Grade School

Academics

The Waldorf curriculum rests on two core beliefs: that the types of activities and instruction should be appropriate to the developmental stage of each age group, and that the education of the whole child—“head, heart, and hands”—is paramount. This means that not just the intellect, but also the artistic or feeling realm, and the practical arts are present in both the curriculum and within each lesson. The class teacher is responsible for the child’s education in a full range of subjects, including mathematics, language arts, history and science, painting, drawing, and music.

The day begins with a two hour period called Morning Lesson or Main Lesson. In this time the teacher will typically ask the children to recall aspects of the lesson from the previous day, and will then go on to present new material. The hallmark of this approach is the focus on the teacher as the source, speaking directly to the students, as opposed to using a textbook or a computer screen.

The central figure in our Waldorf classrooms is the class teacher, who remains with the children, in most cases, for grades one through eight. A child’s capacities unfold slowly, and we believe that they are best supported by relationships that are given time to develop. In a very short time the class and teacher become a family, with a special relationship that deepens as their years together grow.

We believe that young children benefit tremendously from this very personal, humanistic style of teaching and learning. At the end of the Morning Lesson, students will usually be asked to create a page in their Main Lesson books reflecting the day’s content, and illustrating it themselves. These books become their textbooks, precious to each individual author and illustrator because of the effort each has made in bringing these books to life.

Working alongside the class teacher, a group of specialist teachers introduces the primary school student to the other areas of the curriculum in the course of the day. These areas include foreign language, handwork, gardening, music, visual arts, eurythmy, and sports and games. In addition, the upper grades have time set aside twice a week for extra work in mathematics and language arts, in a Skills class that supplements the material introduced in Main Lesson.

Through a rich curriculum integrating the academic, the artistic, and the practical, the Waldorf School of Princeton guides children to foster self-knowledge and to meet the world by awakening within them warmth of heart, clarity of thought, and strength of purpose.

Curriculum by Grade

Grade 1 - Fairy Tales

Language Arts: Pictorial introduction to the alphabet / writing familiar poems and sentences, then reading them / Choral recitation / Story re-telling

Mathematics: Number Quality / Counting / Imaginative introduction to arithmetic operations (+, -, x, ÷)

Natural Science: Nature stories and exploration

Fine and Practical Arts: Watercolor Painting - color quality / Modeling with beeswax / Form Drawing – spatial orientation / Knitting / Singing / Pentatonic Flute / Annual Class Play

Movement: Rhythmic Circle Games / Eurythmy movement / Movement and Games - Jump rope and clapping games

World Languages: French through songs, poems and games

Grade 2 - Fables and Legends

Language Arts: Phonetic patterns / Personal Writing into Reading / Early Readers

Mathematics: Place Value / Regrouping / Number journeys / Rhythmic times table practice

Natural Science: Nature Observation and Exploration

Fine and Practical Arts: Watercolor Painting - interplay of color / Modeling with beeswax / Symmetry – mirror drawing / Knitting / Singing / Pentatonic Flute / Annual Class Play

Movement: Circle and rhythmic games / Eurythmy - social exercises / Movement and Games

World Languages: French through songs, poems and games

Grade 3 - Hebrew Scriptures and Pioneer Life

Language Arts: Basic grammar / Punctuation / Sentence Structure

Mathematics: Long Multiplication and Division / Measurement: linear, weight, volume, money / Time

Natural Science: Farming, Shelter and Clothing

Fine and Practical Arts: Watercolor Painting - gesture / Modeling with beeswax and/or clay / Practical Arts – broom making from corn, wheat harvest, maple sugaring / Symmetry – 4-way mirror drawing / Crochet / Singing in rounds / Soprano recorder / Annual Class Play

Movement: Games featuring the individual within a group; Rules and strategy / Eurythmy – geometric forms / Movement and Games

World Languages: French

Grade 4 - Norse Mythology / Native American - Lenape Life

Language Arts: Framework for Original Compositions / Grammar

Mathematics: Fractions

Natural Science: Preliminary Physiology and Zoology - Human and Animal

Geography: Local History and New Jersey geography / Mapmaking

Fine and Practical Arts: Watercolor Painting and Pastels - form / Braided designs and drawing / Sculptural Arts – animals, moccasins, woodwork / Cross-stitch / Singing in harmony / String instruments / Annual Class Play

Movement: Games featuring the individual within a group; Rules and strategy / Eurythmy - facing front while moving back or to the side as a group/ Movement and Games

World Languages: French grammar begins

Grade 5 - Ancient Civilizations – India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece

Language Arts: Descriptive Writing / Direct and Indirect Speech / Report Writing / Extra Language and Math Skills Classes begin

Mathematics: Decimals / Introduction to Metrics / Averages / Area / Freehand Geometry

Natural Science: Botany

Geography: North America

Fine and Practical Arts: Sculptural and Visual Arts – cuneiform, Buddha, Greek coins or vases, plants, woodwork / Knitting Socks with four needles / Gardening / Three – part Singing / Alto recorder / String instruments / Annual Class Play

Movement: Eurythmy - poetry exercises / Movement and Games: Pentathlon exercises – javelin, running, discus, wrestling, long jump / After School sports: Cross country team, Basketball team, Tennis

World Languages: French

Grade 6 - Roman and Medieval History

Language Arts: Advanced Grammar / Self – editing / Expository, Descriptive and Narrative Writing / Conditional sentences / Latin sayings and proverbs / Report Writing / Extra Language and Math Skills Classes

Mathematics: Business Math / Percentages / Exact Geometry

Natural Science: Physics – acoustics, optics, heat, magnetism and static electricity / Geology / Astronomy (grades 6-7)

Geography (grades 6-8): World Geography with an in-depth focus on Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America

Fine and Practical Arts: Fine Art – Light and shadow / Sculptural Arts – gothic arches, elephants, knight’s accoutrements, woodwork / Hand sewing - stuffed animals, dolls / Gardening / Chorus / Orchestra / Annual Class Play

Movement: Eurythmy / Movement and Games - juggling and circus activities / After School sports: Cross country team, Basketball team, Tennis

World Languages: French

Grade 7 - Renaissance / Reformation; Age of Discovery

Language Arts: Forms of poetry / Research Papers / Creative Writing / Language and Math Skills Classes

Mathematics: Introduction to Algebra / Rates, Ratios, Percents, Measures / Geometric formulas

Natural Science: Physics – measurement of acoustics and optics; mechanics; magnetism and electricity / Physiology – respiratory, circulatory, metabolic, and some nervous system / Inorganic Chemistry: Metals, Salts, Acids / Bases, Combustion; Lime Cycle – combustion and chemical reactions / Astronomy (grades 6-7)

Geography (grades 6-8): World Geography with an in-depth focus on Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America

Fine and Practical Arts: Fine Art – perspective drawing / Sculptural Arts – clay, wood / Hand sewing and Embroidery / Gardening / Chorus / Orchestra / Annual Class Play

Movement: Eurythmy / Movement and Games / After School sports: Cross country team, Basketball team, Tennis

World Languages: French

Grade 8 - Modern History - Revolutions

Language Arts: History of English Language / Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dickens / Concise Summaries / Research Reports and Essays / Language and Math Skills Classes

Mathematics: Algebra or Math Topics / Platonic Solids

Natural Science: Physics – fluids, aeromechanics, climatology / Physiology and Anatomy – muscular and skeletal / Organic Chemistry: Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates; Foodstuffs – human digestion, cooking industrial food production

Geography (grades 6-8): World Geography with an in-depth focus on Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America

Fine and Practical Arts: Fine Art – portraits / Sculptural Arts – clay, wood / Machine sewing / Gardening / Chorus / Orchestra / Annual Class Play - Shakespeare

Movement: Eurythmy – Fairy Tale presentation / Movement and Games / After School sports: Cross country team, Basketball team, Tennis

World Languages: French

- top -