Early Childhood Education
The Denver Waldorf Early Childhood Program is structured to provide a gradual transition from the life of the home to the structure of an elementary school. We consider childhood to be a valid and honorable experience, not a time to be rushed.
Learn more about our Early Childhood Program during a group tour of our main campus (for children ages 3½ to 6 years old) or our Starflower location (for children 2½ to 4 years old).
The Wisdom of Play in Early Childhood
The Waldorf Approach to Education
In our classrooms, children gradually become accustomed to working within a group, listening to stories, interacting with a teacher and following a daily routine, while at the same time being supported in his or her development as an individual through the encouragement of creative play, practical life skills, and artistic opportunities.
Each teacher deeply understands the young child and the need for movement, as well as the child’s devotion to learning about the world through imitating everything he or she experiences. We follow seasonal rhythms and in parallel, honor your child’s gradual transition from home to school and childhood to adulthood.
Webinar on First Grade Readiness
Ages
Our mixed-age Early Childhood Classrooms are suitable for children 2½ to 6 years of age.
Starflower:
2½ to 4 years old
Larkspur, Morning Glory, and Woodrose:
3½ to 6 years old*
*Children must be 5 years old by April 30 to be considered a Kindergartener in the fall. During their Kindergarten year, students will be given a first-grade readiness assessment to determine maturity and readiness.
Student/Teacher Ratio
The ratio is one to seven in Starflower, and one to nine in the other classes. Each class has an experienced lead teacher, a lead assistant, and a support teacher.
Schedule
Starflower, as well as the Larkspur, Morning Glory, and Woodrose classrooms, follow The Denver Waldorf School Academic Calendar, from late August to early June.
Half day: 8:30am–12:30pm
Full day: 8:30am–3pm
Location
Our Early Childhood Classrooms are on two separate campuses:
Starflower:
3250 E 6th Avenue, Denver, 80206
(Cherry Creek North/Congress Park)
Larkspur, Morning Glory, Woodrose:
2100 S Pennsylvania, Denver, 80210
(Harvard Gulch/Platt Park, near DU)
Aftercare
In the 2021–2022 schoolyear, aftercare is available on most school days.
Main Campus Aftercare Hours
Early Childhood Classrooms: 3:45-5:30pm
Grades 1-8: 3:45-5:30pm
Starflower Aftercare Hours
All: Until 4:30pm
Purpose and Play
Creative play, purposeful work, and circle time are key elements of our Early Childhood program. We encourage children to imagine and play, both following their own initiative and learning to cooperate with others. Purposeful work develops children’s sense of responsibility and connection to the world around them. Children participate fully in routine projects, which include baking, sweeping, washing dishes, and digging in the garden. During circle and story time, the children hear and join in seasonal songs, fairy tales, and puppet shows. Repetitive verses prepare children for future intense memory work and consistent oral traditions help them develop listening skills over time. Rhyming and alliteration educate the ear, forming the beginnings of spelling and phonics.
The Importance of Art and Nature
The children participate in music, outdoor play, and arts and crafts. Music is woven into daily activities and transitions. Outdoor play leads to a rich understanding of the earth’s seasons, providing a sense of stability and a foundation for deeper study of plants, animals, weather, geology, and other natural sciences. Artistic activities encourage the child’s natural sense of beauty, color and form, as well as their development of fine motor skills and concentration.
Breaking Bread
Each day they share a family-style meal with the children helping to prepare the food, set the table, and wash up afterwards. An emphasis on gratitude, intention of preparation, and table manners develops valuable lifelong social skills, a sense of responsibility, and an understanding of the source of our food.
Waldorf Festivals
Festivals are a special part of life at The Denver Waldorf School. Celebrating the seasonal festivals creates a connection to the natural rhythms that sustain us, helps avoid consumer holiday excess, and lays the groundwork for cultural and social diversity. Some key early childhood festivals include an autumn harvest, an indoor winter garden spiral, spring basket grass-planting, maypole dancing, and more.