Writing to Reading the Steiner Waldorf Way

Writing to Reading the Steiner Waldorf Way: Foundations of creative literacy in Classes 1 and 2

This book is both theoretical and practical, providing a complete pathway to teaching children how to write and read in Classes 1 and 2 (UK years 2 and 3). The authors provide teachers with appealing, easy-to-use plans and practical activities for immediate use. It also sets out fundamental principles of Waldorf pedagogy, showing how this dovetails with the best of both mainstream primary approaches and specialist dyslexia-friendly methods. Teachers can also use the book and these principles to find the confidence to create and tailor their own activities and resources.

Writing to Reading the Steiner Waldorf Way showcases holistic, creative aspects of the Steiner Waldorf literacy approach. Teaching writing before reading is prioritized to engage children’s creativity in learning. Developing the child’s own voice through writing and storytelling leads into reading and is highly effective for motivation and success.

“Useful not only for teachers seeking to guide children into the world of literacy, but it also provides a long-overdue and unique resource detailing the holistic Steiner-Waldorf approach, which has hitherto been unjustly neglected.” —Sebastian Suggate, PhD

 

“Holistic, child development guided approaches to literacy learning are unusual. But here, we have arguably the most informed, practical and fully articulated conspectus yet published on the complexities and subtleties of embodied literacy learning. This book will be essential reading not only for Steiner-Waldorf teachers but also for mainstream teachers fed up with the government-imposed ‘too much, too soon’ ideology that still dominates conventional pedagogical thinking and practice.” —Dr Richard House, Educational Consultant and writer, Stroud, UK

 

“Reading is an extraordinarily complex skill, involving the integration of multisensory and cognitive abilities that develop at different times. Rudolf Steiner recognized this complexity and advocated a comprehensive developmental approach to reading instruction. Written for Waldorf teachers, this book expands and elaborates on Steiner’s insights particularly the value of having children write as part of their introduction to reading. Writing to Read draws upon a wealth of classroom experience and a large body of empirical data. It is essential reading, not only for Waldorf teachers, but also for all those who desire a deeper understanding of the miracle of reading.” —David Elkind, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Child Development, Tufts University.

About the Author

Abi Allanson, MA (Cantab.) Teacher and Consultant at Steiner Academy Frome, specializing in literacy, differentiation and teacher training, Abi was formerly a Learning Support and Class Teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley and St Paul’s Steiner School, London.

Nicky Teensma, SMT, Lower School Lead and Class Teacher at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, originally trained in Zeist and worked at the Johannes School in Tiel, Netherlands. A trained and qualified specialist dyslexia teacher, she taught a parallel SEN class (Tobias) at RSSKL for five years.