Kindergarten's Deep Foundations for True Literacy
By Sarah Witmore, Thimbleberry Kindergarten
Waldorf Early Childhood classes utilize symbols (little pictures) in addition to or in place of traditional name tags. While children often recognize their names and can even be taught to write their names or read at a young age, the consciousness or thinking capacity of children under 7 is most enriched, stimulated and enlivened by beautiful imagery both visual (symbols) and spoken or heard (storytelling, singing, poetry, circle games.)
Waldorf Kindergarten teachers work to create strong literacy foundations during the developmental stage described by the Emergent Literacy Theory. Emergent literacy is a teaching method defined by the idea that learning to read and write starts at the earliest age--long ahead of conventional reading and writing lessons like spelling and sounding out words.
Emergent Literacy encompasses the skills a child gains prior to first grade in a Waldorf school. The literacy building approach in a Waldorf kindergarten takes advantage of the rich learning time beginning in babyhood and lasting through age 6 when children are, developmentally, in the most imitative state of their lives. Aural (listening) and oral (speaking) learning is highlighted at this time in our schools.
Children will hear, internalize and memorize by heart the repeated stories told to them by their teachers. Teachers will speak with clarity and tell long, engaging stories in their entirety--memorized. Children will learn numerous songs, verses and poems by heart. Puppet plays will be shown with stories playing out from left to right--laying down the foundation for tracking left to right on a page during future reading.
We won't be doing language worksheets in a Waldorf kindergarten but any observer will note the rich vocabulary of our students, their tendency toward beautiful speech and clear enunciation. Later on our students will be recognized by their excellent reading comprehension, strong writing skills and their true love for reading.
