2nd Grade

A Bit About 2nd Grade

The Waldorf second grade year is rich and full of excitement as the child learn how to be a part of a class while exploring their independence. Building on the foundation of first grade, students enter the second grade with a sense of confidence in the daily rhythm and an established relationship and comfort with their class teacher, and what is expected in the classroom setting. Each day the class continues to work to form healthy classroom habits, such as being respectful and considerate of others, taking turns and listening to one another. The children practice how to sit in their chairs, to sit up attentively during recall and story and to take care of their desk contents. Through the telling of fables and legends of diverse cultures, children begin to gain an understanding of human moral lessons, presented through the characterization of animals in the fables. They also experience biography for the first time through hearing the life stories of saints and sages - striving humans who may have lived long ago on the cusp of recorded history - St. George, Saint Lucia, or more recently, Mother Teresa. These stories of noble deeds meet the children by creating a sense of wonder and admiration for the human striving; while at the same time, the rich fables bring animals and their self serving behavior that can reflect the developmental stage of the second grade Waldorf child - it represents the duality that can live in the eight year old human. Through these stories, children are able to better understand themselves and make sense of the world around them, through humorous and significant stories brought by the class teacher.