Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach: Early Years Education in Practice

Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach is a much needed source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Steiner Waldorf High Scope Approach. It will enable the reader to analyse the essential elements of the Steiner Waldorf Approach to early childhood and its relationship to quality early years practice. Exploring all areas of the curriculum including observation and assessment, child development, play, repetition and the environment, this book: describes the key principles of the Steiner Waldorf approach to early childhood with examples from Steiner settings; provides students and practitioners with the relevant information about a key pedagogical influence on high quality early years practice in the United Kingdom; highlights the key ideas that practitioners should consider when reviewing and reflecting on their own practice; can be used as the basis for continuing professional development and action research Written to support the work of all those in the field of early years education and childcare, this is a vital text for students, early years and childcare practitioners, teachers, early years professionals, children’s centre professionals, lecturers, advisory teachers, head teachers and setting managers.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: HISTORY AND FOUNDATIONS Chapter 2: KEY PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES Chapter 3: CHILD DEVELOPMENT – THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS Chapter 4: THE ENVIRONMENT Chapter 5: IMITATION AND EXAMPLE Chapter 6: PLAY AT THE HEART OF THE STEINER WALDORF SETTING Chapter 7: RHYTHM AND REPETITION Chapter 8: DOMESTIC AND ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES Chapter 9: OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT Chapter 10: WORKING AT PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT THE CHILD Chapter 11: CURRENT ISSUES Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4