Waldorf approach

What It Means

The Waldorf approach is a way of educating children based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian educator who formulated a philosophy called anthroposophy. It sets out to teach the whole child, feelings and creativity as well as the intellect, and it matches teaching to stages of childhood, as Britannica describes. Young children learn through play, imitation and the arts, and Waldorf UK says formal learning begins at age six.

How Parents Say It

• "Our Waldorf kindergarten doesn't teach reading yet."
• "They spend the whole morning outside and baking bread."
• "Every day has the same rhythm, and the kids love it."

The Breakdown

Stages, per Britannica

Waldorf UK adds that formal learning starts at age six, which leaves the youngest children time to grow through play, imitation and exploring.

Ideas families borrow at home. Buhata's own suggestions, drawn from the stages above: plenty of time for imaginative play, a steady daily rhythm, music and making things with their hands.

When to talk to someone. If you're choosing a school, visit and ask how the program handles reading and math for your child's age. For any concerns about development or learning, talk with your pediatrician or your child's teacher.

Where It Comes From

Rudolf Steiner opened his first school in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany, for the children of workers at the Waldorf-Astoria company, and the schools took their name from it. Britannica notes that by 1938 schools following his ideas had opened in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States.

Good to Know

In North America, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) lists member schools and publishes principles for Waldorf schools, and it holds registered service marks on the Waldorf name, with published guidelines for how schools may use them. Waldorf is an education approach with its own philosophy behind it, and the choice of school is a family decision; the questions worth asking are about how and when your child will be taught to read, write and do math.

Related Terms and Categories

• Montessori at home

  Using Maria Montessori's ideas at home: a child-sized, orderly space, real tasks shown step by step, and room for the child to do things independently.

• Reggio Emilia approach

  An approach to early childhood education from the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy, shaped by Loris Malaguzzi, that sees children as capable researchers with a hundred languages.

• RIE parenting

  An approach to caring for babies and toddlers, from Magda Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers, built on respect, trust in the baby's abilities and unhurried care.

• Pretend play

  Play in which a child acts out something that isn't real, like feeding a doll, using a block as a phone, or being a superhero.

• Open-ended play

  Play with toys or materials that have no single right way to use them, like blocks, boxes or playdough, so the child decides what they become.

• Kindergarten readiness

  How prepared a child is for kindergarten, in social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills, alongside meeting their state's entry age.

Parenting and child development