Kindergarten is a warm inviting space of rhythm, routine, play, and learning by imitation. Children live in a world of wonder where there is no cognitive distinction between world of dream-like fantasy and reality. The space may be decorated with natural materials and filled with seasonal treasures. Daily routines create security and harmony, while storytelling, singing, and imaginative play nourish the child in line with their development. Simple handwork, baking, and outdoor play engage their senses and strengthen their will through the formation of habits through meaningful age-appropriate work. And remember: Child’s play is their work. Rather than formal academics, the focus in kindergarten is on cultivating reverence, supporting free-play, and creating a safe environment that feels nurturing and secure.

In Grade 1, the 7-year-old is still thriving in the world of imagination. Their full awakening from the dreamy world won’t be until the nine-year-change. The teacher/parent is the guiding authority figure, providing security and foundational teaching. Deep love permeates this relationship as children see their parents/teachers as trusted all-knowing figures. Lessons are brought artistically, through fairy tales, myths and nature stories, that carry living lessons and archetypal characters. Writing grows out of pictures and form drawing, and numbers are approached imaginatively through story and rhythm before leading to arithmetic. The child’s sense of beauty and reverence is nurtured, grounding their first steps into gentle academic work.

In grade 2, the 8-year-old finds fascination in the world of polarity. Good and evil, right and wrong, and good and bad are examined through the stories of the saints, fables and legends. Now that the basics in reading and math have been established in Grade 1, students will practice these skills on the road to mastery. Since all four math functions are introduced in Grade 1, students will deepen their understanding by learning how to borrow and carry as their move from mental math to written math. Imaginative stories and pictorial math representations remain the basis for teaching in the elementary years. Stories, poems, and artistic activities cultivate their imagination, while practical activities like gardening and handwork strengthen their growing sense of responsibility.

In Grade 3, the 9-year-old enters a developmental stage called the “nine-year change,” when they feel a new sense of separation and individuality. The nine-year change is a monumental developmental change, and the Waldorf curriculum meets this with practical, grounding studies: farming and gardening, building and shelters, and clothing and weaving projects. Old Testament stories echo the child’s inner experience of wandering in search of a place to call home and a need to feel secure in this new world, not the fantasy existence they’ve experienced so far. They are now learning to find their place on earth and discover who they are. They are meeting themselves for the first time with a burgeoning sense of introspection that will be further developed in adolescence. In math, measurement and practical applications are introduced, while grammar and composition develop in language for the first time.

In Grade 4, the 10-year-old has come to terms with their new reality, and now contends with the ‘fall from paradise’ feeling as they grapple with the challenges of being human on earth. They are now fully awake from the world of fantasy, and the curriculum meets the child and these sentiments with the study of Norse mythology which the children may relate to Thor’s descent to earth and the loss of his hammer and his power. These stories appeal to children in their phase of questioning authority. They may try out new bold behaviors and seek out opportunities to test their independence. The fourth grader is confident, curious and sometimes challenging of authority.

The Grade 5 student of 11 is in their “golden year.” Children are harmonious in body and mind, and their studies reflect this balance. In between the turmoil of the 9-year-change and that of adolescence lies this fleeting perfection that the Waldorf pedagogy recognizes and meets the students’ desire for harmony and perfection with Geometry, Botany and Ancient Greece. Grade 5 is a transition year. Prior to this, children received history in the form of stories, legends and fables. In Grade 6, they will receive history from recorded sources, yet in Grade 5, they receive a mix of the two in the form on the Ancient civilizations: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, which highlight myths, creation stories and a deep respect and understanding of the people and the beliefs of the past. In Botany, they are connected to the world plants, while geometry introduces them to exactness, form, perfection and beauty. In math, decimals and more advanced operations are studied.

The Grade 6 student of 12 years old is approaching puberty, a time when students become more critical and analytical. They are ready for the study of the Roman Empire, where laws, structure, and order mirror their inner need for clarity, fairness and justice. The Dark Ages follow the study of Rome and open the possibility of exploring the Golden Age elsewhere in the world bringing balance to the history block on Medieval Europe. Whereas Grade 5 was history heavy, Grade 6 is science heavy. The years of nature study, gardening and living stories forms the bedrock for the studies that follow. Mineralogy introduces the study of the earth’s solid structure through the archetypal rocks of granite, the fire rock, and limestone, the water rock. Physics is introduced in Grade 6 with the basic concepts of acoustics, optics and heat.

In Grade 7, the 13-year-old will study the Age of Discovery at a time when they are experiencing their own personal exploration as they stretch their boundaries. They are eager for adventure and the central historical themes parallel the student’s own quest for discovery, exploration and independence. Renaissance biographies and portraits inspire creativity and strive for students’ to explore their own potential. Physics continues with the study of electricity and magnetism. Chemistry is introduced with studies of combustion and transformations, acids and bases and salt formation. Physiology and nutrition gives them insight into their growing bodies. Perspective drawing and black and white charcoal drawing meets the student’s new capacity for reflection and perspective, while essay writing: persuasive, compare/contrast and expository writing expand and build on their previous skills.

By Grade 8, the students of 14 are on the cusp of adolescence and ready to meet the world with greater maturity. The curriculum brings revolutions: political, industrial, and cultural, introducing the forces that shaped the modern world. The new world, the French and American revolutions and the tremendous advancements in industry are the focus in history. And, for the first time, the sewing machine is introduced in Handwork to mirror the lessons in history. If the western movement was not explored in Grade 4 or 5, it may be covered in Grade 8. Physics expands with mechanics, chemistry with more systematic experiments, and anatomy with deeper study of the human body. In math, algebra is introduced while geometry continue to advance. Grade 8 math is a solidifying of all the mathematical concepts so students may enter high school prepared for higher math. Literature may include Shakespeare or modern works that reflect human struggles and triumphs.

Grade 9 marks a significant shift in Waldorf education. Ninth graders enter high school full of questions, doubts, and a search for identity. They live strongly in polarities: light and dark, comedy and tragedy, idealism and rebellion. This mirrors the sentiments they experienced in Grade 2, only now that they are post puberty. The curriculum meets the student by exploring contrasts: comedy and tragedy in literature, revolutions in history, and the study of dramatic changes in science as seen in organic chemistry and geology. In math, geometry is deepened with more rigorous proofs, while algebraic equations, quadratic equations and binomial theorems are studied in algebra. Formal labs (not demonstrations) are offered in physics and chemistry and for the first time in the curriculum, the focus shifts from an imaginative and pictorial presentation to one that is analytical, abstract and critical. T

By tenth grade, students are more grounded, with a growing capacity for clear thinking and a desire for balance. This is mirrored in the curriculum with a focus on order, form, and structure. In literature, epic poetry and historical novels like Beowulf and Gilgamesh bring breadth and continuity as it reflects the lessons from Grade 4 and 5. History in grade 10 mirrors the history blocks of Grade 5 with a deeper, more thoughtful exploration of the ancient civilizations of Persia, India, and Egypt and up to the decline of the Grecian states under the rule of Alexander the Great. In science, chemistry introduces the properties of metals, the study of mechanics is deepened in physics and embryology is studied in physiology. Earth science focuses on oceanography and ecology. Algebra II introduces logarithms and plane trigonometry . Geometry continues with Euclidean coordinate geometry and projective geometry.

Eleventh grade is often described as a year of profound questioning. Students face the “dark night of the soul” as they wrestle with existential questions in their search for truth. In literature, great works such as Faust, Hamlet, and Parzival meet the student and reflect their search for meaning. History in Grade 11 mirrors that of Grade 6 with the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial revolution as Roman, medieval and renaissance history are explored through the post puberty lense of the 17 year old. Physics introduces electricity and magnetism, while chemistry takes up atomic theory. In math, trigonometry and pre-calculus meet the student’s growing capacity for abstract thought.

Twelfth grade marks the culmination of the Waldorf journey. Students are preparing to step into the adult world, and the curriculum reflects this by offering subjects that show wholeness, synthesis, and destiny. Modern history is looked at from the present perspective with a study of the ideologies that shaped the 20th century: fascism, communism and capitalism. The threefold social order is explored in society: political, cultural and economic just as the person has a threefold nature of thinking, willing and feeling. Literature includes poetry that speak to the human’s striving for freedom, inner light and higher truths in transcendental works of Emerson, Hawthorne and Whitman. In science, modern physics focuses on relativity, quantum theory, and genetics, as well as advanced chemistry. Math moves into calculus, allowing students to grasp processes of change at the highest level.

The first science lessons in Grade 1, 2 and 3 in a Waldorf setting are focused on the observable world of the child. Science emerges through nature stories, seasonal rhythms, and hands-on experiences like gardening and farming, cultivating wonder and reverence for the natural world.

The Charlotte Mason, nature study approach is similar yet subtly different from the Waldorf approach to Nature science in the early grades. The majority of the nature study learning is done through observation by the child. Charlotte Mason saw Nature as a way for children to develop a sense of wonder, reverence and connection to God‘s creation.

It’s a quintessential rite of passage for a child to tend a garden. Some garden land as large as farmland and others grow an herb garden in jars in the kitchen. Yet others opt for foraging in nature for edible food. However you do it, teaching children where our food comes from is a lesson for life.

Our Bees Unit Study is perfect for Grades 1-4 as it complements the Nature Sciences of the early years. A Unit Study meets the needs of multiple grades in a single unit by using various resources and providing an assortment of projects that children may do at their own level.

Unit Studies on plants and animals (or insects) children see often is a great way to introduce a nature science to young elementary ‎students. The study of butterflies delights children and watching them go through their metamorphic process is thrilling.

While, we tend to follow the Waldorf pedagogy, there are times I put together a unit study rather than a Main Lesson Block. A unit study is a concentration on a single subject for a short period of time. This Unit Study on Birds includes hands-on activities and plenty of picture books.

The Zoology block in Grade 4 in Waldorf schools in unlike a typical zoology class. Instead of the traditional classification of the animals in the Animal Kingdom (which is saved for a bit later), the class begins with the exploration of the human form looking at the head, trunk and limbs. From this point, lessons on animals that exhibit one part of the human form are explored so that the qualities of animals are discovered.

In Grade 5, the study of Botany from the Waldorf pedagogy begins with the smallest of plant cell life: Algae, Fungus, Lichen and moving into more complex plant life like mosses, horsetails and conifers, until concluding with complete flowering, fruit bearing plants. Additional lessons may be explored when learning about monocots and dicots in relation to geography and history making the block diverse and and interdisciplinary.

This unit emerged and faded several times over the years before I finally collected our resources to put together a unit study. The projects are drawn from other units as very little was organized specifically for this unit which inspired a unit on Dinosaurs and evolution.

When doing our Ocean Main Lesson block, we were inspired by the several other topics that would be their own months long unit. Sea Turtles appealed to us as we have visited Hawaii and swam amongst sea turtles. This unit is a mini unit lasting about a week or two. The resources are easily covered in a couple days but the projects take longer.

The Ocean Main Lesson block is an opportunity to dive into the ocean and explore above and below. This block centers around the California coast primarily, but takes on a broader historical aspect as well. Smaller blocks on Whales, Turtles and more are included within the larger block.

Our Whales unit is another mini unit inspired by a larger unit: Ocean. However, sometimes it’s a book or project that inspires a unit as well. Some of the resources for this unit were ones I’d see other homeschoolers use and found them inspiring and thus a mini unit on Whales emerged.

On occasion, a child of mine will have a specific interest that warrants a specific unit study. The study of horses is one just unit study. My daughter become enthralled with horses and horseback riding, so I put together a unit to serve her interests as well as serve an older student with a variety of resources including historical for my older son.

A unit study can be as broad or as specific as you would like it to be. While doing our unit study, we departed to do a smaller owl unit study. In part I was inspired by resources I had seen other homeschoolers using and was excited to include that into our bird unit. Once we included those resources into our bird unit, I realize that we had created a mini Owl unit.

The Waldorf approach to mineralogy in Grade 6 is through a blend of scientific observation, artistic expression, and imaginative storytelling. Rather than beginning with abstract facts, students are guided to observe the forms, colors, and structures of minerals and rocks with deep attention to detail. The goal is to awaken wonder and a sense of connection to the natural world, allowing scientific understanding to arise from a lived experience.

Grade 6 is science centered with multiple science blocks including Astronomy. Astronomy is taught through a poetic and experiential lens that nurtures awe and reverence for the cosmos. Lessons begin with careful observation of the night sky—tracking the movement of stars, planets, and the phases of the moon—before introducing scientific explanations. Mythology, cultural stories, and artistic renderings of constellations are woven into the curriculum to foster a personal and imaginative relationship with the heavens.

Anatomy is introduced in Grade 7 with a focus on the human being as a harmonious whole, rather than a collection of isolated parts. The approach is both reverent and artistic, emphasizing the wisdom and beauty of the human body. Lessons begin with major systems such as the digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems, exploring how each one supports life and interacts with the others.

Physics is introduced gradually, beginning in Grade 6 and deepening through Grades 7 and 8, always grounded in direct, sensory experiences before abstract theory. In Grade 6, students explore acoustics, optics, heat, and magnetism through hands-on demonstrations. The focus is on careful observation and describing phenomena in precise, vivid language. In Grade 7, the curriculum introduces mechanics and electricity. Students examine simple machines, levers, and pulleys, observing how force, work, and motion interact. By Grade 8, physics becomes more analytical and quantitative. Topics such as hydraulics, aerodynamics, and electromagnetism are explored.

Chemistry is introduced in Grade 7 and further developed in Grade 8, always beginning with observation and experience before moving into theory. In Grade 7, students explore combustion, acids and bases, and the transformative nature of substances through dramatic, hands-on demonstrations. In Grade 8, chemistry becomes more structured and analytical. Topics such as the lime cycle, photosynthesis, and industrial processes like fermentation and metal refining are explored.

The ancient civilizations blocks for the Waldorf curriculum for year 5 is fairly extensive having continued from the previous year's exploration of Norse mythology, the civilizations of Akkad and Sumer and the study of the Buddha and the Jataka Tales. For year 5, the student will cover the ancient civilizations of India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and finally Greece. Greek history and ancient Roman history will also be covered in year 6.

Curious about how to put together a unit study? Join me as I take you through my process for putting together a unit study for Ancient Egypt. Much of the process is the same for all my history units, and only varies slightly for other units. I use a Waldorf curriculum as a default curriculum but often stray from the curriculum and come up with my own lesson plans.

The Ancient Civilizations are taught in Waldorf schools in grade 5 when children are 10-12 years old. The ancient cultures are taught uniquely in a Waldorf setting as the main aspects of the lessons are concentrated on the beliefs of the people, their spiritual beliefs, their creation stories, and their divinely guides teachers on the earth plane. While I tend to add other books and resources to our main lesson blocks, these additional resources may take away from the approach or may add needed background information for the teacher or student to give context to the lessons.

In Ancient China, there is an emphasis on balance, Harmony (Yin and Yang), a reverence for nature, and an ordered social life. The child between the ages of 10 and 12 are in their golden age of childhood, which means that they have come through the challenges and turmoil of the nine year change, and they have yet to encounter the challenges of adolescence and pre-puberty. I.

We often do our History blocks in the winter as we tend to do a lot of reading and storytelling as part of our lessons. When doing our ancient civilizations, we tend to keep the history focused on traditions, culture, beliefs and biographies when possible. We also love our hands-on projects and activities so we tend to add as many as possible in the form of kits, crafts books and recipes.

Of all the ancient civilizations, Ancient Persia as been the tastiest. We often include cultural or historical recipes with our history blocks and this block began years ago when we started adding Persian cuisine to our recipes. In addition, for this unit, we added an assortment of living books and our Live Education Waldorf curriculum

Join me as I put together our Ancient Rome unit study. You'll get great tips on putting together unit studies in general while you view books specifically for our Ancient Rome unit. I like to cover three areas of learning when teaching history: Belief (religion or mythology) of the people, Culture or daily life, Historical events. I do this in the following ways: Historical fictions, Biographies/autobiographies, Hands-on activities, History books, Interactive projects, A book on Mythology or religion

In grade 4, the mythologies, folktales and epic poems are taught just at a time when the child is in turmoil between his inner and outer world. The fall of the divine and the journey of the human through life and its suffering is mirrored in the Norse myths the fall of Thor and the loss of his hammer. The creation story of Adam and Eve evoke the same sentiment.

Join me as I put together our Ancient Rome unit study.I like to cover three areas of learning when teaching history: Belief (religion or mythology) of the people, Culture or daily life, Historical events. I do this in the following ways: Historical fictions, Biographies/autobiographies, Hands-on activities, History books, Interactive projects, A book on Mythology or religion

I’ve collected a wide assortment of resources for this unit study on Medieval Times with a focus on Europe. While our Live Education Waldorf homeschool curriculum for grade 6 includes several lessons on this time period from other areas in the world, I’ve decided to split up this time period and focus this unit primarily on Europe followed by a unit I’m calling “The Silk Road” which will focus on other areas of the world.

When we first embarked on our Silk Road main lesson block, we thought we would simply add a few resources to complement our Middle Ages unit. Three years later and this little unit has grown into several deeply engaging main lesson blocks that span over 1000 years of history and half the world from North Africa to China.

Is it really Medieval if Africa was experiencing its Golden Age? It was an age of exploration, wealth, power and civilization. This unit study on Africa covers the time period of about the 900s to the 1400s, and focuses on the empires of Mali, Ghana and Songhai. While putting together our history unit studies and main lesson blocks, I like to look for books and resources for a rich experience. I add picture books, historical fiction, project books, cookbooks, folktales, biographies, and history books as well as projects and outings if possible.

It's not a history unit if you don't talk about the people. After all history is His Story right? Her story is mixed in there, but is rarely the focus. While I have not made an effort to explore female historical figures, I think we do ourselves, our education and our children a disservice when we don't include their stories.

This unit study is on Ibn Battuta’s life. It’s a smaller unit study than what we normally do and accompanies our larger Silk Road unit study which has grown over the years to included several smaller units on the time period of about 600s to 1500 and spanning the areas from North and West Africa, to Arabia and Asia. When we do our history units, we love to include biographies, projects and recipes. Each region has much to offer in the way of exploring the food that’s either historical or regional.

Are you curious what was going on in the rest of world while Europe was deep in the Dark Ages? While it's considered the Middle Ages or Medieval Times in Europe, other parts of the world had been civilized and had been flourishing for centuries, even millinias. Let's explore other parts of the world together. I have a series of Main Lesson Blocks and Unit Studies that explore North Africa and Ibn Battuta, West Africa and Mansa Musa, Mongolia and Genghis Khan, Ancient China, China and Kublai Khan, The Silk Road and Marco Polo and the Muslim world of Arabia, Persia and the Ottoman Empire with notable historical figures such as Ibn Haytham, Ibn Sina, Khalid ibn al Walid, Saladin and more.

As we explored historical events and notable figures, we were whisked away into histories that deserved their own units rather than afterthoughts to a larger Middle Ages unit. As a result, we now have an African main lesson block which focuses on the empires of Mali, Ghana and Songhai, the king Mansa Musa and the time period of about the 900s to the 1400s. We also did a unit on Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo and the Great Khans of Mongolia.

In a Waldorf setting, the Age of Discovery is presented in Grade 7 along with the Age of Exploration, Renaissance Biographies, Reformation Biographies, and European Geography. The Age of Discovery covers the explorers, such as Christopher Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, and the Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro (who conquered parts of central and South America)

The Colonial Times along with the American Revolution and Civil War are covered in the US history block for grade 8, while Western Expansion is taught in a local history block in Grade 5. However, I brought this unit to elementary school as a unit study rather than a Waldorf inspired main lesson block. 

Our American Revolution Unit Study was completed a few times with unique projects each time. While some books (especially picture books) may be used again when a unit comes around again, often I collect some fresh books to inspire all of us. This unit was small and was a companion to the Colonial Times unit. Many of the projects may be used with either unit.

Upon entering adolescence, the Grade 8 student has a desire for stronger critical thinking and refined moral capacities. The ability to engage in critical thinking is a milestone marker of puberty. The Civil War provides a rich opportunity for student to discuss, examine conflict, freedom, justice, and human rights. By this age, students can understand social upheaval and national transformation.

When I started planning our American History units, I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of materials available. Everything looked to inviting and inspiring and I did something I do often, I overbought and over planned. Then I had to read our way out of the massive pile of books I had purchased! We did…slowly and over years.

California history including the gold rush make up this unit. It's a mix of biographies, historical fiction, resource books, kits and a 'how to draw' book. I think I'm most looking forward to the kit we got for panning for gold. We also really like the 'Who Was..." books for their simplicity, content and illustrations. No unit of mine would be complete without a hands-on activity and this unit includes a 'gold' excavation kit.

Our exploration of Alaska came about because my sister, Samiah and her family, moved up to Alaska in the fall of 2020. Once there, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and after surgery, it was discovered that it was an aggressive and fast growing brain cancer. As a family, we decided to visit her after she recovered from brain surgery but before she began her cancer treatment which included chemotherapy and radiation.

Ever learned the fifty states and capitals only to forget them? Try adding some games like Fast Track States and Capitals or, my favorite 10 Days Across the USA. If songs are your thing, you can try the states and capitals CD by Audio Memory. These catchy tunes will get you memorizing the states and capitals in no time!