Grades
In the typical Waldorf-inspired elementary school program, children are guided by a class teacher who begins with the first grade and ideally carries the same group of children through the eighth grade. The goal of the grade school program is to support all students in developing their highest potential by encouraging the child’s artistic, creative, and imaginative life and by providing a strong base in academic studies.
Subjects are taught in such a way that the whole child is involved in the learning process, from writing and illustrating their own lesson books beginning in Grade 1, to building shelters in Grade 3, and acting out stories from Norse Mythology in Grade 4.
The Waldorf Curriculum provides an interdisciplinary approach to a wide range of academic subjects including mathematics, grammar, botany, zoology, chemistry, physics, physiology, history and geography in blocks that span multiple weeks per subject. Teachers strive to bring the subject alive, first within themselves, and then through their presentation to awaken the enthusiasm and interest of the students. Additionally, students learn through specialty subject classes such as music, foreign language, movement and handwork.
View curriculum by grade:
In 1st grade, your child will learn:
Science
Nature studies
Mathematics
Whole numbers, four processes, counting/skip counting, Roman numerals, patterns
Language Arts
Introducing the alphabet through images, stories and sound symbols; vocabulary development with poetry and stories; fairy tales and folk tales from around the world
Art
Form drawing, wet-on-wet watercolor painting, beeswax modeling
Foreign Language
Spanish
Handwork
Knitting
Movement
Group and teamwork activities
Music
Pentatonic flute, beat rhythms and seasonal songs
In 2nd grade, your child will learn:
Geography & History
Native American legends as part of American history; ancient myths and cultures
Science
Nature studies; gardening and farming
Mathematics
Place value; carrying and borrowing; four basic operations; multiplication table
Language Arts
Native American legends; animal fables; daily dictation; spelling, punctuation and sentence structure; poetry; memorization of lines in a play
Art
Form drawing, wet-on-wet watercolor painting, beeswax modeling
Foreign Language
Spanish
Handwork
Knitting
Movement
Jump rope, hopscotch, rhythmic games
Music
Pentatonic flute, folk songs
In 3rd grade, your child will learn:
Science
Gardening and farming
Mathematics
Introduction to measurements; four basic operations; multiplication table; division
Language Arts
Cursive handwriting; weekly dictation; simple grammar; independent story writing; independent and group reading; introduction to the basic parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective and adverb
Geography & History
Shelters, farming, clothing; ancient myths and cultures
Foreign Language
Spanish
Art
Form drawing, painting and beeswax modeling
Handwork
Crochet
Music
Pentatonic flute, unison singing
Movement
Teamwork activities with rules and strategy
In 4th grade, your child will learn:
Science
Zoology – descriptive study of animal behaviors/environments
Mathematics
Four basic operations; measurements; averages; fractions
Language Arts
Introduction to grammar and parts of speech; dictionary work; sentence structure; paragraph development; independent and group reading
Geography & History
Cardinal directions; map making – classroom > home > county > state > region
Art
Modeling animals and local land forms; painting; drawing
Foreign Language
Spanish
Handwork
Cross stitch, embroidery and braiding
Music
Instruments: Pentatonic flute, string instrument; singing and playing rounds
Movement
Running, jumping and throwing games; movement skills
In 5th grade, your child will learn:
Science:
Botany
Mathematics
Fractions and decimals; Freehand geometry
Language Arts
Weekly dictation; Grammar; Memorization of lines and actions for parts in the class play; Greek mythology
Geography and History
North American geography; Ancient civilizations – India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece; Native American cultures
Art
Painting and drawing; sculptural modeling
Handwork
Knitting simple article of clothing; woodworking
Music
Ukulele; choir
Movement
Physical education; group games; Pentathlon training – discus, javelin, long jump, wrestling, running
Foreign Language
Spanish
Science
Minerology; astronomy; physics
Mathematics
Geometry and business math
Language Arts
Grammar; Independent writing; Weekly dictation; Book reports and research papers; Business letters; Memorization of lines and actions in a play
Geography & History
Ancient Rome through the Middle Ages; North and South America
Art
Painting – landscapes, color contrasts, triads, spectrum; Drawing – exact geometrics, black & white; Sculptural modeling
Foreign Language
Spanish
Handwork
Sewing – stuffed animals, pattern making
Music
Instrument: ukulele; choir
Movement
Circus arts and medieval games
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In 7th grade, your child will learn:
Science
Physics, chemistry, human anatomy
Mathematics
Pre-algebra
Language Arts
Creative Writing
Geography & History
The Age of Exploration, the Late Middle Ages, the Reformation
Art
Perspective Drawing
Foreign Language
Spanish
Handwork
Sewing – embroidery
Music
Instrument: ukulele
Movement
Circus arts, dance, fitness, intramural sports
In 8th grade, your child will learn:
In the 2021-2022 school year City of Fountains is pleased to offer a combined First and Second grade class, a combined Third and Fourth grade, a combined Fifth and Sixth grade class, and a combined Seventh and Eighth grade class. The curriculum of the combined classes are organized such that both age groups are able to complete the full curriculum for their age group and the class teacher strives to make each lesson accessible as well as challenging to each student.