Grades 1-8 Waldorf Classroom Curriculum
Da Vinci Waldorf School provides a challenging classical curriculum for the grade school child, encompassing a variety of subjects and activities that support the different stages of child development. We focus on teaching the whole child. Our program integrates fine arts, practical arts, music, farming, and movement with academic subjects including science, literature, mathematics, history, and foreign language. Subjects are taught in main lesson blocks of two to three hours per day, with each block lasting three to five weeks. This concentrated time allows children to deeply experience and truly learn the material rather than merely memorizing facts.
See an overview of the curriculum for each grade below, or visit us today to observe our classrooms in action.
Grade 1
First grade is the beginning of formal schooling marked by children’s new interest in learning, inspired by the awakening capacities of memory and thinking. Students establish good habits of classroom life and work that will form the basis for all subsequent learning at school. The students and teacher build the foundation for an ever-deepening relationship while forming a socially cohesive group during this special year of “beginnings.”
Language Arts: Capital letters; oral recitation; introduction to reading; drama
Literature: Folk and fairy tales
Mathematics: Number concept; the four operations (+, -, x, ÷); number patterns
Science: Nature studies; environmental observation through gardening and cooking
Form Drawing: Straight line and curve; linear forms
World Language (currently Mandarin): Songs, dances and games; poetry and stories
Physical Education: Cooperative games
Practical Arts: Knitting
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; beeswax modeling
Music: Pentatonic flute; singing
Grade 2
This year, children continue to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of arithmetic and literacy, further developing a repertoire of skills that were initially introduced in Grade 1. Teachers continue to use movement, rhythm, and rhyme as key instructional tools.
Language Arts: Lowercase letters; parts of speech; reading; oral recitation; drama
Literature: Fables; legends of saints and heroes
Mathematics: The four operations continued; concrete computation; column addition and subtraction; multiplication facts
Social Studies: Native American Lore
Science: Nature studies and the environment through observation; gardening; cooking
Form Drawing: Linear forms
World Language (currently Mandarin): Songs, dances and games; poetry and stories; alphabet and numbers
Physical Education: Cooperative games; large muscle activity; jump rope; circle games
Practical Arts: Knitting and purling; crocheting
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; beeswax modeling
Music: Pentatonic flute; singing
Grade 3
Noticeable physiological, psychological and cognitive changes take place in the child this year. The nine/ten year change represents a very significant step in self-awareness. Children realize they are separate from their surroundings and meet the world as individuals, often resulting in increased questions, self-doubt and wonder. The curriculum is intended to foster inner security and teach respect for the earth, while helping children to develop a new relationship with their surroundings.
Language Arts: Cursive writing; parts of speech; grammar and punctuation; reading; spelling; oral recitation; drama
Literature: Old Testament stories
Mathematics: Four operations continued; carrying and borrowing; multiplication tables; time, money, and measurement; computation and problem solving
Science: Farming and gardening; cycles of the year
Studies: Food, shelter, and clothing of different cultures and the social implications
Form Drawing: Vertical symmetry
World Language (currently Mandarin): Songs, dances and games; poetry; stories; color and action words
Physical Education: Circle games; line games; work games; eurythmy
Handwork: Crocheting and knitting
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; beeswax modeling
Music: Tonality in octave through recorder and singing
Grade 4
The fourth grade student is eager to learn more about their world close to home. Through imaginatively presented lessons, the teacher meets the growing interest of the children in more concrete areas of knowledge and provides them with opportunities for more independence in their work. The curriculum helps the children form a sense of their relationship to their environment, in both a social and geographical sense.
Language Arts: Grammar, punctuation and spelling; letter format; reading; oral recitation; poetry; drama
Literature: Norse mythology
Mathematics: Fractions; long division; computation and problem solving
Science: Zoology; animals in relation to man
Social Studies: Local geography and history; mapping
Form Drawing: Braided forms
World Language (currently Mandarin): Songs, dances, and games; poetry and stories; days, months, and seasons; telling time
Physical Education: Cooperative games; team skills; eurythmy
Practical Arts: Cross stitch
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; geometric drawing; clay sculpture
Music: Recorder; singing (rounds); music notation; instrumental music
Grade 5
A fifth grade student attains a certain ease and grace of physical movement intrinsic to their age. An awareness of self strengthens. The celebration of their unique abilities at this time culminates in their participation in the spring in the Greek Pentathlon, an Olympiad event with other regional Waldorf schools. Cognitively, children approach things in a more realistic and reasoning manner as emergent intellectual faculties are ready to be used more consciously.
Language Arts: Grammar and composition; spelling; reading; report writing; drama
Literature and History: Ancient civilizations (Indian, Persian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek)
Mathematics: Decimals; mixed numbers; computation and problem solving; ratios and percents
Science: Botany and zoology
Social Studies: North American geography and history
Form Drawing: Free hand geometric drawing
World Language (currently Mandarin): Geography; foods; subject pronouns; verb conjugation
Classics: Egyptian & Greek language & culture
Physical Education: Greek Olympic Events; eurythmy
Practical Arts: Four needle knitting
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; clay sculpture
Music: Recorder; singing (rounds); music notation; major and minor scales; Greek music; orchestra
Grade 6
Sixth grade is the gateway to pre-adolescence and idealism. The curriculum serves to ground the students, to inspire them to venture out toward the unknown, and to offer an introduction to their quest in life. This year is both an ending and a beginning.
Language Arts: Grammar and composition; spelling; reading; report writing; drama
Literature & History: Rome and the Middle Ages
Mathematics: Business math, computation and problem solving; geometric drawing
Science: Botany; mineralogy and geology; physics
Social Studies: Geography of North America
World Language (currently Mandarin): Conversational language; grammar and vocabulary
Classics: Latin and Roman Culture
Physical Education: Team sports; archery; eurythmy
Practical Arts: Fabric sculpture; hand sewing; woodworking
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing (black and white media); clay sculpture
Music: Recorder; singing in multiple parts; minstrel and songs of Middle ages; orchestra
Grade 7
Through the exploration of an unknown world, the seventh grade curriculum challenges the thought processes of the young adolescent, leading him/her to discovery, understanding and discernment. They learn, as the Explorers did, that going one’s own way means leaving behind the familiar territory of security and stability.
Language Arts: Grammar and composition; creative writing; spelling; reading; report writing; note taking skills, researching; drama
Literature and History: The Renaissance, Reformation, and the Age of Exploration
Mathematics: Negative numbers; inequalities; pre-algebra skills; geometry; roots; powers; formulas
Science: Physics; chemistry; astronomy; physiology
Social Studies: Geography of Africa and Europe; tides; map reading
World Language (currently Mandarin): Conversational language; grammar and vocabulary
Physical Education: Team sports; archery; tumbling; eurythmy
Practical Arts: Sewing clothing; doll making; woodworking
Visual Arts: Painting; perspective drawing; black and white drawing; clay sculpture
Music: Recorder; singing; Renaissance music; Madrigals; orchestra
Grade 8
A Waldorf eighth grade student experiences a gradual but significant shift from the presentation of a subject solely from the teacher to the class, to the mutual consideration of a subject by teacher and class together. A sense of community develops, in which speaking becomes more thoughtful, listening more attentive. The result is a greater sense of self. The students expand their sense of place in the world. More importantly, they leave with compelling questions that will continue to fuel their love of learning in the years ahead.
Language Arts: Grammar and composition; creative writing; spelling; reading; report writing; note taking skills; researching; drama, literary forms; elements of style; Shakespeare
Literature and History: American history; modern events; life and work of Shakespeare
Mathematics: Pre-algebra skills; algebra; practical math; number bases; set theory
Science: Physics; chemistry; physiology
Social Studies: Geography of Asia; Australia; Antarctica
World Language (currently Mandarin): Conversational language; literature; grammar and vocabulary
Physical Education: Team sports and games; rhythmic exercise; eurythmy
Practical Arts: Machine sewing; woodworking
Visual Arts: Painting; drawing; clay sculpture; other media
Music: Recorder; singing; American music; orchestra
