Susquehanna Waldorf School

journey through the grades

The uniqueness of the Waldorf curriculum lies primarily in how and when the children are taught, rather than in what is taught. In presenting material, first comes the encounter; then encounter becomes experience; and of experience crystallizes the concept. Perception, feeling, idea: three steps in a genuine learning process that prepares the intellect for the abstract and conceptual thinking which will become possible later, in adolescence.

First Grade

Letters are learned thoroughly as forms and sounds. Reading is approached as a by-product of writing. Writing evolves from painting and drawing. Numbers from 1 to 100. Elements of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Fairy tales and nature stories, cultivating imagination and awareness of environment. Choral recitation, speech development. Learn to play CHOROI pentatonic flute and chime bars.

Second Grade

Reading and writing drawn primarily from content of fables, nature stories, saint stories and legends. First elements of composition. Speech development. Dramatic arts. Arithmetic, including basic operations with expanded application and larger numbers, multiplication tables. Learn to play the pentatonic lyre or kinderharp.

Third Grade

Reading, spelling, composition and grammar. Studies of practical activities, emphasizing farming, house building and clothing, as the basis for geography and science. Dramatic arts. Beginning of history through stories from the Old Testament. Arithmetic, including advanced application of basic operations, measurements, multiplication tables mastered. Learn to play the diatonic flute or recorder.

Fourth Grade

Reading, writing, spelling, composition and grammar. Letter writing. History through Norse mythology. Pennsylvania studies, including geography of the state, and mapmaking.

Arithmetic, including fractions. Introduction to zoology. Dramatic arts. Orchestra.

Fifth Grade

Reading, writing, spelling, composition and grammar. Studies of ancient civilizations from India through Greece. Greek language (when feasible). Arithmetic, through decimal fractions and calculations of area. U.S. geography. Introduction to botany, in relation to environment. Dramatic arts. Orchestra.

Sixth Grade

Reading, writing, spelling, composition and grammar. History from Rome through the Middle Ages. Latin language (when feasible). Mathematics, including practical business mathematics, interest, percentages and discount. Geometry. World geography Introduction to physics. Mineralogy. Astronomy. Dramatic arts. Orchestra.

Seventh Grade

Reading, writing, spelling, composition (including poetry), grammar and syntax. Literature. Arithmetic, algebra, and plane geometry. Perspective drawing. History of the Renaissance, Reformation and Age of Discovery. World geography. Physics continued. Introduction to chemistry via the phenomenon of combustion. Health, nutrition, introduction to physiology. Meteorology. Dramatic arts. Orchestra.

Eighth Grade

Reading, writing, spelling, grammar, composition including business English. Literature. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry of solids. World geography and current issues. History from 17th century to the present, including American history. Chemistry continued. Physics continued. Anatomy of the skeleton and muscles. Dramatic arts. Orchestra.