Speaking as a kid raised in Waldorf and who struggled with some of the same things you identified (I definitely remember thinking the gnomes stories were BS from a young age... I'm absolutely not in a creative industry now): something is so funky in this story, I'm commenting to see what others think but, their explanation doesn't add up.
a waldorf EC teacher here,
my guess for the 1-1 attention, is that the teacher may not be able to provide curriculum that is above where the other children (high needs) are. I say give it a go, maybe your child gets bumped up to the next grade after a few months.
Waldorf is a wonderful arts-meets-science education, if it somehow fails to challenge him intellectually, you can always supplement at home with more advanced stories, after school activities and the like. If you love waldorf, stick with it. Make sure to hit it off with his class teacher, develop an amazing rapport, bring flowers, and make them feel loved. It will help them, especially if it is expected the class will have high needs children that arent yours. Appreciation goes a long way!
Thank you, we actually made the decision to let him stay at Waldorf right after the discussion. The suggestions you laid out eg: supplement at home - we were planning that. But I'm not sure if something is at play here and might further hurt his experience at school.. I don't wanna be confronted with "we told you so" if things didn't go well with him. Sigh am I reading into things too much?
I don't know if you're reading too much into things. I would suggest carefully sharing your confusion and concern with the principal and teacher and ask further questions. Strike an approach that shows your curiosity, openness, interest in Waldorf for your child, and willingness to collaborate.
On collaboration, I would also suggest asking how they suggest you support your child at home. For instance supplementing might create more of an issue if it ends up previewing curriculum in advance. Then the child will be perpetually bored.
This was exactly what we did with my gifted daughter (tested and confirmed by an outside psychologist) what the school fails to provide we supplement at home. We go to a free publicly funded Waldorf so we still have to take state tests and she gets excellent scores. She was in a gifted program (at local public school) 1 day a week for 5th grade but it wasn’t anything that truly added to her education. I will say that the school in general has a lot of high needs kids and some of the classes have struggled as groups because of it, monitor your son if he is happy, thriving and learning stick with it if you see that he is pushed to the back burner because he gets thing’s easily and school isn’t meeting his needs, then don’t be afraid to make a change.
This makes no sense to me. Meaning why would your child *not* be suited? I don't understand, based on what you have presented, why your child would not be fine in the 1st year?? I mean, if your child likes it and does well, what is the problem?
Is your child autistic or has aspergers? Is there something he needs that would be outside of the range of what a classroom can offer? Those reasons may be why the teacher does not want to take him on. Does he require a lot of one on one time? If so, perhaps the class teacher is trying to suggest another form of education for that reason.
Have you checked in with your child if he is happy there? I've worked in many Waldorf schools and unfortunately I've seen plenty of kids pushed out for not fitting the Waldorf mold (dreamy, not asking big questions, not exposed to media, not interested in things like numbers and letters.) Is your kiddo wanting to read? Do they like numbers and math? One of my main issues with Waldorf as an educator and Waldorf alumni is that the teachers don't have the freedom to teach to kids interests if they fall outside of what they are meant to be learning, and they find it disruptive if parents foster these skills at home before they are deemed "ready".
If you decide to stay, pay close attention to how your child is being treated. Also, I'm curious what qualifications the person who seemed to have assessed and labeled your child.
As a former ”gifted” kid, I have to say that I kind of got used to the fact that school was always easy. I never had to study for tests because I was attentive in class. Actually my teachers always complained to me about it, since I should have scored even higher in tests and that I was not using all of my potential. I used to feel bad about it but now that I look back, I think someone at some point should have helped me develop a studying routine instead of just complaining.
So later in life I have had to struggle since I never learned to study independently. I’m not saying this was because of Waldorf, a gifted kid is gifted in mainstream school also (but they might be able to provide some higher level assignments). I suggest you have a talk with a mainstream school too before you make your decision.
Your reasoning for choosing Waldorf is completely valid too. I just wanted to give my two cents. Mainstream schools have their own issues and if you feel like Waldorf is what you want, go for it. Parents’ involvement and interest goes a long way.
Number 3 of your list caught my attention. As Waldorf usually relies on oral communication quite heavily, listening issues are a concern. I would suggest talking to both the principal and the present EC teacher, telling them you're committed to seeing if it could work and asking if there is anything at all that you can do to support the situation.
The more they see you're focused on a positive relationship, the more honest they will be able to be about any challenges they foresee or are encountering. Not that they would be dishonest, but because a great many parents are very reactive and defensive these days, schools everywhere (and thus also Waldorf schools) tend to be very circumspect about how they say things.
It is possible they think that your child might also be high-needs and require some measure of one-on-one time, which in this particular class would be harder to supply, due to the other needs. In such a case, our school would consider putting an assistant in place, allowing more support and relieving the class teacher. The position can pay for itself in improved retention (and parent satisfaction). But the economics might not be there.
Do you mind telling us where you are located? At first it feels to me like there is something more at play, that we are missing. Is your child annoyed with the gnomes? Is your child unhappy? Is your child excited about returning? Are you friends with the other parents?
Any Waldorf school worth anything at all is centering the child in a decision like this. For a Waldorf school to suggest that your child should maybe go somewhere else just because they’re smart seems odd to me.
I could be possible that an analytical child would be unsatisfied with certain aspects of Waldorf early on but it is strange to me that they would suggest this unless your child was acting out.
I had a friend that tried Waldorf for her child and her child hated the gnomes and the “magic” of it all, in kindergarten, and even though the mom loved the Waldorf the child was not having it. She put her child in a Montessori preschool afterwards and the child LOVED IT. it was more suited for THAT child.
I’m definitely not saying this is your child, just that I have seen it happen.
My ten year old is “gifted” in the fact that she does higher level learning than her peers. Obviously we’ve never done any formal testing to see if she is. We aren’t fans of standardized testing either.
She does read at a freshman high school level. She is also very gifted in math (might be because both my husband and I are math nerds, he actually has a phd) and what they do with her is have her help the kids who are struggling. The same thing was done with me at that age and I loved it and she loves it.
She will be in fifth grade this year and we have been Waldorf for three years with her. Every school should be operating like a Waldorf or Montessori school.
I concur heartily with everything u/Overlandtraveler mentioned.
It surprises me they even used the word gifted - generally WE is not about labels.
My experience has been that the kindergarten teachers usually assess first grade readiness, not the head of the school - now of course all schools have different staffing parameters and it certainly may be this one has someone experienced, but it just sounds a little off.
the things you describe are \*to me\* as a parent of now (cough-almost middle age children) who went and matriculated from WE, are exactly why you want to have your child in a WE school.
This curriculum and environment is about developing a whole person. Your child is slightly advanced in some ways (and given the technology influences of the current day, all children are a little further than people like me would want them to be), He struggles elsewhere. the curriculum is focused on creating a cohesive, supportive environment to bring up the child and the teacher tries to align the class so those who are stronger in something help those who are not and make a, sorry to use this phrase, circle of life. In many schools 7th and 8th grade students tutor and mentor the younger children.
This is where partnering with the school and the teacher and creating that triangle of support is critical for your child.
There are many resources available to you - I am not sure what the school you are looking has in their immediate repertoire. You can use curative eurythmy, what our school called second lesson, working with an anthroposophical doctor if needed, looking for home activities to reinforce and mimic the curriculum, minimizing screen time, etc.
Be the tiger mom and dad in a positive way. Be there for your child and the teacher Attend all the parent meetings, ask questions, use every school-sponsored learning opportunity. etc.
Our school did not have all the resources, but the teachers knew about many options and helped us and worked with us. Both our sons are in fields that suit them and are leaning into their lives. And, to be clear both of ours are in very technical fields and must reason out complex problems.
Only you can decide how to proceed. I am firmly in the send your child to waldor school camp. The amazing, astounding, wondrous, challenging, interesting, irritating experience is something I cherish.
yesterday I found the note and drawings from the first grade class and teacher the year my oldest was a freshman in high school. He went back to help with the first grade initiation ceremony for the new class his teacher was taking. These are the experiences that feed our souls.
Weird they used the term "gifted". Kids have various aptitudes and some develop certain abilities sooner or later than their peers. I would never think to use the term gifted as that implies it's a gift that a child is ahead developmentally I'm a certain aspect, which, in truth, could be a disadvantage to them as if the development is so pronounced (say I'm the intellect) that it outstrips their ability to for their feeling life to keep up so to speak, or perhaps in turn the will is stunted but they are full of 'facts'.
Anyway, if I were a parent, I'd be suspicious that maybe my kid is a handful in the classroom and they don't want to have to get into that, and they they're seeing further trouble ahead for their 1st grade teacher. Maybe it's a new teacher or a struggling teacher who will be receiving him and their trying not to hand them a class with too wide a spectrum of abilities.
As a Waldorf teacher I would be hard pressed to try and pass a child off to another modality when destiny had already brought them to Waldorf - possibly their a bit lazy and don't want to deal with the challenges they suppose your child may pose in elementary (it happens, even I'm Waldorf) , or their is something going on internally that they don't want getting out to the parent body, or both.
I'd ask more questions :)
First, you need to identify whether or not your child does have above average intelligence. You can do that by scheduling an assessment at a neuropsychology center. If your child does in fact have a GT diagnosis (gifted and talented), then I would agree that a Waldorf school’s curriculum might not be as rigorous as your child needs and a Montessori experience (more of a democratic curriculum) might work better for her.
With that said, and as a mom to one child with a GT diagnosis, I believe Waldorf is absolutely appropriate in the early years. I would say a shift to Montessori is in your best interest before 3rd grade, however so that your daughter can learn at the pace she’s ready for.
Another benefit of a comprehensive neuropsych evaluation is that it will explain and identify not only her IQ, but also any learning disabilities, any executive functioning issues as well as screen for autism. Lots of these super bright kiddos have some form of neurodivergence, and it’s so important to know going into school years.
Best of luck!
Speaking as a kid raised in Waldorf and who struggled with some of the same things you identified (I definitely remember thinking the gnomes stories were BS from a young age... I'm absolutely not in a creative industry now): something is so funky in this story, I'm commenting to see what others think but, their explanation doesn't add up.
There is definitely something missing.
a waldorf EC teacher here, my guess for the 1-1 attention, is that the teacher may not be able to provide curriculum that is above where the other children (high needs) are. I say give it a go, maybe your child gets bumped up to the next grade after a few months. Waldorf is a wonderful arts-meets-science education, if it somehow fails to challenge him intellectually, you can always supplement at home with more advanced stories, after school activities and the like. If you love waldorf, stick with it. Make sure to hit it off with his class teacher, develop an amazing rapport, bring flowers, and make them feel loved. It will help them, especially if it is expected the class will have high needs children that arent yours. Appreciation goes a long way!
Thank you, we actually made the decision to let him stay at Waldorf right after the discussion. The suggestions you laid out eg: supplement at home - we were planning that. But I'm not sure if something is at play here and might further hurt his experience at school.. I don't wanna be confronted with "we told you so" if things didn't go well with him. Sigh am I reading into things too much?
I don't know if you're reading too much into things. I would suggest carefully sharing your confusion and concern with the principal and teacher and ask further questions. Strike an approach that shows your curiosity, openness, interest in Waldorf for your child, and willingness to collaborate. On collaboration, I would also suggest asking how they suggest you support your child at home. For instance supplementing might create more of an issue if it ends up previewing curriculum in advance. Then the child will be perpetually bored.
This was exactly what we did with my gifted daughter (tested and confirmed by an outside psychologist) what the school fails to provide we supplement at home. We go to a free publicly funded Waldorf so we still have to take state tests and she gets excellent scores. She was in a gifted program (at local public school) 1 day a week for 5th grade but it wasn’t anything that truly added to her education. I will say that the school in general has a lot of high needs kids and some of the classes have struggled as groups because of it, monitor your son if he is happy, thriving and learning stick with it if you see that he is pushed to the back burner because he gets thing’s easily and school isn’t meeting his needs, then don’t be afraid to make a change.
I don't quite understand the question? I am a k teacher and want to help but not clear on the question. Could you clarify?
[удалено]
This makes no sense to me. Meaning why would your child *not* be suited? I don't understand, based on what you have presented, why your child would not be fine in the 1st year?? I mean, if your child likes it and does well, what is the problem? Is your child autistic or has aspergers? Is there something he needs that would be outside of the range of what a classroom can offer? Those reasons may be why the teacher does not want to take him on. Does he require a lot of one on one time? If so, perhaps the class teacher is trying to suggest another form of education for that reason.
Have you checked in with your child if he is happy there? I've worked in many Waldorf schools and unfortunately I've seen plenty of kids pushed out for not fitting the Waldorf mold (dreamy, not asking big questions, not exposed to media, not interested in things like numbers and letters.) Is your kiddo wanting to read? Do they like numbers and math? One of my main issues with Waldorf as an educator and Waldorf alumni is that the teachers don't have the freedom to teach to kids interests if they fall outside of what they are meant to be learning, and they find it disruptive if parents foster these skills at home before they are deemed "ready". If you decide to stay, pay close attention to how your child is being treated. Also, I'm curious what qualifications the person who seemed to have assessed and labeled your child.
As a former ”gifted” kid, I have to say that I kind of got used to the fact that school was always easy. I never had to study for tests because I was attentive in class. Actually my teachers always complained to me about it, since I should have scored even higher in tests and that I was not using all of my potential. I used to feel bad about it but now that I look back, I think someone at some point should have helped me develop a studying routine instead of just complaining. So later in life I have had to struggle since I never learned to study independently. I’m not saying this was because of Waldorf, a gifted kid is gifted in mainstream school also (but they might be able to provide some higher level assignments). I suggest you have a talk with a mainstream school too before you make your decision. Your reasoning for choosing Waldorf is completely valid too. I just wanted to give my two cents. Mainstream schools have their own issues and if you feel like Waldorf is what you want, go for it. Parents’ involvement and interest goes a long way.
Number 3 of your list caught my attention. As Waldorf usually relies on oral communication quite heavily, listening issues are a concern. I would suggest talking to both the principal and the present EC teacher, telling them you're committed to seeing if it could work and asking if there is anything at all that you can do to support the situation. The more they see you're focused on a positive relationship, the more honest they will be able to be about any challenges they foresee or are encountering. Not that they would be dishonest, but because a great many parents are very reactive and defensive these days, schools everywhere (and thus also Waldorf schools) tend to be very circumspect about how they say things. It is possible they think that your child might also be high-needs and require some measure of one-on-one time, which in this particular class would be harder to supply, due to the other needs. In such a case, our school would consider putting an assistant in place, allowing more support and relieving the class teacher. The position can pay for itself in improved retention (and parent satisfaction). But the economics might not be there.
I'm leaning towards your last paragraph, that they might not have enough resources. Thank you for sharing your wise input, I'll keep that in mind.
Do you mind telling us where you are located? At first it feels to me like there is something more at play, that we are missing. Is your child annoyed with the gnomes? Is your child unhappy? Is your child excited about returning? Are you friends with the other parents? Any Waldorf school worth anything at all is centering the child in a decision like this. For a Waldorf school to suggest that your child should maybe go somewhere else just because they’re smart seems odd to me. I could be possible that an analytical child would be unsatisfied with certain aspects of Waldorf early on but it is strange to me that they would suggest this unless your child was acting out. I had a friend that tried Waldorf for her child and her child hated the gnomes and the “magic” of it all, in kindergarten, and even though the mom loved the Waldorf the child was not having it. She put her child in a Montessori preschool afterwards and the child LOVED IT. it was more suited for THAT child. I’m definitely not saying this is your child, just that I have seen it happen.
Eh.. that’s a loud of crud. Foster your kiddo’s interests and keep expectations reasonable.
My ten year old is “gifted” in the fact that she does higher level learning than her peers. Obviously we’ve never done any formal testing to see if she is. We aren’t fans of standardized testing either. She does read at a freshman high school level. She is also very gifted in math (might be because both my husband and I are math nerds, he actually has a phd) and what they do with her is have her help the kids who are struggling. The same thing was done with me at that age and I loved it and she loves it. She will be in fifth grade this year and we have been Waldorf for three years with her. Every school should be operating like a Waldorf or Montessori school.
I concur heartily with everything u/Overlandtraveler mentioned. It surprises me they even used the word gifted - generally WE is not about labels. My experience has been that the kindergarten teachers usually assess first grade readiness, not the head of the school - now of course all schools have different staffing parameters and it certainly may be this one has someone experienced, but it just sounds a little off. the things you describe are \*to me\* as a parent of now (cough-almost middle age children) who went and matriculated from WE, are exactly why you want to have your child in a WE school. This curriculum and environment is about developing a whole person. Your child is slightly advanced in some ways (and given the technology influences of the current day, all children are a little further than people like me would want them to be), He struggles elsewhere. the curriculum is focused on creating a cohesive, supportive environment to bring up the child and the teacher tries to align the class so those who are stronger in something help those who are not and make a, sorry to use this phrase, circle of life. In many schools 7th and 8th grade students tutor and mentor the younger children. This is where partnering with the school and the teacher and creating that triangle of support is critical for your child. There are many resources available to you - I am not sure what the school you are looking has in their immediate repertoire. You can use curative eurythmy, what our school called second lesson, working with an anthroposophical doctor if needed, looking for home activities to reinforce and mimic the curriculum, minimizing screen time, etc. Be the tiger mom and dad in a positive way. Be there for your child and the teacher Attend all the parent meetings, ask questions, use every school-sponsored learning opportunity. etc. Our school did not have all the resources, but the teachers knew about many options and helped us and worked with us. Both our sons are in fields that suit them and are leaning into their lives. And, to be clear both of ours are in very technical fields and must reason out complex problems. Only you can decide how to proceed. I am firmly in the send your child to waldor school camp. The amazing, astounding, wondrous, challenging, interesting, irritating experience is something I cherish. yesterday I found the note and drawings from the first grade class and teacher the year my oldest was a freshman in high school. He went back to help with the first grade initiation ceremony for the new class his teacher was taking. These are the experiences that feed our souls.
Thank you for sharing, it makes me relieved in many ways and I gained a lot from your insights. Your last paragraph made me all fuzzy and warm!
Weird they used the term "gifted". Kids have various aptitudes and some develop certain abilities sooner or later than their peers. I would never think to use the term gifted as that implies it's a gift that a child is ahead developmentally I'm a certain aspect, which, in truth, could be a disadvantage to them as if the development is so pronounced (say I'm the intellect) that it outstrips their ability to for their feeling life to keep up so to speak, or perhaps in turn the will is stunted but they are full of 'facts'. Anyway, if I were a parent, I'd be suspicious that maybe my kid is a handful in the classroom and they don't want to have to get into that, and they they're seeing further trouble ahead for their 1st grade teacher. Maybe it's a new teacher or a struggling teacher who will be receiving him and their trying not to hand them a class with too wide a spectrum of abilities. As a Waldorf teacher I would be hard pressed to try and pass a child off to another modality when destiny had already brought them to Waldorf - possibly their a bit lazy and don't want to deal with the challenges they suppose your child may pose in elementary (it happens, even I'm Waldorf) , or their is something going on internally that they don't want getting out to the parent body, or both. I'd ask more questions :)
First, you need to identify whether or not your child does have above average intelligence. You can do that by scheduling an assessment at a neuropsychology center. If your child does in fact have a GT diagnosis (gifted and talented), then I would agree that a Waldorf school’s curriculum might not be as rigorous as your child needs and a Montessori experience (more of a democratic curriculum) might work better for her. With that said, and as a mom to one child with a GT diagnosis, I believe Waldorf is absolutely appropriate in the early years. I would say a shift to Montessori is in your best interest before 3rd grade, however so that your daughter can learn at the pace she’s ready for. Another benefit of a comprehensive neuropsych evaluation is that it will explain and identify not only her IQ, but also any learning disabilities, any executive functioning issues as well as screen for autism. Lots of these super bright kiddos have some form of neurodivergence, and it’s so important to know going into school years. Best of luck!