“Waldorf school education is not a pedagogical system, but an art – the art of awakening what is actually there within the human being”. – Rudolf Steiner
Grades 1 to 5 mark the beginning of structured learning, yet even here, the approach remains deeply artistic and developmentally attuned. Teachers guide their classes through the years, building trust and insight into each child’s growth. Lessons are taught in immersive blocks and expressed through hand-drawn books, not textbooks—fostering ownership and joy in learning. Storytelling, movement, and artistic work enliven every subject, while community and cooperation are foundational to the classroom experience.
Main lesson is a 2 hour class taken by the class teacher in the mornings. During the first 30 – 40 minutes of the main lesson, the students work with singing, rhythmic movement and recitation (speech). This not only brings the children together as one whole group but also wakes them up for a day of learning. The activities are connected to the subject, seasons and festivals.
The second part of the lesson includes a review of the previous day’s work and learning something new. It is also the time to settle down on their desks and do their bookwork. Their main lesson book is considered as their own textbook – in their own handwriting and drawings (which are guided as well as imaginative).Rather than relying on the pre-digested material presented to them in conventional textbooks, the act of creating their “main lesson book” allows the students to absorb the lessons well and make it their own.
The main lesson book is a creative, artistic culmination of the information presented throughout the block. It comprises drawings, stories and summaries, with special attention paid to making it aesthetically pleasing. Emphasis is laid on each child to present it, to the best of their ability.
The last part of the lesson is Storytelling. It is an integral part of the main lessons, which helps to develop their imagination and creativity. It helps in providing opportunities to the students to connect with others and gain a deeper understanding of the world. It enhances language development and builds emotional wellbeing.
It is a period of 3 or 4 weeks during which one subject is taught in its entirety. The subject or topics are chosen according to the child’s development stage. The child learns by experiencing or discovering about a topic through activities (reciting verses, singing songs, working with movement, artistic activity such as drawing or painting or clay modelling).
This not only allows extended time for a given subject but also helps in deepening the topic. It helps students to ground the concepts.
For example, during the Geography block in grade 4, the students are awakened to identifying and orienting themselves with the eight cardinal directions. They are taught to draw a bird’s eye view of their classroom, their school block, the school premises and their respective school street. Thus, the students are involved in drawing their own maps and understanding directions. They move on to study the map of the city and mark out the important landmarks. During the block, the students listen to the stories of the city and understand how certain landmarks have come into existence in the present day context. Finally, they visited the historic monuments of the city which helped them deepen the concept of Geography.
There are a lot of games played with the students during the block to strengthen the topic. The students feel that they are doing movements, playing and reciting. This enriches their learning experience.
As the students are exposed to different aspects of learning, they learn to understand their strengths and learn to appreciate the strengths of their classmates. They also become aware of their shortcomings and are encouraged to work on it. It is indeed heartening to note how they assist each other to work on their shortcomings and learn to appreciate their differences. Thus learning progresses in the earlier grades in Abhaya.
“Our highest endeavour must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth and a feeling of responsibility – these three forces are the very nerve of education.” –Rudolf Steiner
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