Lower Grades (1-5)
The heart of the Waldorf method is the conviction that education is an art - it must speak to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, the heart and the will must be reached as well as the mind.
~ Rudolf Steiner
Grade 1
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The first grade is a bridge between Kindergarten and the Grades. The visual memory is very strong with this age group, which is why many lessons are brought through stories and pictures. Throughout the school year, the first graders experience significant growth in their academic abilities as they transition from oral storytelling to reading and writing.
In mathematics, the first grader is introduced to the 4 processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), and to Roman Numerals, odds & evens, sequences and relationships.
Grade 2
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The second grader is in the process of awakening to the world around them. This is supported through curriculum that introduces the dual aspect of the human nature, told through the stories of hero legends and animal fables. They continue with their mathematics education, learning their multiplication tables through movement (i.e., jumping rope) and understanding place value.
Grade 3
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The third grade is a turning point of childhood, when the nine-year old begins to feel separate and independent from other things and people. This profound “nine year change” is nurtured through farming and gardening, tending of animals on our Farm, building projects, Hebrew stories, and grammar.
The third grader will study traditional housing, textiles, and farming techniques. Mathematics move into the 4 processes with larger numbers, memorization of the multiplication tables, experiences in measurement, weights, and learning to tell time. Cursive writing is introduced, as well as sentence structure, descriptive writing, and spelling. Science becomes a deep understanding of farming, soils, cooking, and natural resources.
The third grader also completes their first research-based writing project. Each research report at Swallowtail includes a written research paper, a presentation to the class, and some artistic representation or item they make with their hands.
Grade 4
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The fourth grader is fully awake to the world around them and is, so to speak, at odds with the world. Their thirst for knowledge and understanding of their world is strong, and is supported in a curriculum that gets them outside of their classroom. The fourth grader at Swallowtail will learn the history of Oregon, which includes Native American studies and local geography. They will map their home, school, and our Farm campus, and then move beyond to geography and mapping of Oregon.
Literature is brought in the form of Norse Mythology, Native American myths, and poetry. The fourth grader is doing a lot of writing, understanding verb tenses, plurals, prepositions and abbreviations, along with composition and letter writing, spelling and vocabulary.
The fourth grader produces another research-based writing report on a chosen animal. The report includes a presentation and an artistic element such as a painting, an animal mask, or a sculpture. Mathematics transitions to long division, word problems, factoring and prime numbers, and fractions.
Grade 5
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The fifth grade is about harmony. Fifth graders have become comfortable with the awakening consciousness of the third and fourth grade and are accustomed to the idea of an isolated self. Change is on the horizon, however, and the fifth grade curriculum supports the coming adolescence with subjects such as Botany, a study of the growth process of plants.
Geography studies expand to the whole of North America, considering the transformation of the land and its resources as more humans settled. In contrast, Ancient history covers Mesopotamia, India, Persia, Egypt, and Greece. Literature covers Greek Mythology. Writing focuses on the active and passive voice, book reports (composition), vocabulary, spelling, and research reports.
At Swallowtail, the fifth grader will choose a state for a written research project, which includes an oral presentation and an artistic component. Mathematics advances to number theory, decimals, continued fractions, the metric system, and geometric forms.
Detailed Curriculum
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Outdoor Education
Whether at the 6-acre main campus or the 26-acre farm property, our students spend plenty of time outside every day. This time is used to augment the classroom curriculum with hands-on learning and for free play time, and is a key element of our educational model. Students might construct a sukkah to celebrate Sukkot, use sun dials to tell time, create giant nature mandalas, or build a fort deep in the forest.
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Form Drawing
Form drawing involves the creation of ever-more complex forms. It is about the process much more than the product. They practice the shape many times before committing it to paper and then use fluid movements to create the forms, without lifting their pencil or turning the page. Form drawing supports writing skills, spatial reasoning, anticipatory thinking, and mathematical thinking.
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Humanities
Our extraordinary humanities curriculum uses art, stories, poetry, and theater to take students through the legends and literature of many cultures throughout human history and around the world. They progress from fairy tales and animal fables to the legends of various cultures including Hebrew stories, Norse Myths, Native American Legends, and Ancient Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Persian Myths.
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Math
Children first explore the four operations through stories and hands-on experiences. From there they move to mental math before learning regrouping, long division, fractions, decimals, and percents. Throughout the years, math is always grounded in the real world rather than a set of abstract concepts and rules to be memorized.
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Handwork
Handwork is a place where beauty and creativity are given practical form. Students improve fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, goal setting, mathematical thinking, and executive function. In 1st & 2nd grade, students work on knitting and purling, in 3rd grade crochet, in 4th grade hand sewing and embroidery, and in 5th they learn knitting in the round.
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The Sciences
Science in the younger grades is meant to inspire wonder and curiosity for the natural world. There is a heavy focus on the world around us, with home surroundings blocks in 1st and 2nd grade. The 3rd grade focuses on farming and related soil health and weather patterns. In-depth animal studies and botany make up the sciences of 4th and 5th grade.
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Music
Music permeates and harmonizes life in a Waldorf school. In the early grades, children learn to play by ear and reading music is introduced in 4th grade. They sing in harmony, learn the pentatonic and C flute, and simply experience music together in a joyful way.
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Spanish
Spanish is taught through stories, songs, and artistic expression in 1st-3rd grade, with grammar instruction beginning in 4th grade. Celebrations and festivals from Spanish-speaking countries are also included, giving children familiarity with other cultures.
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Eurythmy
Eurythmy is a form of artistic expression unique to Waldorf education. It consists of choreographed movement accompanied by speech or music. At Swallowtail, students participate in Eurythmy blocks during the winter months, when farm days are paused.