Grades

The 1st grade curriculum is built on daily routines that provide form, structure and rhythm for independent work and group activities. A first grader is introduced to the letters of the alphabet through oral storytelling and chalkboard drawings, it is about bringing consciousness to the richness of the language. The teachers lead the children from concrete representational pictures to abstract letter symbols.

The first grader experiences the curriculum through natural sciences, fairy tales, handwork, music, painting, form drawing and clay modeling.

First Grade Curriculum:

• Introduction to writing through story and picture;
• Phonics and sight vocabulary;
• Fairy tales and nature stories;
• Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• Handwork: Four-finger knitting, Straight Stitch, Knitting basic toys
• Games: Cooperative games, Jump-rope games, Ball handling games
• Music: Soprano Recorder

By second grade, children become increasingly aware of their experiences in the larger world and the values and perspectives of others. In written work and rhythmic movement exercises, students practice mastering the times and division tables as well as advanced addition and subtraction processes including transferring and place value. Form drawing (creating simple geometric shapes) is taught to bring balance and control to handwork and prepare the children for cursive writing. These challenging exercises develop the child’s cognitive ability and flexible thinking.The children make a great leap from First to Second Grade. The world of Fairy Tales, although not completely absent, now makes way for the Lives of the Saints, biographies of men and women with an historical verity and fables. The Fables point out the foibles suddenly appearing all over; the Saints’ legends calm, console and reassure.They mirror the soul qualities which are present in human beings. . Fables are not as much about animals but about the animal qualities human beings have inside them.  The fables and animal tales thus allow children to identify with the instinctive animal qualities inside them. Writing, which was virtually an extension of drawing in Grade One, now stands on its own.

Second Grade Curriculum:

• Expanded writing and reading;
• Cursive writing;
• Beginning grammar;
• Fables and saints' legends;
• Arithmetic with larger numbers;
• Times tables, odd and even numbers, place values up to four places.
• Handwork: Knitting
• Music: Recorder
• Games: Task oriented

In third grade the child experiences a new sense of self. Students begin to question, “Who am I in relation to others and to the world?’ In Waldorf education we recognize this stage of self-discovery as the nine-year change. New capacities for thinking and judgment are emerging. The younger child’s experience of the unity of all things matures into the third grader’s awareness of a distinctly separate inner life. Strong opinions, likes and dislikes are emerging. The children begin to develop a more realistic view of everyone and everything around them.

Children are now ready to learn more about the outside world. In this process of becoming self-aware, Steiner suggested telling the children stories that involve separation, followed by a good outcome where all is well again.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…” and with these mighty words, begins, Grade Three’s journey.

Creation Myths with imaginative and magical pictures are told to children to describe the beginnings of life on earth. These creation stories give the children a reverence for their place in creation and particularly the human race. The experiences of the characters of these stories that are told live so deeply in the souls of the children that any moral becomes self-evident. 

Third Grade Curriculum:

• Creation Myths;
• Composition, reading, speech
• Farming
• Building and Shelters;
• Professions
• Arithmetic with complicated numbers and practical examples;
• Measurement (time, money, weights)
• Grammar (basic parts of speech, sentence building and structure, punctuation and capitalization)
• Games and Gymnastics , Suryanamaskar
• Handwork: Crocheting

Fourth graders become more self-confident as their perceptions of the world sharpen. They also experience a stronger separation from their surroundings and become more independent. These developmental steps broaden the child’s perspective and show a world of endless, exciting possibilities. The fourth grader has an adventurous spirit, is full of curiosity, and is eager to explore new capacities for learning and creativity.

In 4th grade, the world-which once exhibited a magical wholeness begins to break apart. This is the appropriate time to introduce fractions. Through hands-on activities, the children find a world of numbers in between any two whole numbers. In geography, they start learning about local geography. It is difficult to separate the Geography and History of a local area and often it makes sense to combine them: first emphasising the land and its physical features, followed by the people who lived there or who created the history of the place. So they get more connected to the land and the people. Hence, experiencing the “wholeness” of life and how we all belong together on the earth.In science, the children learn about animals’ diverse qualities and contrast them to human capacities. The students learn research skills and do their first independent report on an animal of their choice. They also advanced writing skills with book reports.

Fourth Grade Curriculum:

• Composition, letter writing, short stories and verses, speech;
• Grammar (tenses, more parts of speech);
• Norse mythology, Mahabharata, Vedic Mythology
• Local geography and history;
• Mathematics: Fractions, Introducing Least common multiple and highest common factor, work with various operations on  fractional numbers
• Animals in relation to the human being.
• Games: Tag games involving chasing and catching, rapid changes of role – from chaser to chased, achieving a specific goal, confrontation with negative forces
• Music: Reading and writing musical notes, sing and play in rounds. String instrument
• Handwork: Cross-stitch, clay modeling

Fifth grade is referred to as the “golden year” because students at this age are enthusiastic about learning, eager for new challenges and capable of hard work and creativity. A sense of self-consciousness emerges, yet they remain confident and harmonious with their surroundings. They develop an ordered sense of space and time, and hold a deeper understanding of personal responsibility and the ethics of right and wrong.

In fifth grade, students begin the exploration of the world in ever-widening circles of time and space. They still have openness to the world, and a level of confidence that makes them easy to teach. In geography, they study the regional and physical geography of their country or larger region. In history, they meet the ancient civilizations of India, Persia, Egypt and Greece through the study of mythology and culture. Plant life is the focus of science, and decimals are introduced in the mathematical lessons. Instrumental music, singing and artistic studies continue and woodworking is introduced.

Fifth Grade Curriculum:

• Composition and continuing grammar studies; Reading with expressions
• Mythology of ancient civilizations (India, Persia, Egypt and Greece);
• Indian geography;
• Plant Study(Botany)
• Review of fractions, the metric system, decimals, introduction to percentages.
• Free hand geometry
• Games, Yoga and Physical training
• Music: Songs sung with harmonic accompaniment, songs sung in two and three parts, the study of music notation, ear training (application of this skill is analogous to taking dictation in written/spoken language).
• Handwork: Knitting on five needles, Consolidation of stitching skills, Woodworking, Clay work

In sixth grade, the curriculum focuses on the children’s growing orientation towards the outer world. As new capacities for thinking emerge, the children are led to understand causal relationships at work in the world. The students can be challenged and are capable of high standards in their school work. The sixth grade curriculum serves to ground the students, to inspire them to venture out toward the unknown and to offer an introduction to their quest in life. In mathematics, students learn the exact constructions with compass and straightedge, learning the mathematical properties of shapes as well as simple formulas. Physics is introduced through art and music. Roman law, black and white drawings, gymnastic exercises designed to model how one overcomes obstacles, skills to “compare and contrast” and astronomy are also introduced into the curriculum at this time.

Sixth Grade Curriculum:

• Geology
• Composition;
• Public speaking;
• Roman and early Medieval history;
• Indian geography;
• Physics (optics, heat and acoustics);
• Astronomy;
• Constructive geometry;
• Mathematical word problems;
• Algebra

Seventh graders navigate two worlds: they inhabit an introspective side as well as an active, outer, exploring perspective. At this age they have a growing need for independence and solitude; they feel enhanced emotional sensitivity and experience a strong need for social connection. Their adolescence is marked by many physical, emotional and cognitive changes including energetic outbursts, and a motivating desire for exploration alternating with periods of emotional listlessness or increased self absorption.

The seventh grade block curriculum studies the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, the Scientific Revolution and the Reformation in order to activate the students’ developing engagement with and questioning in the world. The students study the innovative thinkers of these eras whose thirst for knowledge was coupled with a fearless need to question and defy authority. The class teacher guides the students in projects that enable them to take an active role in the outer world. They respect and nurture the student’s inner emotional lives while simultaneously challenging their cognitive and creative skills.

Seventh Grade Curriculum:

• Creative writing;
• Renaissance culture, the Reformation, the age of exploration;
• South American geography;
• Physics (heat and mechanics);
• Inorganic chemistry;
• Nutrition and physiology;
• Algebra

A Waldorf eighth grade experiences a gradual but significant shift from the presentation of a subject solely from the teacher to the class, to the mutual consideration of a subject by teacher and class together. A sense of community develops in which speaking becomes more thoughtful and listening more attentive. With the awakening capacity for logical thinking and free, independent judgment, the eighth grader now wants to be in the world more than ever before. They want to do, to discover, to know, and to find relevance in their studies by finding connections with the outside world.

Throughout this year, the students continue to expand their sense of place in the world. They plunge into the Age of Revolution, and embark on a study of noteworthy individuals who have found the courage to follow their passions in revolt against the status quo. In addition to their continued inquiry into scientific phenomena and experimentation, students study the lives and struggles of scientists and inventors who first discovered chemical and electrical laws. These studies ground students in the human aspect of scientific thought, while providing a picture of the profound effects of modern technology upon society and culture.

Eighth Grade Curriculum:

• Practical writing;
• Shakespeare;
• History from the Age of Revolution to the present;
• World geography (Africa, Asia and Australia);
• Physics (electricity and magnetism);
• Organic chemistry;
• Algebra;
• Solid geometry;
• Meteorology and climatology.

The eighth grade year marks the students’ final year with their Class Teacher, and culminates in the completion of their Waldorf grade school experience. Given the huge step these students are about to take in the world, the curriculum is designed to inspire passion and highlight the incredible potential of the human mind and soul. It is our hope that our students will graduate with compelling questions that will continue to fuel their love of learning for years to come.

Young adolescents now reach a developmental stage where their inner life of feeling can take extreme forms in their search for independence. The age is characterised by: 

• Birth of the newfound and still tentative identity and personal freedom.
• The awakening of stringent logic and thinking potential that requires distance from one's own self and other people.
• The search for balance between intellectuality and the realm of passion and urge-driven will.
• The experience of the emergence of a higher ideal in humanity.

They need the guidance of strong ideals to orient their strong will to engage on life. Class 9 & 10 children need to be handled with clear explanations, sympathetic understanding and open hearted humor from all adults around them.

Curriculum:

From Grade 9 onwards children transition to IGCSE curriculum.

Biology (0610)

Cambridge IGCSE Biology helps learners to understand the biological world in which they live and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments. The syllabus includes the basic principles and concepts that are fundamental to the subject, some current applications of biology, and a strong emphasis on practical skills.

Mathematics

(0580)

• The syllabus aims to develop competence and fluency with mathematical concepts, methods and skills, as well as a feel for numbers, patterns and relationships.
• It also places a strong emphasis on solving problems, presenting and interpreting results and gaining reasoning skills.

Chemistry

(0620)

• Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry aims to introduce students with the foundational concepts of Stoichiometry, Electrochemistry, Chemical energetics, Chemical reactions, Acids, bases and salts, The Periodic Table, Metals, Organic chemistry. 
• We take support of chemistry of the environment, experimental techniques and chemical analysis to help children understand these concepts

Physics

(0625)

• Cambridge IGCSE Physics aims to introduce foundational concepts of Motion, Force, Energy, Thermal Physics, Waves, Electricity and Magnetism.
• It also introduces Nuclear Physics and Space Physics.

English as Second Language

(0510/0511)

• The syllabus promotes active learning, develops thinking skills, and encourages intellectual engagement. It helps them develop the skills needed to respond to a range of information, media and texts.
• This framework supports an integrated approach to support the: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking.

Hindi – Elective 

(0549)

• Through the syllabus, children gain an understanding of how to use Hindi effectively in Hindi-speaking environments.
• The syllabus focuses on the linked language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, which can also form the basis for further, more in-depth language study.

Sanskrit 

(0599)

• This syllabus inspires children to develop their understanding of the Sanskrit language and literature.
• Children focus on skills of translation as well as appreciating literature, which places the texts in their philosophical, cultural, social and historical contexts.

Children at this age are highly motivated and also become aware of the social renewal that is needed in the community around them. Harnessing these energies through connecting with communities that are working towards a more inclusive and a better society for tomorrow, children at Swadhaa work consistently with organisations like Sagar mitra and Sadhana Village a haven for specially abled adults.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”
~ Benjamin Franklin

Children visit various professions ad companies as part of learning Sciences. Karigiri, Sugar factory (Daund) etc to name a few.

Their art lessons involve painting and drawing especially in black and white, the play between light and dark – which reflects a stage in life that they go through.

They also explore some Indian folk arts like Madhubani, Palm leaf painting, Linocut, along with portrait and landscape paintings.

Handwork of all kinds – woodwork, textiles, clothes, leather, paper crafts, basket work, ceramic and metal work etc. involving an element of designing form a part of their curriculum.

Singing & making music together is socially and therapeutically important at this age. Children engage in in singing together and making music together. This is integrated in their regular curriculum.

Children have sessions with Mentors and Mindfulness practitioners to delve deeper in questions that they have about life, people, relationships, beliefs, customs and everything that they experience.

Cultivating a calm inner self, a healthy body and mind is emphasized at Swadhaa. Children practice yoga, meditation and are are initiated in kriyas which bring alignment and integration of the whole human being.

Drama is an important component for learning at Swadhaa. In higher grades, children learn character development through drama. Children work with theatre specialists in honing their skills in this art and put up a presentation of their work. 

Journaling is an exercise that has been introduced for middle grades and we go much deeper in higher grades. Guided by the teacher, journaling helps students to connect with themselves which is very necessary, especially for 15, 16 years old.

Children travel for outdoor study camps as an extension of their syllabi. They also go out for treks and nature walks

Indian philosophy is marked by its unflinching devotion to search for truth. This spirit led to the formation of method of philosophical discussion which is brought to children to introduce to them disciplines of thought and the criteria of right thinking. Hence, children are introduced to the Darshan Shastras of India.