Lower Grades (1-5)
The heart of the Waldorf method is the conviction that education is an art - it must speak to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, the heart and the will must be reached as well as the mind.
~ Rudolf Steiner
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Outdoor Education
Whether at the main campus or the farm, our students spend plenty of time outside every day. This time is used for educational and free play time, and is a key element of our educational model.
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Main Lesson Books
Our students create their own books, recording and illustrating in beautiful detail the lessons learned through their hands-on exploration or the stories shared by their teachers.
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Humanities
Our extraordinary humanities curriculum uses art, stories, poetry, and theater to take the children through the legends and literature of many cultures throughout human history and around the world.
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Math
Math at Swallowtail involves a tangible, hands-on exploration of numbers so that math is grounded in the real world rather than a set of abstract concepts and rules to be memorized.
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Handwork
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The Sciences
The sciences are taught through experimentation and observation. Students are allowed to wonder, discuss their observations, and discover for themselves the conclusion. Through this process, rigorous independent thinking and sound judgment are developed.
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Music
Music permeates and harmonizes life in a Waldorf school. It is taught not only for its own sake and the joy it engenders, but also because it brings a strong and humanizing force into the student’s life, strengthening the will and capacities for the future.
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Foreign Language
Spanish is taught as a foreign language beginning in first grade. Spanish celebrations and festivals are also included, giving children familiarity with other cultures.
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Eurythmy
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First Grade
The first grade is a bridge between Kindergarten and the Grades. The visual memory is very strong with this age group, which is why many lessons are brought through stories and pictures. Throughout the school year, the first graders experience significant growth in their academic abilities as they transition from oral storytelling to reading and writing. In mathematics, the first grader is introduced to the 4 processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), and to Roman Numerals, odds & evens, sequences and relationships. They experience early science lessons on our Farm campus as they witness the changing of seasons and participate in the growing and harvesting of food. History, Geography, Culture, and Literature are taught through storytelling and recitation.
Spanish: Engaging students in simple conversation and enhancing vocabulary through song, poetry, word play, games, and books.
Music: Singing and playing songs in the music of the Fifth with open-ended quality and rhythmic songs not tied to a beat. Learn by imitation, singing and speaking phrases. The pentatonic flute is introduced in November/December.
Handwork: Students learn how to knit, increase and decrease rows, sew their work together, and accurately count stitches and ‘ridges’. They practice perseverance, patience, and attention to the details of their work. Completed projects include knitting needles and stuffed animals.
Second Grade
The second grader is in the process of awakening to the world around them. This is supported through curriculum that introduces the dual aspect of the human nature, told through the stories of the Saints and of animals. Subjects such as History, Geography, Culture, and Literature continue to be brought orally through storytelling and recitation, now punctuated with writing and reading. Punctuation is also introduced at this time and the children practice speech exercises that will prepare them for projects later in the curriculum. The second grader’s scientific studies are about animals and nature. They continue with their mathematics education, learning their multiplication tables through movement (i.e., jumping rope), borrowing and carrying, and understanding place value. Second grade is when mental math challenges begin.
Spanish: Continue the simple conversation and vocabulary exercises from Grade 1. Practice the sounds of letters. Write in Spanish.
Music: Transition from the mood of the fifth, to the pentatonic major on G and pentatonic minor on E. Singing melodies in unison within the range of up to an octave. Work on ear training and finger exercises with the pentatonic flute, exploring the polarities and contrasts in music, loud and soft, fast and slow, and the exploration of various tone colors.
Handwork: Knitting continues, with proficiency in purl stitch, changing colors, and the four-finger braid. They will complete a knitted, multi-colored ball or pouch, and a gnome. Basic crochet is introduced in the spring.
Third Grade
The third grade is a turning point of childhood, when the nine-year old begins to feel separate and independent from other things and people. This profound “nine year change” is nurtured through farming and gardening, tending of animals on our Farm, building projects, stories from the Old Testament, and grammar. The third grader will study traditional housing, textiles, and farming techniques. Mathematics move into the 4 processes with larger numbers, memorization of the multiplication tables, experiences in measurement, weights, and learning to tell time. Cursive writing is introduced, as well as sentence structure, descriptive writing, and spelling. Science becomes a deep understanding of farming, soils, cooking, and natural resources. The third grader completes their first research-based writing project - at Swallowtail, the project is a study of shelters around the world. In addition to the written report, the third grader builds a shelter as an example and presents what they’ve learned to the class.
Spanish: Strengthen vocabulary through poetry, stories and word games. Solidify seasons, colors, numbers. There is more structured book work and dictation is introduced.
Music: Continued development of singing in unison. Introduction of the C-flute. The students begin learning how to read music.
Handwork: Consideration of everyday, practical items and exploration of different stitches and how they might be most useful. Custom pattern concepts are applied to projects such as hats, slippers, or mitts. Explore carding, spinning, and wet felting. Embroidery is introduced in preparation for the coming years.
Fourth Grade
The fourth grader is fully awake to the world around them and is, so to speak, at odds with the world. Their thirst for knowledge and understanding of their world is strong, and is supported in a curriculum that gets them outside of their classroom. The fourth grader at Swallowtail will learn the history of Oregon, which includes Native American studies and local geography. They will map their home, school, and our Farm campus, and then move beyond to geography and mapping of Oregon. Literature is brought in the form of Norse Mythology, Native American myths, and poetry. The fourth grader is doing a lot of writing, understanding verb tenses, plurals, prepositions and abbreviations, along with composition and letter writing, spelling and vocabulary. The fourth grader produces another research-based writing report on a chosen animal. The report includes a presentation and an artistic element such as a painting, an animal mask, or a sculpture. Science includes the human body and zoology. Mathematics transitions to long division, word problems, factoring and prime numbers, and fractions.
Spanish: Grammar and vocabulary work. Begin to develop an appreciation for foreign language and other cultures through world studies.
Music: In connection with fractions learned in the main lesson, the focus is on fixing the length of notes. Singing in simple rounds, canons, descants, partner songs. Violin introduced after winter break.
Handwork: Students become proficient in cross stitch embroidery, back stitch, and zipper stitch. They will complete a bookmark and an individually designed project bag. There is new freedom in the exploration of a wide range of color and design.
Fifth Grade
The fifth grade is about harmony. Fifth graders have become comfortable with the awakening consciousness of the third and fourth grade and are accustomed to the idea of an isolated self. Change is on the horizon, however, and the fifth grade curriculum supports the coming adolescence with subjects such as Botany, a study of the growth process of plants. Geography studies expand to the whole of North America, considering the transformation of the land and its resources as more humans settled. In contrast, Ancient history covers Mesopotamia, India, Persia, Egypt, and Greece. Literature covers Greek Mythology. Writing focuses on the active and passive voice, book reports (composition), vocabulary, spelling, and research reports. At Swallowtail, the fifth grader will choose a state for a written research project, which includes an oral presentation and an artistic component. Mathematics advances to number theory, decimals, continued fractions, the metric system, and geometric forms.
Spanish: Spanish becomes an academic subject with homework and assessments. Students will develop strong vocabulary and master simple grammar rules.
Music: Continuation of fourth grade singing in rounds and with partners. Introduction of the alto recorder. Strings work in violin. Cello or viola also may be started.
Handwork: Students will knit socks, a hat, or mitts, and become proficient in pattern reading and shorthand terminology. They will develop patience, and the ability to follow verbal and written instructions are of particular importance. Students work on their long term project management skills with their work going home regularly for the first time.