Teaching Language arTs in The WaLdorf schooL

8
Language Arts Compendium
During the past 80 years, Waldorf teachers have followed certain
educational practices, some of which have become traditions. For
instance, most teachers follow Rudolf Steiner’s suggestion to introduce
the consonants in first grade by deriving them from pictures.
Few teachers know, however, that Rudolf Steiner also suggested that
consonants could be introduced by their sounds, or from their gestures,
or through movement. He even suggested that one could also
derive the letters by introducing an entire sentence, identifying the
words in the sentence, and finally analyzing the letters and sounds
in the words.
As this compendium shows, Rudolf Steiner considered each pedagogical
situation and question afresh. Amid calls to re-invent Waldorf
education or to make it more relevant, we might feel tempted to seek
new sources of inspiration or guidance for our pedagogical work. We
need not abandon or reject Rudolf Steiner’s indications, however, for
we will find new inspiration for our work when we realize how few of
Rudolf Steiner’s radical educational ideas have even been attempted.
This compendium was one of the projects I undertook during my
tenure as Director of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education.
The work of that institute has been made possible by the vision and
generosity of Robin Dulaney and the Louisville Community Foundation,
who have supported the publication of the Foundations of
Waldorf Education series, the Waldorf Curriculum Project, and the
Online Waldorf Library. Many thanks also to the Steiner (Anthroposophic)
Press for permission to reprint these excerpts from The
Foundations of Waldorf Education series.
Roberto Trostli
The Hartsbrook School
Hadley, Massachusetts
Advent, 2004