Highland Hall Waldorf School, Northridge

In Waldorf education, our view of the young child is based on the principles of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of the developing human being. Before age seven, children learn through imitation, through their senses, and by actively exploring their environment and participating in meaningful work. The early childhood teacher strives to be a strong, nurturing presence whom the children willingly imitate. The curriculum and activities in the nursery and kindergarten respect and support the sensory-motor mode of the young child. During circle time, the teacher leads the children on movement journeys to verse and song, strengthening their physical development and language acquisition; at story time, the teacher creates a magical environment that allows the children to delve into their imagination and travel on a rich, picturesque journey through the spoken word. During indoor play time, the teachers are often actively engaged in household work, such as baking, cooking, ironing and cleaning, allowing the children to enter deeply into imaginative play. When outdoors, the teachers might take on a gardening project with the children, or lead them on a nature walk through our beautiful campus.