Todd Selva

Elementary Grades (1-5)

Elementary
Grades 1-5

The heart of the Waldorf method is that education is an art-it must speak to the child's experience.  To educate the whole child, his heart and his will must be reached, as well



In these early grades, students' imaginations are strong and their intellectual capacities are blossoming, All subject area's are introduced through experiential and artistic means. The curriculum in the elementary years presents the history of humanity as it coincides with the development of the child; meeting the child at the right time and the right place of his/her development. Every child, beginning in 1st-grade start their mornings with a 2-hour main lesson block of math, language arts, science, and literature. In addition, every student is required to take Spanish, music, fine art: painting, sculpting and crafting, practical art: blacksmithing, woodworking and handwork, eurythmy, movement and games, and drama. 


With age-appropriate movement exercises, imaginative games, and precise skill development, the Live Oak Waldorf School movement curriculum offers our students the space and opportunity to integrate their senses, to move through developmental challenges, to play joyfully, to meet and move through social challenges, and to practice interacting in an important diversity of roles with their peers.  Grade 1-4 movement class concentrates on to development of individual movement skills and healthy social interactions in the form of games and in use of math and reading skills. 


A typical day in the 2nd grade:

8:15 - 10:15 - Main Lesson:  Native Californian Legends (6 week block)

10:15-10:40 - Snack Recess

10:45-11:30 - Spanish 

11:35-12:20 - Math

12:20-12:50 - Lunch Recess /  12:55-1:10 - Quiet Time

1:15- 2 - Modeling /Art

2:05 - 2:55 - Music

2:55-3:15 - Chores


Before and after school care also available


Educational Field Trips Grades 1 -5 

Experiential learning at its finest with the world as the classroom


Field trips are an integral part of the educational experience at Live Oak Waldorf School. First and second graders may take several short day trips that correspond to aspects of the curriculum. Beginning in the third grade, classes take overnight field trips that allow the students to become fully immersed in the direct observation and participation in curriculum related topics. 


Looking for private schools in Auburn CA? The school’s location in the beautiful Sierra Foothills near Auburn provides an abundance of opportunities to experience lessons directly with trips to a variety of historically and geographically interesting local areas. Class teachers plan the experiences they feel best support their classes and the lessons. Parents play vital roles as chaperones and organizers. 


Example trips:


Third Grade: 

Overnight experience on the Live Oak campus 

Overnight trip to a working organic farm such as Full Belly Farm in the beautiful Capay Valley


Fourth Grade: 

Trip to Indian Grinding Rock State Park

Overnight trip to the coast and the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Overnight Gold Rush immersion trip


Fifth Grade:  

Overnight Botany trip to Filoli gardens, Mendocino gardens 

Day trips to museums for ancient civilizations studies                                 

Crafts Program 4 - 5th

4th and 5th grade students begin their craft studies with blacksmithing and woodworking.  Blacksmithing begins in the 4th grade with the building of a forge followed by the second half focusing on woodworking.  In the 5th grade the school year starts out with woodland management: responsibility for what is around and participating as a co-creator. The second half focus is back on woodworking. 

Waldorf Curriculum for Grades 1-5 

1st Grade Curriculum
Language Arts - Introduction to writing,   
phonics, letters, reading, fairy tales (Grimm’s) 
Mathematics - 4 processes, quality of #’s, counting, 2,3, 5,10 x tables, Roman & Arabic numerals
Spanish
Painting - watercolor, wet on wet
Form Drawing
Knitting - simple projects
Pentatonic Flute
Music 
Eurythmy
Movement
Gardening
2nd Grade Curriculum
Language Arts - Extended skills, writing,  reading, Fables, Aesop's, Native American stories, Saints and legends
Mathematics -  4 processes, X tables, column problems, number patterns
Spanish
Painting - watercolor, wet on wet
Form Drawing
Knitting and Purling
Pentatonic Flute
Music
Eurythmy
Movement 
Gardening
3rd Grade Curriculum
Language Arts - Intro grammar, letter              writing, Old Testament stories, Native American  stories
Mathematics - Extending skills, perimeter
measurement, carrying & borrowing, prime #'s, time & money, long division
Spanish
Social Studies - Farming, homes, shelter, clothing, fabric, fibers, house building, cooking
Painting - Watercolor, wet on wet
Form Drawing
Crochet & other handwork
Recorder
Music
Eurythmy
Movement 
Gardening
4th Grade Curriculum
Language Arts
Grammar, Human being & animal, 
Norse myths, Kalevala 
Mathematics
Deepening of skills, fractions
Spanish
Science - 
Zoology
Social Studies
Local history, state history,
local  
geography
Painting
Watercolor
Form Drawing
Woven forms
Cross Stitch
Recorder
String Instrument
Choir
Blacksmithing / Wood carving
Eurythmy
Movement
Gardening
5th Grade Curriculum
Language Arts - Extended skills, Stories of ancient cultures
 
Greek myths
Mathematics -  Adv. skills, metric sys., decimals, fractions, freehand geometry, averaging area, Pythagorean Theorem 
Spanish
Science - Botany, Zoology cont.
Social Studies - Greek history, ancient hist., US geography
Painting - Watercolor
Knitting - 4 needle knitting, socks
Recorder
Orchestra
Choir
Woodwork
Eurythmy
Movement 
Gardening

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