The Child's Changing Consciousness
and Waldorf Education

CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT! They are different from adults and different at different ages. Just about anybody would agree with this. But very little has been done to understand how they are different and what this implies for educating them. Piaget did a number of experiments with children showing how their ability to perceive and think developed as they grew. But even before Piaget did his experiments, Rudolf Steiner developed a full curriculum which took into account the state of consciousness of the child, and how it changes as the child matures. This is the curriculum of the Waldorf Schools. During the last two decades of the nineteenth century the Austrian-born Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) became a respected and well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, particularly known for his work on Goethe's scientific writings. After the turn of the century he began to develop his earlier philosophical principles into an approach to methodical research of psychological and spiritual phenomena. His multi-faceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, science, education (Waldorf schools), special education, philosophy, religion, economics, agriculture (Bio-Dynamic method), architecture, drama, the new art of eurythmy, and other fields. In 1924 he founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. ISBN 0-88010-185-7 Anthroposophic Press 85440-205-5 Rudolf Steiner Press