waldorf

Stanford: Why Waldorf Math Works

An in-depth study by Stanford University of the Waldorf educational method in place at a public school in Sacramento, CA found that those students outperformed their peers in other public schools in their district in math, with the most gains among African American, Latino, economically disadvantaged students and other traditionally underserved students. The researchers found that in Waldorf education math is taught in multiple ways. Students move their math, sing their math, paint, draw and build their math, and it is brought into other lessons like history. This way of teaching is more approachable and enjoyable for all students.

Why is singing math, moving to math, painting or drawing math so important? Because it keeps students engaged and thinking about the various ways these important skills can be represented and applied. In Waldorf education, subjects are woven together and presented in lively, experiential Main Lessons. The photo above shows our 2nd grade class learning their multiplication tables – what you can’t hear is their voices chanting the facts in unison while clapping and moving in time. It is activities like these where we see our students fully engaged and having so much fun, they don’t realize how much they are learning.

As students approach the upper elementary grades, complex fractions, business math, long division, and more are presented in both practical and creative ways. Waldorf teachers take care to compose a lesson that is full of active learning, followed by quiet reflection as the students create Main Lesson book pages to reflect the days’ lessons. The interdisciplinary approach is part and parcel to the Waldorf classroom.

Read more about Stanford’s study and their findings of how a public Waldorf school stood against its traditional counterpart here:

https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/library/publications/1386

Alice Birney Waldorf-Inspired School, a public K-8 school of choice within the Sacramento City Unified School District, provides a powerful example of an alternative educational approach within a public system. Rather than focusing on preparation for standardized tests, Waldorf students are deeply involved in a full range of expressive arts – ranging from watercolors and music to knitting and physical activity; they learn science by gardening and investigating natural phenomena, mathematics by designing and building things of practical value, history from studying biography and the human meaning of historical events, English language arts by writing their own books and extended accounts of what they are learning. The school’s attention to comprehensive student development, including their social-emotional, physical and artistic development has profoundly shaped its graduates into young adults.

A study, “Growing a Waldorf-Inspired Approach in a Public School District,” produced by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), details the specific practices of a Waldorf-inspired approach at Alice Birney and their outcomes for students. The study also examines the district’s role in supporting alternative models of education while working to ensure equitable access to a high quality education for all its students.

The study documents how the instructional approaches at Birney lead to strong student outcomes. Quantitative analysis of student record data compared to similar students in other district schools reveals that Birney students have low transiency and suspension rates and positive student achievement outcomes on standardized state assessments, particularly for African American, Latino and socio-economically disadvantaged students.

Beyond being a study of one individual school, this study illustrates the power of a school district in supporting and enabling a school’s fidelity to its approach and sustainability. Finally, at a more macro level, this study provides insight into how to create space in public schools for a broader definition of education, without forcing these models out into the charter school space. It sheds light on the policy conditions necessary to achieve this broader goal.

The study of Alice Birney Waldorf-inspired School was funded by Rudolf Steiner College.

At Richmond Waldorf School, we recognize that our student’s physical, social and emotional well-being are a key part of their ability to learn and thrive. Our holistic approach to education prioritizes critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Choosing a school is a very important decision in a family’s life. Our admissions process is designed to give you as much information as you need to make an informed decision about enrolling your children. Whenever possible, we encourage all families to book a visit when considering Richmond Waldorf School. We want to meet you! It is just as important for us to know who you are and what you are looking for in a school, as it is for you to know who we are and what Waldorf education is about.

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
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Nature Brings Out the Best in Children

How important is the environment that children play in for the quality of learning? A comprehensive study shows that children who play in unstructured outdoor environments with natural materials engage in a much wider variety of beneficial types of play, which leads to increased cognitive and developmental benefits. Researchers found that those children were more likely to be inspired to build with found materials, to engage in imaginative play, and to examine objects deeply through the senses. They also found that the children were more joyful and participated in more cooperative play. That’s why in Waldorf education we prioritize giving children access to outdoor play spaces with natural materials that encourage creative and open-ended imaginative play.

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Our Philosophy: More Green Time, Less Screen Time

A new collection of 186 studies shows that high levels of time spent in nature are associated with positive mental health, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement benefits for children and adolescents, while high levels of screen time are associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and poor self-regulation. That’s why Waldorf Schools emphasize outdoor learning and play as important aspects of the school day for each student in every grade.

At Richmond Waldorf School, every student gets outside every day! This is an important value of our school for all ages as we understand the important benefits for our students phsycial and emotional wellbeing. Our Early Childhood program boasts over 2 hours of outdoor play time, regardless of weather! Additionally, students in Grades 1 – 8, students have two recesses each day, and get outside for lessons as often as possible, especially for biking, movement, and games! Overnight field trips into nature begin in 3rd grade, and include farm trips, beach trips, caving, kayaking, biking, and so much more!

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

What Makes for an Outstanding School System?

Finland has developed one of the most successful school systems in the world. What makes the Finnish model so different from most North American schools, and so similar to Waldorf Schools? In both Waldorf education and Finland’s model, students experience a holistic curriculum that includes movement, play, art, world languages and music alongside math, science, reading and writing. Both education models prioritize outdoor learning and play, and minimize high stress, high stakes testing and test prep. The result is an educational model that benefits students’ mental, social-emotional and physical health, where students are joyful, focused, engaged, and academically thriving.

At Richmond Waldorf School, learning is hands-on, developmentally appropriate, and grounded in practical and artistic work. Daily lessons in math, language arts, science, and history are connected to adventurous outdoor field trips, such as the 5th graders study of Botany and their corresponding trip to Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains! All grades students also participate in two world languages, choral and instrumental music, hands on projects like woodworking, knitting, and gardening, as well as Movement arts, biking, and sports. By weaving strong academics with outdoor educatoin and play, we prepare our students for the world around us.

Read more about Finland’s educational system and the benefits of a different approach at

https://hechingerreport.org/how-finland-broke-every-rule-and-created-a-top-school-system/.

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Pushing Academics into Preschool is Harmful

A brand new comprehensive study of preschool finds significant drawbacks to pushing academics too early. Researchers found that any initial academic gains were quickly erased, and children who attended academic focused Pre-K were actually behind their peers in elementary and middle school. Another troubling finding was that students who experienced early academic pressure showed dramatic increases in behavioral issues later on. In Waldorf education, we focus on what is developmentally appropriate for each age group, understanding that children especially need play, movement and art, which are all critical to social-emotional health and academic success. Asking children to take on tasks before they are developmentally ready for them can have lasting negative effects, and that is why we take a different approach to early childhood education.

At Richmond Waldorf School, preschool and Kindergarten learning takes place in our Early Childhood program. Mixed-age classrooms give children opportunities to build social and emotional skills and to practice resiliency and empathy. At RWS, we develop physical capacities through active play and work, in addition to the critical “soft skills” that bring meaning and joy into the learning environment. A Waldorf preschool experience is unique, as we emphasize a developmentally-appropriate curriculum built on a foundation of practical work and play. The experiences of a Waldorf Kindergarten are shown to develop a strong sense of self, a desire to contribute to the group, and an enthusiasm for learning about the world.

To learn more about the recent study that shows how early academics can be harmful to developing children, follow the link below:

Early Developmental Competencies: Or Why Pre-K Does Not Have Lasting Effects

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Movement is Fundamental to How Children Learn

Scientific understanding of how the brain influences the body, and the body influences the brain, is shedding light on the role movement plays in learning and memory. Incorporating movement has a significant impact on what students remember as compared to taking in concepts just auditorily or visually. In Waldorf education we use movement as a teaching tool throughout our curriculum. Incorporating movement helps children with everything from learning their multiplication tables to understanding complex physics concepts.

At Richmond Waldorf School, movement is integrated into the academic subjects as we know that children learn best when they are engaging their fully body. From math, language arts, science and history, we incorporate group and individual movement, play performances, and more. Further, weekly biking classes, movement arts instruction, mindfulness and unstructured play are part and parcel to Richmond Waldorf School’s program through 8th grade.

To learn more about the science behind movement and learning, go to https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58051/how-movement-and-gestures-can-improve-student-learning

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

How Teacher Looping Eases Learning Disruption

New studies show that a teacher educating the same group of students in multiple subjects over multiple years (looping) has lasting benefits. Students who stay with the same teacher see both academic improvement as well as reductions in absences and behavioral issues. Teaching a child for multiple years allows teachers to better understand each student’s learning style, to work with families to help support students, and to challenge them to do their best work. That’s why in Waldorf education, teachers stay with their class for multiple years, building a safe and supportive learning environment and strong relationships. This multi-year student-teacher relationship helps each student to unfold their unique potential.

At Richmond Waldorf School, there is always a new 1st grade teacher. Why? Because the Class Teacher loops with their class for many years, often all the way from 1st through 8th grade. The relationship between teachers and their students and parents are essential to fully engage our students in their learning. We get to know how our students learn, understand their strengths and challenges, and model how to navigate long-term relationships.

To read more about how teacher looping points to greater learning in the classroom, check out this article from HechingerReport.org:

Two studies point to the power of teacher-student relationships to boost learning

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

The Greatest Scientists are Artists Too

Louis Pastuer was a painter. Albert Einstein and Francis Arnold were both accomplished musicians. New research shows that award winning scientists, and especially Nobel Prize winners, are far more likely to have artistic hobbies than the general public.

Many of them, including Einstein, cite the role of the arts in their breakthroughs. Creativity and perseverance are at the heart of both scientific discovery and artistic expression.

That is why music, drama, visual and practical arts are key components in Waldorf education and are integrated throughout our curriculum here at Richmond Waldorf School.

At Richmond Waldorf, students begin music education in the 1st grade, with the entire student body learning and performing as an orchestra in their middle school years. Additionally, the performing arts are woven into the Grades curriculum, culminating with each class presenting a play that relates to and enhances their studies. Visual, performing and practical arts are integrated into everything our students do here at Richmond Waldorf School, strengthening creativity and perseverance in all of their academic endeavors.

To learn more about the interconnectedness of art and academics, specifically science, check out this article “The Symphony of Science” originally published by Nobelprize.org.

Article below was originally published in March 2019 via NobelPrize.org

What does music mean to you? Do you use it to help relieve stress, anxiety and fall asleep to? For many, the value of music is endless and scientists and Nobel Laureates are no exception. From seeing problems in a new way to fostering discipline, expressing creativity to working as a team, music has helped many laureates in both work and life.

Music has often helped Nobel Laureates think and process scientific information in a new way. Physics Laureate Albert Einstein was influenced by his mother who taught him to play the violin at a very early age. He was especially fond of Mozart, Bach and Schubert. Einstein often highlighted and emphasised the importance of music to him. In his lifetime he owned around ten violins, all receiving the nickname ‘Lina’. For Einstein, music worked as a brainstorming technique to help him reflect on his theories and resolve difficulties he encountered. He often indicated that if he hadn’t worked as a scientist, he would have become a musician. Einstein’s scientific ideas were often firstly created in the shape of images and intuitions, and later converted into mathematics, logic and words. Music helped Einstein in this thought process and helped convert the images to logic.

Physics Laureate Werner Heisenberg was also highly interested in music and occasionally played together with Albert Einstein. From an early age, Heisenberg seemed destined to become a musician and concert pianist. It is said that he started reading sheet music at the age of four. However, as he grew older, his passion for science outgrew his love for music and he decided to become a scientist instead. Despite this, music remained a lifelong passion of his.

Fellow Physics Laureate Max Planck was similarly a very gifted physicist and musician. Planck sang as well as played the piano and organ. Einstein and Planck supposedly used to play together, finding not only a shared love for science but also music.

Besides helping them reflect on scientifically complex problems, music has helped Nobel Laureates learn discipline and the importance of a creative mind. For Thomas Südhof, awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, music gave him important inputs and ideas. Similar to previously mentioned laureates, Südhof mostly enjoys classical music. Südhof played the bassoon, and says that classical music and his music teacher has had a huge influence on him. Classical music requires a creative mind as well as enormous discipline. These two factors are said to have shaped Südhof’s development as a scientist. The repetitive and disciplinary task of practicing the same symphony over and over again slowly become a part of Südhof’s personality. The repetition helped him acquire knowledge and gave him the basics to start with. However, he also realised that in order for him to use that knowledge to create something new, he needed a creative mind. Südhof sees the parallels between music and science. In science, the two requirements of practicing a lot as well as having a creative mind are necessary in order to achieve something extraordinary.

Besides music’s ability to spark creativity and teach scientists disciplinary practice, Nobel Laureates compare and see similarities between science and music. In her Nobel Lecture, Chemistry Laureate Frances Arnold mentioned the similarity between Beethoven’s symphony and her work with the code of life. They both are beautiful and intricate, however it seems as if we still need to practice if we want to write the code of life as beautiful and intricate as Beethoven wrote his symphony. Frances Arnold played piano and guitar as a teenager and she is still very fond of music.

Furthermore, the dynamics between the members of a music band can be compared with the team effort found within a research group. Medicine Laureate James Allison points out this distinct similarity between music and science. According to Allison, it is necessary in both fields to build a team where each individual makes their own contribution to the overall work. However, it is important that the communication between the members work so smoothly that each individual also understands what needs to be done to accomplish breakthroughs. Each member is doing what they are supposed to. As James Allison states “every now and then my lab has been as well tuned – it feels like a really good band” – the concept of great team work leading to great success can be applied to both science and music.

Medicine Laureate Barbara McClintock played the tenor banjo in a jazz band in New York during her senior year at Cornell University. However, as with many other scientists, McClintock discovered that her love for science was greater than her love for music so she decided to immerse herself completely in her research work. Nonetheless, she was very fond of music, enjoying its rhythm and structure.

Two other Nobel Prize-awarded physicists Martin Chalfie and Frank Wilczek are keen musicians in their spare time. Chalfie’s dad taught him to play guitar from an early age, and Wilczek started playing piano, drums and accordion as a child. Similarly to Südhof, Wilzcek believes that music requires the disciplinary practice to acquire the basic patterns as well as the creativity to put these patterns together in novel ways. A reoccurring favourite amongst the scientists is the composer Bach. As Wilzcek summarises it: “Bach is a great manipulator of patterns”.

In Wilczek’s book ‘A Beautiful Question’, he discusses if the world embodies beautiful ideas. He then mentions the idea of a ‘music of the spheres’. It is an ancient philosophical term used by classical astronomers and it represented the supposed ‘music’ produced by the movements of the celestial spheres or heavenly bodies. Maybe these spheres of music are accessible to Nobel Prize-awarded scientists? That remains a mystery.

The symphony of science. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2022. Mon. 14 Feb 2022. <https://www.nobelprize.org/symphony-of-science/>

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Working with Your Hands Does Wonders for Your Brain

New research highlights the fascinating things that happen with your brain when you work with your hands. It gives your active mind a rest by engaging it in a totally different way, which helps your mind relax and recharge. The shift away from “active” thinking often allows you to digest information and process and solve problems in the background while your attention is engaged in your task.

That’s why we at Richmond Waldorf School make sure students work with their hands every day through incorporating the arts, movement and practical work throughout our curriculum. Our students engage in woodworking classes, handwork, painting, clay modeling, biking to name a few all from 1st through 8th grade.

To read more about the latest scientific evidence behind the connection between working with your hands and brain development, check out this article from Psychology Today, written by Susan Biali Haas M.D.:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/201906/working-your-hands-does-wonders-your-brain

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

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Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

BBC: Is ‘AQ’ more important than intelligence?

With increasingly rapid changes in technology and the nature of work, employers are interested not just in intelligence and social skills, but in an employee’s adaptability quotient–their ability to adapt to new challenges with flexibility, curiosity, problem-solving, courage, and resilience. That’s why in Waldorf Education we deepen rigorous academics through integrating art, outdoor education, music, theater, practical work, movement and hands on-learning. The depth and breadth of our curriculum challenges our students and develops crucial capacities that help them adapt and thrive throughout their lives.

Article below originally published on bbc.com on November 6, 2019. Written by Seb Murray.

As workplaces change, is it enough to be smart? Enter AQ, the capacity to adapt that may well determine your future career success.

Once, if you wanted to assess how well someone might do climbing the career ladder, you might have considered asking them to take an IQ test. For years, it was thought that the intelligence quotient (IQ) test – which measures memory, analytical thinking and mathematical ability – was one of the best ways to predict our future job prospects.

More recently, there has been increased attention on emotional intelligence (EQ), broadly characterized as a set of interpersonal, self-regulation and communication skills. EQ is now widely seen as a tool kit that plays an important role in helping us succeed in multiple aspects of life.

Both IQ and EQ are considered important to our career success. But today, as technology redefines how we work, the skills we need to thrive in the job market are evolving too. Enter adaptability quotient, or AQ, a subjective set of qualities loosely defined as the ability to pivot and flourish in an environment of fast and frequent change.

“IQ is the minimum you need to get a job, but AQ is how you will be successful over time,” says Natalie Fratto, a New York-based vice-president at Goldman Sachs who became interested in AQ when she was investing in tech start-ups. She has subsequently presented a popular TED talk on the subject.

Fratto says AQ is not just the capacity to absorb new information, but the ability to work out what is relevant, to unlearn obsolete knowledge, overcome challenges, and to make a conscious effort to change. AQ involves flexibility, curiosity, courage, resilience and problem-solving skills too.

As society changes, could AQ be more crucial to career success than IQ? If so, how do you identify it – and is there a way to hone AQ to future-proof your career?

Tending bar requires lots of skills that can’t be automated yet – It’s process-driven tasks like document review that are more susceptible to change (Credit: Getty Images)

Adapt – or become obsolete

Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School, says it is the breakneck speed of workplace change that will make AQ more valuable than IQ.

Technology has vastly changed how many jobs are done, and the disruption will continue – over the next three years, 120 million people in the world’s 12 largest economies may need to be reskilled because of automation, according to a 2019 IBM study.

Any roles that involve spotting patterns in data –lawyers reviewing legal documents or doctors making a patient diagnosis, for example – are easy to automate, says Dave Coplin, CEO of The Envisioners, a UK-based technology consultancy. This is because an algorithm can do these tasks faster and more accurately than a human, he says.

To avoid obsolescence, workers doing these jobs need to develop new skills like creativity to solve new problems,empathy to communicate betterand accountability, using human intuition to supplement insight from machines.“If an algo can do 30% of the tasks that I used to do, what can I do with that spare capacity? The winners are those who choose to do things that algos can’t.”

Edmondson says every profession will require adaptability and flexibility, from banking to the arts. Say you are an accountant.Your IQ gets you through the examinations to become qualified, then your EQ helps you connect with an interviewer, land a job and develop relationships with clients and colleagues. Then, when systems change or aspects of work are automated, you need AQ to accommodate this innovation and adapt to new ways of performing your role.

All three quotients are somewhat complementary, since they all help you to solve problems and therefore adapt, Edmondson says. An ideal candidate possesses all three,but not everyone does. “There are rigid geniuses,” she says.Having IQ, but no AQ would leave you struggling to embrace new ways of working using your existing skills – and low AQ makes it harder to acquire new ones.

The IBM study found “willingness to be flexible and adaptable to change” was the most critical skill for workers in 2019, up from fourth place in 2016 (Credit: Getty Images)

Asking ‘what if’

AQ is now increasingly being sought at the hiring level. According to the IBM study, 5,670 executives globally rated behavioural skills as most critical for the workforce today, and chief among them was the “willingness to be flexible, agile and adaptable to change”.

Will Gosling, Deloitte’s UK human capital consulting leader, says there’s no definitive method of measuring adaptability like an IQ test, but companies have woken up to AQ’s value and are changing their recruitment processes to help identify people who may be high in it.

Deloitte has started using immersive online simulations where job candidates are assessed on how well they adapt to potential workplace challenges; one assessment involves choosing how you would encourage reluctant colleagues to join a company triathlon team. Deloitte also looks to hire people who have shown they can perform in different functions, industries or geographies. “This proves they are agile and a fast learner,” Gosling says.

Fratto of Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, suggests three ways AQ might manifest in potential candidates:if they can picture possible versions of the future by asking “what if” questions,if they can unlearn information to challenge presumptionsand if they enjoy exploration or seeking out new experiences.

She says this is not a definitive recipe for AQ, but recruiters should pose these kinds of questions to tease out evidence of AQ in candidates.In fact, she puts them to founders of start-ups seeking her investment.“Start-ups go through evolutions,” she explains. “It’s not like the founder has a written job description; they need some of a fluctuating list of 30 or 50 skills to be successful.”

A study published in June by analysis firm Oxford Economics estimated up to 20 million manufacturing jobs globally could be replaced by robots by 2030 (Credit: Getty Images)

‘Mission critical’

One good thing about AQ is that – even if you can’t measure it – experts say you can work to develop it. Penny Locaso, the Australian founder ofBKindred, an education companythat helps people to become more adaptable, says some people have more curious or courageous personalities, which may explain why they are naturally better at adapting than others. “However, if one does not continue to surf the edge of their discomfort, the adaptability you are born with could decrease over time.”

She suggests three ways to boost your adaptability: first, limit distractions and learn to focus so you can determine what adaptations to make.Second, ask uncomfortable questions, like for a pay rise, to develop courage and normalise fear. Third, be curious about things that fascinate you by having more conversations rather than Googling the answer, something “which wires our brains to be lazy” and diminishes our ability to solve difficult challenges.

Otto Scharmer, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management who has written books on learning from the emerging future, suggests other methods. In a TED talk, he recommends remaining open to new possibilities, trying to see a situation through someone else’s eyes and reducing your ego so that you can feel comfortable with the unknown.

One thing we do know is that the workplaces of the future will operate differently. We may not all be comfortable with the pace of change – but we can prepare. As Edmondson says: “Learning to learn is mission critical. The ability to learn, change, grow, experiment will become far more important than subject expertise.”

We are accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

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