Early Years at Holywood Steiner School
Preschool - children aged 3-4 years
Katie Clements, Preschool Assistant (left) and Angela Clements, Preschool Leader
In our Preschool, the child is learning primarily through imitation. Most of the child’s day consists of meaningful work and activities with a purpose, such as baking, gardening, doing laundry, cleaning, and taking care of the Preschool room. Our children also explore creative activities through painting and modelling using natural materials.
The day is structured so that there is a varied pace, with periods of free play and periods of concentrated activity, led by the teachers, providing a balance between times of activity and times of rest, known as breathing in and breathing out. This provides us with the rhythm in the room, which is an important part of Steiner education. The children enjoy a main meal each day which follows the grains of the weeks and incorporates an organic and vegetarian menu. Our children help to prepare the meals and serve them. This teaches them skills of cooperation, kindness towards others and responsibility.
As part of our day, the children spend time outside in the garden. Here they engage with nature and are encouraged to slow down and enjoy the gentleness of the world around them. They search for gnomes and fairies in the fairy garden, build little homes for the animals and care for the food they are growing in the vegetable patch. They make mud pies and use water and sand as a sensory experience. By doing this they learn valuable skills which include, problem solving, working with others, and caring for the environment.
Ring time is an important part of our day, as children sing traditional songs, rhythmical verses, including poems and fingerplays which are linked to the seasons and the many festivals we celebrate. This helps to focus the children’s attention, develop their linguistic skills, and strengthens their motor skills. Listening and clear articulation is practiced through this rhythmical recitation, which is repeated for a week or more. During the final movement we incorporate a meditation, when the children rest on the floor and experience hearing the quietness and feeling the calm.
When the children are relaxed and rested, we move to our story corner for our daily story. The mood is hushed, and the expectation is that the children will listen and respect that this is a quiet time. Nature tales, traditional stories and fairy tales are told, often using puppets. These are repeated to give all the children a chance to find a deeper relationship with them and to familiarise themselves with the material. Each story is carefully planned to make sure it is age and developmentally appropriate and we have the same story for a full week. When the story ends so does our day and the children sing a goodbye song to each other and join their parents.
To enquire about enrolment, please contact the school office on 028 9042 8029 or info@holywood-steiner.co.uk.
Alternatively if you are ready to apply, you can download an application form here.
