Azalea Mountain offers an early childhood and grades program based in the principles of Waldorf Education. Waldorf Education is founded on an understanding of human development that addresses the physical, intellectual, and emotional needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head.
Play is the heart of the early childhood program. Children develop the capacity for creative thinking, problem-solving abilities and social skills through their free imaginative play. Simple and natural materials are provided to the children to encourage them to use their imagination, which helps them to form their own games and stories.
Balancing free play with structured activities, the children engage in painting, handwork, crafts, and movement. Hearing stories told aloud and watching puppet plays cultivate the imagination and strengthen the ability to listen and concentrate. Songs and nursery rhymes inspire a love of language and of music. Preparing snacks together and cleaning up afterwards encourage cooperation and a sense of responsibility. All these activities enrich the early childhood experience in daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms that create a bridge from home to school. The teacher is a specially trained individual able to create a wholesome environment that nurtures the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual development of each child in preparation for the elementary grades.
Waldorf grade school teachers are dedicated to generating the child’s enthusiasm for learning. They achieve this by bringing academic subjects in a pictorial and dynamic manner. This eliminates the need for competitive testing, academic placement, and behavioristic rewards to motivate learning. It allows motivation to arise from within and helps engender the capacity for joyful lifelong learning.