Lower School (Grades 1-5)
Our Lower School develops innate capacities – wonder, reverence, attention, curiosity, confidence – that form the solid foundation on which children build their academic future.
In First through Third Grades, Waldorf education allows the innate human capacities of each child to develop through a holistic approach to learning. These innate capacities – wonder, reverence, attention, curiosity, confidence – form the solid foundation on which the child builds their academic future. In Fourth and Fifth Grades, children become increasingly conscious of themselves as members of a community; they have a growing curiosity about the world and their place in it.
Starting in First Grade, Waldorf students have a Morning Lesson teacher who often stays with them through several years in the Lower School. Our core Waldorf curriculum taught by the Morning Lesson teacher is supported by subject teachers. The core curriculum and the subject classes are aligned in content and in methodology with the students’ development as they grow.
Each day, Morning Lesson (a two-hour block of time devoted to one topic, studied for three to four weeks) begins with movement and rhythmic activities such as recitation, singing, or playing the recorder followed by a review of the previous day’s work and a presentation of new material. The students give artistic expression to all Morning Lesson subjects – including mathematics and science – through drawing, painting, modeling, or sculpting. With the teacher’s guidance, they create their own beautiful and unique books which reflect their learning. This begins quite simply in First Grade, and by Eighth Grade, their books serve as detailed and valuable references to the subjects they have studied.
Ready to apply? Grades One through Eight Admissions Process
Lower School Curriculum By Grade
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First Grade
First Grade builds a foundation for future learning, including a pictorial and phonetic introduction to letters and deep exploration of the qualities of numbers.
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Second Grade
In Second Grade, students seek new challenges, and the classroom experience changes to meet their emerging capacities.
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Third Grade
In Third Grade, students leave the dreamy, imaginative world of young childhood and develop more awareness of the world around them.
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Fourth Grade
Fourth graders' energy and enthusiasm are met and channeled by our core curriculum, which speaks to the students’ newfound certainty and attention to fair play in relationships.
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Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade is the "heart of childhood." Students are developmentally balanced: they tend to be expressive, eager, and enthusiastic about school and learning.
