Curriculum

The curriculum of Desert Star Community School is based on Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf education and Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. We believe in educating the whole child and recognize that each child possesses a unique blend of intelligences, i.e.: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist and others. We have used these complementary educational philosophies to design a curriculum that leads to a mastery of standards while cultivating and expanding all intelligence areas in a developmentally appropriate context.

A teacher's chalkboard - 6th grade

Waldorf education provides an exceptional academic education and an enriched humanities curriculum that introduces children to world history and culture through legends, literature, mythology and the creative arts. The arts are integrated into all academic subjects giving students a meaningful, creative, and multi-sensory context for understanding. The academic, “core subjects” are taught by the class teacher during main lesson each morning. Lessons are alive and interesting; they challenge and stimulate both the child's imagination and intellect. The main lesson often begins with a story from the great traditions of classical literature (multicultural fairy tales, Aesop’s fables, Greek Mythology, etc). The curriculum themes for each grade, inspired by Steiner’s developmental indications, are outlined below.

The students’ academic themes and skills are documented by the creation of personal main lesson books and portfolios. As lessons are taught students create illustrated books for each subject, accurately and artistically recording the substance of their lessons. In this way art is integrated into every subject.

The sciences are taught through experiential activities with a reverence for the wonder and beauty of nature. Projects and experiments are approached through inquiry-based approaches that ignite curiosity, sustain interest, and allow children to make their own discoveries as a bridge to understanding scientific concepts.

In grades 1-4 the main lesson begins with a circle time of greetings, thematic songs, verses, games and physical rhythmic exercises designed to develop cognitive and motor integration. Lesson themes may be introduced during this time so that the child has an experiential basis for understanding new concepts. The afternoons provide time for projects and multi-age instruction, physical education, and specialty classes. Music permeates and harmonizes the school life through a curriculum designed to develop the innate musicality within each child. Singing is integrated throughout the day; playing the recorder begins in 1st grade and the violin instruction begins at 3rd or 4th grade. Handwork and the practical arts are an integral part of the curriculum, teaching coordination, patience and perseverance. Spanish is taught beginning in the 1st grade progressively through the grades along with cultural awareness and appreciation. This year we are also offering Japanese language and culture classes. Daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms as well as integrated school-wide themes and festivals help to provide a consistent and meaningful structure to the educational process.

It is the school’s philosophy to foster the development of interpersonal and social-emotional intelligence in students. Emphasis is placed on the development of communication skills, empathy, respect for self and others, taking responsibility for one’s actions, conflict resolution, cooperation and collaboration skills. There are also opportunities to develop “intrapersonal” (knowledge of self) intelligence through inner reflection, guided experiences in self-knowledge, emotional awareness and self-esteem enhancement. Teachers model and teach healthy, respectful and compassionate ways of relating and problem solving in the classroom setting.

KINDERGARTEN

Waldorf-inspired schools recognize that the young child learns primarily through imitation and example. Great care is taken to provide an environment that brings nurturing guidance and cooperation into the child's world of imagination and fantasy. The week is rhythmically structured to include storytelling and puppetry, creative work and play, singing and creative movement, games and finger plays, crafts, art activities, and fairy tales.

The upper case alphabet and numbers 1-10 are introduced through imaginative stories and multi-sensory, hands-on activities.

THE ELEMENTARY YEARS

During these years children's individuality emerges. While they acquire academic knowledge, intellectual ability, skills and a sense of competence, they also develop their own inner world of feelings. By educating them through a conscious appeal to their feelings as well as their thoughts, education will foster success while meeting the true needs of the individual child. The following are the Waldorf curriculum themes for each grade. State standards requirements are creatively integrated and interwoven into these themes.

Grade 1
Fairy and folk tales; writing the upper and lower case alphabet; foundations of word formation and reading; form drawing; arithmetic (intro to the four processes: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division); science through nature stories/experiences; singing; recorder playing; knitting; Spanish; physical education.

Grade 2
Legends of animals and exemplary people; reading and writing; form drawing; arithmetic; science through nature stories/experiences; singing; recorder playing; crocheting; Spanish; physical education.

Grade 3
World cultural and creation stories including Old Testament and Native American stories; reading and writing (cursive); grammar; form drawing; arithmetic, measurements, practical studies of farming, house building, craftsmanship; science through practical studies; recorder playing; singing; sewing; Spanish; physical education; gardening, and violin lessons in the 2nd half of the year.

Grade 4
Norse mythology; reading; grammar/composition; form drawing; arithmetic, fractions; Arizona history and geography; science through descriptive morphology of animals; singing; recorder playing; stringed instruments; cross-stitching; Spanish; physical education.

Grade 5
Ancient civilizations through Greece; reading, grammar and composition; freehand geometric drawing; arithmetic, including decimals; geography of the United States; science through descriptive study of plants; exotic animals; singing; recorder playing; strings and wind instruments; 4-needle knitting; woodworking; Spanish; physical education including participation in the regional Waldorf Greek Olympic games.

Grade 6
History of Rome and the Middle Ages; reading; grammar; composition; business English; geometric drawing; business math, beginning to work with formulae and percents; geography of the hemisphere and poles; meteorology; astronomy; physics; music ensembles; woodworking; handwork; Spanish; physical education.