Waldorf education in Canada

Waldorf education is based on the views of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), a prominent Austrian educator. It’s thus sometimes referred to as “Steiner education.”

But, what is Waldorf (or Steiner) education? Our guide covers the Waldorf school philosophy. It also covers common classroom practices and curricular approaches. Finally, it discusses important research. It should help you make an informed decision about whether a Waldorf school is right for your child.

Here, we start with an introduction to the core principles of the Waldorf philosophy. Keep in mind, not every school follows all these principles, and different schools apply them in different ways.

• Flexible curriculum
• Educating the whole child
• Formal academics begins later
• Focus on creativity and the arts
• Imaginative learning
• Practical learning
• Focus on nature

Flexible curriculum

Working with the teacher, students have some leeway to work in a broad range of areas and pursue their own interests. They aren’t forced to fit into a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

On the other hand, Waldorf schools do have a curriculum. They also have core standards that must be met. A common misconception is to think otherwise. Jennifer Deathe, admissions manager of the Waldorf Academy, in Toronto, Ontario, sets the record straight.

"There is a set curriculum starting as early as kindergarten. The curriculum covers benchmarks and how children can achieve those benchmarks."

It’s just that students achieve benchmarks at their own pace. There’s also some flexibility in how benchmarks are reached. "Different children can demonstrate knowledge in different ways," says Deathe.

Many students find this approach rewarding. When given freedom, they often choose tasks that challenge and excite them. This can spark their natural curiosity and inspire a love of learning.

Educating the whole child

The focus is not just on core academics. The aim is to educate the whole child: “head, heart, and hands.” Teachers nurture the intellectual, practical, and artistic sides of students. They also instill important values in them.

Focusing on the whole child isn’t just a goal. It’s a cornerstone. Jack Petrash, a long-time Waldorf teacher, describes how teachers approach it (Understanding Waldorf Education, 2002):

“Rather than focus the educational work solely around the objective of acquiring knowledge, creating a meaningful learning process itself becomes the focus. Through multi-faceted, multi-sensory learning experiences, teachers and students use a variety of intelligences to develop three distinct capacities—for thinking, for feeling, and for intentional, purposeful activity.” [Our emphasis]

Sasha Singer-Wilson, who attended Waldorf Academy (at the time called the “Alan Howard Waldorf School”), in Toronto, Ontario, from kindergarten until grade 8, can attest to this fact. “You’re developed as a whole person. Your hands work and your mind works and your soul works and your heart works. It’s getting them all to work together in harmony, to make you a harmonious person and a good person—that’s what it’s about.”

Formal academics begins later

Core academics starts later than in most mainstream schools. Students typically aren’t taught core subjects—such as math, science, reading, and writing—until grade 1 or 2.

The belief is that children need to develop focus, independence, and other traits first. Formal instruction can come later. It's also believed that starting abstract learning too early can impede a child's intellectual development.

Focus on creativity and the arts

Subjects are often taught through storytelling, visual arts, drama, movement, vocal and instrumental music, crafts, and other artistic media. Lessons often start with singing, music, or poetry.

This injects the arts into many parts of the curriculum. It also enlivens learning in a way that mainstream schools often fail to. In this way, Waldorf is similar to other progressive, arts-focused schools.

In Waldorf schools, art, music, and creativity are infused throughout the curriculum.

Imaginative learning

In preschool and kindergarten, the classroom is intended to resemble a home. It contains many tools and toys. These are often made from simple, natural materials. Young children are also given lots of opportunities for free play, artistic work (e.g., drawing, painting, or modelling), circle time (songs, games, and stories), and outdoor recess.

This encourages pretend play and fosters imaginative learning. It also allows children to develop important social skills.

At the elementary or lower school level, role models are drawn from a wide range of literary and historical traditions. For instance, teachers tells stories about important people, such as Mahatma Gandhi, and students do projects on them (sometimes called hero projects).

And at some elementary school programs, such as that of Waldorf Academy in Toronto, Ontario, students take part in plays chosen by the teachers. This nurtures their fantasy and moral imaginations. It also teaches them about respect, empathy, and other important traits.

Practical learning

Up to grade 3, students do a lot of hands-on and experiential learning. They take part in several different practical tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and gardening. Most schools even have a schedule for jobs that need to get done. Typically, there’s a day (or time) for cooking, preparing snacks, cleaning, and so forth.

This allows students to learn important skills. They also learn to be responsible, do their fair share, and help others.

Focus on nature

Students are given a lot of natural materials. Cooking, gardening, and environmental and outdoor education are also a big focus. This promotes appreciation for nature.

It also has broader benefits. As L.D. Davey (“Play and Teacher Education”, 1998) explains: “A fundamental principle of early childhood education is that young children learn about the world most readily by interacting with their environment.”

The Waldorf school philosophy is unique. Moreover, it provides the basis for its classroom policies and practices.

Below, we outline some of its main classroom policies. Note, though, not all schools have all these policies. Policies tend to vary between different schools and levels of education, in Canada and elsewhere.

• Class cohorts
• Integrated or “spiral” curriculum
• Many non-mainstream subjects
• Minimal textbooks
• Minimal external rewards
• Minimal tests or quizzes
• Minimal technology

Class cohorts

Each class remains together for many years, with the same teacher. This is often for between four and six years. Students thereby learn a lot about each other and grow together.

The original goal was for the teacher to stay with the same class for the eight years of what’s called lower school (grade 1 to 8). In recent years, though, schools have become more flexible about this.

Brian Searson led a Toronto Waldorf School class into Grade 7 that he had taught since Grade 2. “I see my role somewhat like a standing stone. You know how the Celts used to put up a stone... so they wouldn’t lose their way and it would indicate a direction to go? I feel a teacher really stands in front of the class as that marker.”

Grade 8 student Catherine Thompson-Walsh raves about being with the same classmates through the years. “It doesn’t matter where we go—I never get homesick because these 17 people are really my family. It just made it better to know I’m with people who I love, and they love me back.”

Integrated or “spiral” curriculum

Core subjects, such as math, science, and English, are taught in main lesson blocks. These blocks are two to three hours per day, usually in the morning. Each block lasts from three to five weeks.

The blocks are integrated in that the topic of the block will be infused into other class lessons. This is part of Waldorf’s integrated curriculum and interdisciplinary teaching approach.

Also, over the school year, each subject is revisited. This approach has been compared to an ascending spiral: subjects are revisited several times, with each new exposure providing more depth and new insights.

Many non-mainstream subjects

Many subjects and skills not considered core parts of mainstream schools are featured centrally. These include art, music, gardening, mythology, and nutrition. Many students also learn to play recorder and to knit.

Students also study a variety of fine and practical arts. In elementary school, for instance, they paint, draw, sculpt, knit, weave, and crochet. Older students build on these experiences and learn new skills. These include pattern-making and sewing, wood and stone carving, metal work, bookbinding, and doll or puppet making.

The fine arts include form drawing, sketching, sculpting, and perspective drawing. Both boys and girls take part in all these activities. No stock is put in gender stereotypes.

Minimal textbooks

There are rarely standardized textbooks in grades 1 through 5. Students, in effect, produce their own textbooks. These are called main lesson books. These are students’ own workbooks, which they fill in during the course of the year. They record their experiences and what they’ve learned in these books.

In some schools, older students may use standard textbooks to enhance their skills. For instance, this is sometimes done in math and grammar.

Minimal external rewards

Learning tends to be not competitive. In some schools, grades aren’t given until at least grade 6. There are exceptions to this rule, though. Some schools give grades in elementary school (at least in the upper grades) to allow their students to make a smooth transition to mainstream middle schools (or high schools).

In many schools, though, instead of giving grades, teachers write detailed evaluations of each student at the end of the school year. Students are assessed mainly through their academic progress and personal growth. Teachers evaluate portfolios of work from lesson blocks. They also discuss this work in parent-teacher conferences.

Minimal tests or quizzes

Tests, exams, and quizzes are rare. These are usually only given in middle or high school. In high school, they’re only given as a requirement for going to university.

Minimal technology

The use of technology, such as computers, tablets, and TVs, is restricted. Students first need to master “fundamental, time-honoured ways of discovering information and learning, such as practical experiments and books” (The Herald Scotland, December 2, 2007).

Too much screen time, it’s claimed, can interfere with interaction and social development. And, it can lead to inactivity, which can stunt children’s physical growth and overall imagination.

The Waldorf curriculum responds to the growing child. The subjects, as well as how they’re taught, evolves over the years. The student-teacher relationship also evolves over time.

While different schools have different curricula, there’s also some common points of reference. Most schools focus on certain core subjects and skills through the years, though children learn them in different ways. According to Waldorf Answers, some of the main areas schools cover through the years are as follows.

School levels

Preschool (ages 1-5)

• Music and movement, poetry, singing
• Folk and fairy tales, storytelling
• Watercolour painting, drawing, beeswax modelling
• Gardening, woodworking, cooking, sewing, handwork
• Social skills

To learn more, read our Waldorf preschool guide. You can also read our comparison guides: Waldorf vs. Montessori preschools and Waldorf vs. Reggio Emilia preschools. Finally, check out our guides to preschool in general, different preschool programs, preschool compared to daycare, preschool curriculum, and the pros and cons of preschool.

Elementary school (or lower school)

Grades 1-3

• Pictorial introduction to the alphabet, writing, reading, spelling, poetry, and drama
• Folk and fairy tales, fables, legends, and old testament stories
• Numbers, basic mathematical processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Nature stories, house building, and gardening

Grades 4-6

• Writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama
• Norse myths, history, and stories of ancient civilizations
• Review of the four mathematical processes, fractions, percentages, and geometry
• Local and world geography, comparative zoology, botany, and elementary physics

Middle school

Grades 7-8

• Creative writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama
• Medieval history, renaissance, world exploration, Canadian history, industrial revolution, slavery, and women's rights
• Geography, physics, basic chemistry, astronomy, geology, and physiology

Waldorf schools, as we’ve discussed, have plenty of specialist and non-mainstream subjects. Many of them are infused throughout the curriculum. We outline some of the main specialist subjects below.

Specialist subjects (at many levels)

• Handiwork: knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross stitching, basic weaving, toy making, and woodworking
• Music: singing, pentatonic flute, recorder, string instruments, wind, brass, and percussion instruments
• Foreign languages (varies by school): Spanish, French, Japanese, and German
• Art: wet-on-wet watercolour painting, form drawing, beeswax and clay modelling, and perspective drawing
• Movement: eurythmy, gymnastics, and group games

Waldorf has a distinct approach to teaching many subjects. This is based on its educational philosophy. For instance, in the younger grades, almost all subjects are introduced through artistic media. The belief is that children learn better this way than through lectures and rote tasks.

Below, we describe the Waldorf approach to teaching some core subjects: the language arts, science, math, and music.

Waldorf schools teach many specialist and non-mainstream subjects. They also focus a lot on practical learning.

Core subjects (at many levels)

Language arts: There’s a big focus on the oral tradition. This often begins with fairy tales in kindergarten and grade 1. The oral approach is used throughout the elementary years, though. Mastery of speech is thought to be integral to all learning.

In addition to the spoken word, there’s also a lot of focus on the art of writing. In first grade, students explore how our alphabet came about, learning how each letter’s form evolved from a pictograph. Writing thus begins with pictures, imagery, and art. This is similar to the process approach to writing instruction, and unlike the systematic approach.

Writing is taught before reading. And, reading is taught later than in most mainstream schools. Reading, it’s thought, is more easily learned as an extension of speaking and writing. Children also pick it up more quickly when they’re interested and developmentally prepared.

Waldorf has a distinct approach to teaching many subjects. For instance, in the younger grades, almost all subjects are introduced through artistic media.

Science: There is an experiential approach to science education. Students are encouraged to observe, solve problems, and pursue their own interests. This is similar to the inquiry approach to science instruction, and unlike the expository approach. That said, there are important concepts students are expected to learn.

Students are also given plenty of opportunities to observe and interact with nature. This stirs their intellect and excites their imagination. It also allows them to understand the value of nature, something they’re an important part of.

Math: Math learning is very concrete and hands-on. This is similar to the discovery approach to math instruction, and unlike the traditional approach. That said, some schools use a mixed approach. For instance, at Waldorf Academy, students memorize and practice times tables and receive some direct instruction in math.

Math is rarely taught on its own. It’s often combined with other subjects, such as music. This approach engages many of the senses. It allows students to make important connections between their bodies, numbers, and math concepts.

Math is taught in the early grades, usually before reading and writing. A gradual approach is used, though. Children aren’t pushed to learn difficult concepts before they’re ready (which can stifle their love of learning).

Music: Students begin with pentatonic flutes, lyres, and diatonic recorders. They then move on to string instruments. Other instruments, such as woodwind, brass, or percussion, may be added later. Vocal music starts with poetry and simple songs taught by the core teacher. It moves to formal choral music later.

A good teacher, though, will integrate music into many areas of the curriculum. For instance, as we’ve discussed, music is often used in the teaching of math. It’s also often used in the teaching of science, the language arts, history, art, and many other subjects.

A number of studies have been done on Waldorf education. Although some of these have been small and limited, some offer useful results.

Recent studies

Consider two sets of such studies. One set tested logical reasoning and scientific understanding. The other set tested creative thinking abilities.

Logical reasoning and scientific understanding: In one study (2008), a group of Waldorf school students were compared to American school students on three different variables. Two tests measured verbal and non-verbal logical reasoning, and the third was an international TIMMS test (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). The TIMMS test covered the scientific understanding of magnetism.

Waldorf students scored higher than both the public school students and the national average on the TIMMS test. They scored the same as the public school students on logical reasoning tests. And, when the logical reasoning tests measured students’ understanding of part-to-whole relations, Waldorf students also outperformed public school students.

Several PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) studies (2005, 2009, 2012) suggested Waldorf students are better motivated to study science. These studies also suggested they achieve better understanding of scientific concepts compared to state school students in the United States.

Creative thinking: Some studies (1996, 2000, 2005) of Waldorf students’ artistic abilities found that they averaged higher scores on the TTCT (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Ability). They also drew more accurate, detailed, and imaginative pictures. And, they were able to develop richer images than comparison groups.

Tentative conclusions

While more research is needed, some tentative conclusions can be drawn from these studies. These conclusions relate to the impact of Waldorf education on academic aptitude, creativity, and social skills.

• Waldorf schools seem to have a positive influence on scientific and logical reasoning.


• Waldorf schools promote creativity and social development.


• Compared to other students, Waldorf students seem significantly more enthusiastic about learning certain subjects, such as science. This may be due to them having more fun or being less bored in school. It may also be due to viewing their school environments as caring and supportive places.

Waldorf is a great option for many families. Since 1919, over 1,000 Waldorf schools have opened worldwide. And scores of children have benefited from them.

Waldorf schools are unlike any other private or independent school. Many Waldorf schools are accredited by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.

Waldorf teachers instill a sense of enthusiasm for learning, allowing students to initiate and achieve greater success. Most of these teachers have been thoroughly trained in Waldorf education by a certified institute, such as the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America.

To enhance learning, teachers use effective techniques. The aim is to develop balanced, creative persons who have a life-long love of learning. For example, elementary students at Waldorf schools, aged 7 to approximately 14, learn through artistic media such as drawing. Once they reach middle school, the focus shifts to more direct intellectual stimulation.

Brenda Kotras, registrar at the Toronto Waldorf School, says academics are a crucial part of Waldorf education. But timing is everything.

“While the academics don’t start early, when they do start, the child is fertile and ready. So, while there isn’t such an emphasis on reading the first few years, for instance, the teacher is telling stories and showing a tremendous love for literature, for reading.”

Many graduates of Waldorf schools have gone on to great things. They have become world leaders in the arts, culture, media, business, and other sectors. These graduates include:

• Julia Frank (writer)
• Albert Watson (photographer)
• Stan Wawrinka (tennis player)
• Lisa Coleman (musician)
• Karl Otto Pӧhl (economist)
• Bella Freud (fashion designer)
• Jennifer Aniston (actress)
• Sandra Bullock (actress)
• Tim Daly (actor)
• Julianna Margulies (actress)