The Bay School’s academic curriculum builds throughout the years in a carefully designed unfolding. While a number of Waldorf teaching methods and principles translate across the grades, there are some features that characterize the lower grades that evolve in important ways in the upper grades to meet the older student. The lower grades curriculum pays special attention to fully developing in young learners the foundational skills in language arts and mathematics. By engaging the young child’s lively imagination, lower grades teachers bring rich curriculum content and a healthy integration of kinesthetic, auditory, spatial and visual learning to their classrooms. The care and attention these students receive is a key component to their academic development, and sets them on their way to thrive in the upper grades.
Morning Circle
Circle is an essential component within the lower grades Waldorf curriculum. Every morning during Main Lesson children come together to recite poems, sing, and move together. Language and mathematics skills, spatial awareness, and coordination are developed in a lively and joyful manner. Circle activities are directly connected with main lesson or math work, preparing children for academic focus required during morning work times.
First Grade | Second Grade |
Grades 2/3 |
Grades 3/4 |
Grades 4/5 |
Form Drawing Reading/LiteracyPhonological/Phonemic awareness MathQuality of numbers | Fables Math BlocksPlace Value Reading/Literacy BlocksSight words Artistic workForm drawing | Science/Nature Stories Math BlocksPlace Value Reading/LiteracySight words/phonics Artistic WorkForm Drawing | Farming (autumn) MathMultiplication/Division Reading/LiteracyLiterature Groups WritingSpelling Artistic WorkPainting | Maine History MathMulti Step operations Reading / LiteracyLiterature Groups WritingSelf-editing Artistic WorkPainting |