What is a typical day in a Waldorf grade school?

[momtokay]

Is there such a thing as a typical day or typical week? I feel like I have a good handle on what happens in Waldorf early childhood education (preschool, kindergarten), but even after attending a couple open houses the grades seem like a mystery to me. Can anyone tell me what a typical day is like? How much time do they spend at their desks? Does the entire class spend most of the day working on the same thing or mostly working on their own things? Is the rhythm of the day still important and if so how does it manifest for the older kids? Do they still spend time outside every day? Do they teachers have resources available to help them with students who learn faster than his/her peers? When working on art projects do they ever get to choose their own subject matter or it is simply copying their teacher's drawings? I mean I know they work on reading, writing, science, drawing, eurthmy, languages, music, etc., but how does it all fit into the day? Oh, and if there is a good link to get this information that would be great too.

TIA!!

[Deborah]

http://iwhome.com/twea/wesd.htm

http://www.waldorfschoolrf.com/grades.htm

http://members.efn.org/~jschaad/waldbr2.html

Hi, the first and last link have the same wording (didn't read the whole thing, just quick scan), but different pictures.

Hope these help,
Deborah

[canndw]

Yes, the day is structured, because (for example) the grades have to coordinate schedules for subject teachers like handwork, language, and/or eurythmy.

At our school (probably fairly typical), main lesson runs for around two hours (younger grades spend much of that time in circle or doing physical activities associated with the lesson). After snack and recess, there are two forty-five minute periods before lunch, and three more after lunch, and they are scheduled every day.

Classes scheduled into these time slots include (depending on grade level) German, handwork, movement (we don't have eurythmy), painting, bookwork (working on main lesson books), nature walks, reading aloud by the teacher, and for older classes woodworking, math/language skills classes, string ensemble, recorder ensemble, chorus, "reading buddies" (older grades read with younger grades),...

My children began doing their own main lesson book writing starting around third grade, but continued with some dictations through eighth grade. By fifth grade, though, most of the writing and many of the pictures are done individually.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a schedule posted in each classrom at your local school. If not, I'm sure they can provide one to you.

David

[bremen]

it is really funny to me. there seems very little difference between the day plan for yound primary school kids, and my day plan when i was a senior in highschool!

[knittingmomma]

"School as Journey" by Finser is written by a teacher about his journey with his class through the curriculum from first through eighth grades. It really gives you a feel for the Waldorf schools.

It has given me ideas for our waldorf inspired home school.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

[Rhonwyn]

When I get home tonight I will post dd's 1st grade schedule and ds' 3rd grade schedule.

You might want to do a walk through at the grade school. They ususally do these in addition to open houses. You get to visit each class. You could also ask the enrollment co-ordinator about looking at class schedules.

[Rhonwyn]

1st Grade Schedule

Mon - Fri, 8:15 - 10:15: Main Lesson (This alternates between letter (writing and reading) blocks and math blocks)

Mon - Fri, 10:15 - 10:45: Snack and Recess (outside even if raining with a raincoat)

Period One, 10:45 - 11:35
Mon - Handwork
Tues - Japanese
Wed - Painting
Thur - Beeswax
Fri - Handwork

Period Two, 11:35 - 12:25
Mon - Japanese
Tues - Drawing
Wed - Eurythmy
Thur - Spanish
Fri - Spanish

Mon - Fri, 12:25 - 1:15: Lunch and Recess

Mon - Fri, 1:15 - 3: Outdoor Play, Rest, Working with Hands (cooking, cleaning or crafts)


1st grade children are spending a lot of time adjusting to sitting at desks and being in a classroom. Parents are encouraged to take their children home at 1, especially in the months before Christmas. The children can stay until 3 if necessary.

Reading, Writing Blocks - Learning letters (sound and writing Capital letters), Writing simple words and reading them, Copying sentences from the board and beginning to read them, at the end of the year depending on where the class is they may learn little letters and cursive.

Math Blocks - Numbers and counting; Roman numerals; Counting by 2's, 3's, 4's, etc.; Addition, Subtraction, Muplication and Division; counting by sets of numbers leads to muplication tables

[Rhonwyn]

3rd Grade Schedule

Mon - Fri, 8:15 - 10:15 - Main Lesson (see below for Main Lesson Blocks)

Mon - Fri, 10:15 - 10:45 - Snack and Recess

Period One, 10:45 - 11:35
Mon - Open Space (talk about class issues - proto class meeting)
Tues - Spanish
Wed - Hand work
Thurs - Japanese
Fri - Music (singing)

Period Two, 11:40 - 12:25
Mon - Spanish
Tues - Handwork
Wed - Games (sort of like PE)
Thurs - Math (to keep them up, they also have alternating blocks during main lesson)
Fri - Japanese

Mon - Fri, 12:30 - 1:10: Lunch and Recess

Period Three, 1:15 - 2:00
Mon - Gardening or Walk to Library
Tues - Extra Main Lesson
Wed - Painting
Thurs - Crafts
Fri - Games

Period Four, 2:05 - 2:45
Mon - Gardening or Walk to Library
Tues - Reading groups
Wed - Japanese
Thur - Eurythmy
Fri - Shabbat (3rd grade studies the Old Testement and Jewish Culture so they celebrate all Jewish holidays as well as Shabbat every Friday)

Mon - Fri, 2:45 - 3
Jobs and Goodbyes


Main Lesson Blocks in next post. I am running out of room!

[Rhonwyn]

3rd Grade Main Lesson Blocks

Main Lesson Blocks:
Sept 8 - Oct 1: Farm Life: Harvest
Fall activities on the farm, with field trips to local farms
Bible Stories: Creation, Leaving Paradise, Cain and Abel

Oct 4 - 29: The Market
Math activities with money, and long division
Bible Stories: Sons of Cain, Noah, Babel

Nov 1 -24: A Shirt Grew in a Field
Clothing and Fibers around the world
Bible Stories: Noah's Ark Play rehersals

Nov 29 - Dec 17: People at Work
Parents, Adults visit and talk about their work
Calendar making
Bible Stories: Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Jan 3 - Jan 28: Measuring Every Thing
Length, Distance, Time, Weight
Bible Stories: Moses

Jan 31 - Feb 18: The Life of Moses
Writing, spelling, composition, dictation
Bible Stories: Exodus to the Promised Land

Feb 28 - Mar 18: This is My House
Shelters around the world, made from natural materials
Bible Stories: Joshua, Gideon, Ruth and Naomi

Mar 21 - Apr 8: The Supermarket
Math with volume, and long multiplication
Bible Stories: Samuel, Saul, David

Apr 25 - May 20: Farm Life: Planting
Spring Activities on the farm, people at work in modern settings
Class play rehersals: Life of Moses
Bible Stories: Solomon, Elijah, Job

May 23 - Jun 8: Review Activities



These are true for ds' school and it will be slightly different at other schools and with other classes. The teachers flex things depending on their class' need and where the children are at.

[momtokay]

Thank you all so much!!! :thumb

[bremen]

i just wanted to point out once again that the third grade is especially focused on the old testament and judaism. it even looked shocking to me to see bible stories wit hevery main lesson block, but then i rememberred it was third grade. in other grades, there won't be bible stories with mainlessons.

[canndw]

1st Grade Schedule

Mon - Fri, 8:15 - 10:15: Main Lesson (This alternates between letter (writing and reading) blocks and math blocks)

No form drawing?

[Rhonwyn]

No form drawing?


The form drawing is part of the writing prep and continues. Unfortunately, this teacher isn't as organized with the list at the begining of the year like the 3rd grade teacher. He sends out reviews of what was covered in emails but we don't get a syllabus (sp?) per se like the 3rd grade.