The Steiner or Waldorf Method
The
Waldorf method is the brainchild of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher,
educator and social thinker. In addition to the Waldorf method of education, he
was also the founder of the the Camphill Movement and an early proponent of
Biodynamic agriculture. He was also the originator of a branch of philosophy
called Anthroposophy, which emphasises the importance of clear and free thought.
The Waldorf method is not called after the famous hotel, but even more strangely after a cigarette factory in Stuttgart to whose employees Steiner delivered a series of lecture on education. The lectures formed the basis for the development of what is now one of the best known and largest methods of alternative education in the world.
Philosophy
The Waldorf method aims to develop the full potential of each child physically, mentally and emotionally without setting goals which are defined not by the needs of the child but by society or other outside parties.
All subjects are approached from three angles: the intellect, applying logic and independent thinking, the heart, emphasising feeling and their expression and the hands, with craft work and art giving expression to the feelings. Art is integrated into every part of the curriculum and from the outset a sense of environmental awareness and responsibility is fostered.
Goals
To help each child to fulfil their full potential, to be able to think clearly and independently, and to make free and informed choices and through those choices find their individual paths in life.
Practical Implementation
Steiner defined three stages in a child's development - early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence.
In early childhood - up to the age of 7 - children should remain at home, do not have any structured teaching and are not taught reading. Instead they learn through play, art, story telling and contact with the natural world.
From the age of 7 a more structured approach is taken, with study of subjects like history, geography, science and maths integrated with arts, craft and physical activity. Subjects are not taught in bite sized chunks as in traditional schools - with an hour of this and a half-hour of that - but by immersion in one subject for a number of weeks, followed by weeks concentrating on another. During these periods learning is encouraged for its own sake, with no measurement against standards and no exams. This method of teaching allows children to follow their particular interests in any subject area in a quite in depth way.
From puberty on children are expected to have the skills to become self-directed learners, to think for themselves and to begin a search for their own beliefs, developing a sense of meaning in their lives.
While a central tenet in Waldorf education is that children should have the same teacher for many years, which makes it seem a perfect candidate for home schooling, there is also a lot of emphasis placed on group interaction which is harder to provide in a home setting. For this reason many people choose to educate their children at home until the age of 7 and then send them to a Steiner School.
More Information
A good place to get an overview of Steiner and his educational philosophy is at Waldorf Answers, which does indeed answer many common questions.
The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship provides accreditation for schools in the UK and Ireland and is also involved in curriculum development and teacher training.
Wonder Homeschool, is a personal site maintained by a home-schooling family from Oaklahoma, which has a great wealth of articles and resources about practical application of the Waldorf Method (and other methods).
The Telegraph Newpaper (UK) of October 21st 2006 published a good article about one family's decision to move to Steiner Education, though in a school setting, not at home.
Steiner-Waldorf Schools in Ireland
Raheen Wood School in Co Clare has been teaching children between the ages of 7 and 12 since 1986 and has more than 120 pupils enrolled.
Kildare Steiner School in Kilcullen was established in 1999.