Second Grade

The Child

Much of who the child is in first grade continues on in second grade, but now with more form and ability. The events and experiences of the outside world are filtered through the child’s imagination and rearranged in accordance with the child’s perception of the world. The second grader is still connected with the world as a whole and sees themself as part of their community. As the year progresses, however, this wholeness gives way to a growing polarity. The child begins to vacillate between being saintly and naughty or courageous and whiny. The second grader explores their own inner life and how it relates to the greater world around them.

The Class

The initial experiences of the 1st grade are deepened and enhanced in the 2nd grade.  This time is used primarily for practicing and developing all the new skills from the previous year.  To assist the children with their growing polarity, the second graders explore the landscape of personality traits through fables and stories of noble historic figures: the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

Second grade is a time when a child’s sensory-motor system, a foundation for all higher learning, culminates in its most intense growth period. As such, students receive an assessment toward near the end of the year to provide a better understanding of each child’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of fine and gross motor development, balance, bilateral integration, early movement patterns (reflexes), body geography, spatial orientation, dominance, and visual and auditory processing. By observing these, we are better able to assess a child’s readiness to take on more complex and challenging academic work and further support them in the classroom and at home.

Third Grade

The Child

In Waldorf education, we recognize the third grade as a significant year of developmental change and self-discovery for students. A third grader leaves the world of imitation behind and transitions into a consciousness of greater individuality. The nine year old becomes more self-aware. They begin to see the world with new and different eyes.

The individuality of the child begins to come to expression, as the child acquires a dawning awareness of themself as an individual and comes to realize their separateness from the surrounding world. This awakening in consciousness enables another capacity—to gradually be able to become more objective in relationship to themselves and the surrounding world. As a consequence, they also become less naïve and less open. They are no longer content to be a part of life without doubts or questions. They may become more critical and may also feel lonely in this new awareness.

The Class

The Waldorf third grade curriculum marks the change to a more individualized presence in the children, as well as a new readiness for academics and a corresponding need to experience the work of the real world in a practical and meaningful way. Third graders are ripe for practical experience.  This need is met in the curriculum through the study of farming, gardening, food preparation, house building, and clothing.

The primary lesson material features stories of people crossing the rubicon and starting life anew.  This serves as an appropriate metaphor for the child’s inner experience. The child understands on some level what it is to leave paradise, step into the real world, and begin to stand on their own. Throughout the curriculum, teachers provide students with strong role models who show courage and determination.

Fifth Grade

The Child

Fifth graders are confident, enthusiastic and capable to doing increasingly challenging academic and artistic work. This is frequently considered a “golden year” in which children exhibit a definite harmonious quality before becoming saddled with the challenges of adolescence. They also have an increasing understanding of personal responsibility and a growing awakening to the larger idea of ethics

The Class

Fifth grade marks a pivotal point in the curriculum. While the students begin the year with studies of the mythologies of several ancient cultures, they transition away from mythology into history with the biography of Alexander the Great. They will wrestle with the ethical question of their “Great”-ness. They also continue to hone their research and presentation skills with an independent project. Botany and Geometry present students the opportunity to explore the wonder and beauty of the world around us through mathematical and scientific lenses.