First Grade Readiness

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The transition from Kindergarten to Grades is considered a very big one in Waldorf schools, and great care is taken to ensure that each child is developmentally ready to make it successfully. Waldorf views the child as passing through three developmental stages: early childhood (age 0-7), middle childhood (age 7-14) and adolescence (age 14-21). Unique to Waldorf education is the view that a child will not be rushed from one stage to another, but given the gift to fully complete each development stage.

One sign that a child is nearing the completion of the early childhood stage is the "change of teeth" process beginning. When a child starts to lose their baby teeth, this is one signal that their life forces being used during the early childhood stage to build up their body, are now beginning to be freed up to be used in other ways, such as embarking on the world of academics.

The change of teeth is only one of many things a Waldorf teacher is observing in each child to signal his or her readiness to move into first grade. There are other physical signs besides the loss of the baby teeth, as well as emotional, social, and large and small motor development skills. To understand more, talk to a teacher at Glacier Waldorf School.