life or well being,
• self movement and
• balance.

During the early years of a child's life, we must work on cultivating the life senses as they are the building blocks of the higher senses.

Touch

Steiner was of the opinion that sense impressions translate in to images which are stored within the children.

Depending on the experience, these images can be good or bad images - quite like feelings which I discussed above in 'Story Books'.

Gentle and loving touch is a need for babies and young children. As such, it creates a good image that lives within the child and adds to their sense of well-being.

As children grow, we must however be mindful of their preferences surrounding touch. My youngest child does not like kisses on his face for example, and so we kiss him on his head or hands instead.

Being insensitive or dismissive towards the desires of a child will create bad images and this is something we of course want to avoid.

'The Influence of Touch on Child Development', Bridget Coila

Bridget Coila says;

'Touch is essential for human survival; babies who are deprived of touch can fail to thrive, lose weight and even die. Babies and young children who do not get touched also have lower levels of growth hormone, so a lack of touch can actually stunt a child's growth. The immune systems of children who are deprived of touch may also be weaker than those who receive plenty of physical affection; plenty of touch earlier in life can lead to physiological changes that might protect against later disease, including cardiovascular disease.

In addition to the impact on physical growth and development, touch boosts a child's brain development too. This has an impact on everything from short-term behavior to long-term mental and emotional development. Babies who receive a lot of touching sleep better at night and are less fussy during the day according to pediatrician Dr. William Sears. Children who are not touched enough have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can actually damage brain tissue in the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved with memory and learning.'

Sense of Life

In simple terms, sense of 'Life' refers to how well and healthy our bodies are on the inside. We contribute to our sense of life positively, through adequate nutrition and fixed meal and sleep times.

When children lack structure in their lives, it can have a negative impact on their sense of life. For example, a hungry child becomes emotionally dysregulated and struggles to eat when the food is given. Likewise with sleep, an overtired child finds it more difficult to sleep and is more likely to experience broken sleep.

As parents, it is important for us to understand our child and their ques for hunger and tiredness. Providing them with meals at the correct intervals will ensure they eat until they are full. The same goes for bedtime, they sleep better when they go to sleep 12 hours before they usually wake in the morning. Being mindful and consistent about these factors, will contribute to overall body health and sense of life.

Self Movement

Self movement includes all intervention free movement based activities, such as exploring the outdoors, crawling, climbing, jumping etc.

It is common for parents to intervene with a child's movement, for example by propping babies up when they cannot yet do it independently.

Leaving them to do it themselves however, allows them to learn crucial skills such as how much force is required for the task.

Similarly with movement, children need to develop awareness of their own bodies.

When we leave them to walk, run, climb etc. by themselves, they learn how fast or slow they can go, where their body parts are in relation to one another and how to navigate themselves in their environment.

Through self movement, children also learn skills such as perseverance, overcoming difficulties and they experience joy when they are independently successful.

In Steiner Parent and Child Groups and in the Kindergarten, everything is child friendly and there is nothing that the child should not touch. This allows adults to relax and for the young child to move around and explore their space freely and with confidence. Constantly shouting 'no, don't touch, be careful' can lead to babies and young children becoming overly cautious. This gets in the way of their development.

Finally, the use of highchairs, bouncers, car seats etc. should be limited. as they take away opportunities for children to move freely.

Balance

When Steiner talks about balance, he mentions both

• Inner balance and calm, and
• Outer physical balance.

Rhythm helps us in achieving inner balance and calm, as it provides children with a sense of security.

Furthermore, adults are also calmer and feel more in control when they have a plan for the day or week.

When it comes to physical balance, movement (as mentioned above) is a great way to develop this. Adding further to the point of self-movement, children are very in tune with their bodies and know what their bodies need. As such, it is common to see young children walking on walls or other narrow surfaces such as logs when moving freely outdoors.

Inside Waldorf Kindergartens, it is common to see balance beams as part of the play time set up. Although it is necessary to take children outdoors in nature, at times we are unable to. Having movement and balance based indoor equipment that nourishes the senses ensures children are getting what they need, even when indoors.

4. Real Life Activities

Waldorf education places great importance on integrating real-life activities into the young child's life. Whether it's baking bread, tending to a garden, or crafting handmade toys, these activities connect children to the world around them and foster a sense of purpose.

It is important for us as adults to engage in meaningful tasks around our children and give them something worthy of imitating. I know for many of us, technology is a necessary part of our work life and parents are now increasingly working from home. However, when we are not working, we must try to limit our use of technology.

Additionaly, real life activities can also help with motor skills.

Kneading dough for example, works the muscles in little hands and helps develop fine motor skills which are later required for handwriting. Other activities such as sweeping the floor, requires moving your hand back and forth, so is a gross motor skill. Folding blankets (a regular activity in Waldorf kindergartens), requires and develops bilateral coordination.

Conclusion

In conclusion, young children learn through imitation, sensory experience and large and small motor movements. By fostering creativity, engaging the senses, establishing rhythms, incorporating real-life activities, cultivating relationships, embracing holistic development, and committing to self-growth, Waldorf educators pave the way for a well-rounded and enriching early learning experience.