In this Waldorf-inspired class, we will use nursery rhymes and songs from around the world to integrate the child's sense of touch, life, movement, and balance using songs, simple crafts, gestures, finger plays, dramatic play, and more. A special focus on crossing the midline (an important pre-reading and writing step!) and gaining control of our bodies as well as building community and practicing social skills will be part of each class. While some "academic" topics such as color, shapes, natural sciences, etc might be touched upon, in keeping with Waldorf philosophy, this will not be a formal academic class. This is a space where a kid can just be a kid, learning and growing through play!

I believe strongly that children this age need to "sit with" a topic for more than one week. This means that rather than weekly themes, we will have monthly themes. The class is also largely learner-directed. Classes are non-sequential and do not build on one another, and they will be guided by the interests of the children attending. So, for example, for the entire month of September we will be centering class around nursery rhymes from around the world about friendship and community while focusing on taking turns and listening to one another. The individual weekly breakdown will be guided by the students' responses and needs.

September Rhymes: Learning and Playing
October Rhymes: Dressing Up
November Rhymes: Yummy in My Tummy
December Rhymes: Stars and Light