The three stages of development - from Rudolf Steiner
The first seven years: imitation
"Imitation is the special talent that characterizes the period up to the age of six or seven. The young child mimics everything in the environment uncritically-not only the sounds of speech, the gestures of people, but also the attitudes and values of parents and peers" *
"The child at this age has an intuitive sense for goodness and reverence and the environment surrounding the child needs to honour and reflect this. There are strong will forces at work during this period and the children learn naturally through doing — it is the life of action and of will that predominates at this time and if supported will lay the basis for a healthy will in adulthood" *
"The best education for the child through these years is given by providing a warm, safe, nurturing environment, with the rhythms and routines of mealtimes and rest, family celebrations, simple stories and music, and surroundings filled with natural beauty, colour, gentle manners, good nutritious food and the experience of the world of nature – the stones, the sea, the rivers, and plants and animals through the seasons.
All this allows the child to develop trust in the goodness of the world and those around them – an increasingly more difficult task when so many things are happening around us today that produce anxiety and fear for us as adults. Nevertheless it is by providing such security that children will develop resilience and an ability to cope with the increasing pressures we experience in the world. In these young years we do not make demands on intellectual learning but provide a place for them to play and develop social awareness. Their thinking at this age is centred in their doing, that is they learn through what they do." *
"Imitation is the special talent that characterizes the period up to the age of six or seven. The young child mimics everything in the environment uncritically-not only the sounds of speech, the gestures of people, but also the attitudes and values of parents and peers" *
"The child at this age has an intuitive sense for goodness and reverence and the environment surrounding the child needs to honour and reflect this. There are strong will forces at work during this period and the children learn naturally through doing — it is the life of action and of will that predominates at this time and if supported will lay the basis for a healthy will in adulthood" *
"The best education for the child through these years is given by providing a warm, safe, nurturing environment, with the rhythms and routines of mealtimes and rest, family celebrations, simple stories and music, and surroundings filled with natural beauty, colour, gentle manners, good nutritious food and the experience of the world of nature – the stones, the sea, the rivers, and plants and animals through the seasons.
All this allows the child to develop trust in the goodness of the world and those around them – an increasingly more difficult task when so many things are happening around us today that produce anxiety and fear for us as adults. Nevertheless it is by providing such security that children will develop resilience and an ability to cope with the increasing pressures we experience in the world. In these young years we do not make demands on intellectual learning but provide a place for them to play and develop social awareness. Their thinking at this age is centred in their doing, that is they learn through what they do." *
The second seven years: imagination
"What is now eager to be exercised is a new capacity for memory, one that is nourished by a rich pictorial, feeling style of thinking. Now they learn through what they feel. They need to feel both the laughter and the tears of life each day. For this reason the primary years of education are characterised by an artistically rich story-based curriculum that gives the child a harmoniously balanced day. The focus of this period is to awaken a living creative activity in the developing thought life." *
"Now, for the first time in her life, the child is wholly herself. This is manifest as the child develops: on the one hand, a new and vivid life of imagination, and on the other, a readiness for more formal learning. She both expresses and experiences life through finely tuned and delicate feelings. As the child moves through these years, the faculty for more sequential and logical thought begins to unfold. Yet careful handling is necessary, for while this faculty needs nurturing, the ability to be fully at home in the world of imagination remains the child's most vital asset." *
"What is now eager to be exercised is a new capacity for memory, one that is nourished by a rich pictorial, feeling style of thinking. Now they learn through what they feel. They need to feel both the laughter and the tears of life each day. For this reason the primary years of education are characterised by an artistically rich story-based curriculum that gives the child a harmoniously balanced day. The focus of this period is to awaken a living creative activity in the developing thought life." *
"Now, for the first time in her life, the child is wholly herself. This is manifest as the child develops: on the one hand, a new and vivid life of imagination, and on the other, a readiness for more formal learning. She both expresses and experiences life through finely tuned and delicate feelings. As the child moves through these years, the faculty for more sequential and logical thought begins to unfold. Yet careful handling is necessary, for while this faculty needs nurturing, the ability to be fully at home in the world of imagination remains the child's most vital asset." *
The third seven years: truth, discrimination, judgement
"With puberty, children enter into the third phase of their development. This phase is characterized by a wish to make one's life one’s own.
The adolescent begins to discover him/herself in the world of ideas. Ideas are to be enjoyed, explored, argued and absorbed. A personal search for truth emerges as does a new questioning — of themselves, parents, teachers, values, philosophies, society to name a few. This phase can be characterized by a life of thinking, crucial for the cultivation of good judgment, discernment and clarity of thought.
Associated with this comes a healthy and valuable idealism which, if not nurtured, can quickly descend into cynicism and, combined with the extreme sensitivity of this age-group can make for great vulnerability. Young people at this time are looking for role models and need to be surrounded by positive, compassionate adults who hold up a mirror showing all that a human being can become and can achieve." *
"With puberty, children enter into the third phase of their development. This phase is characterized by a wish to make one's life one’s own.
The adolescent begins to discover him/herself in the world of ideas. Ideas are to be enjoyed, explored, argued and absorbed. A personal search for truth emerges as does a new questioning — of themselves, parents, teachers, values, philosophies, society to name a few. This phase can be characterized by a life of thinking, crucial for the cultivation of good judgment, discernment and clarity of thought.
Associated with this comes a healthy and valuable idealism which, if not nurtured, can quickly descend into cynicism and, combined with the extreme sensitivity of this age-group can make for great vulnerability. Young people at this time are looking for role models and need to be surrounded by positive, compassionate adults who hold up a mirror showing all that a human being can become and can achieve." *
Below I've uploaded a copy of a collection of lectures by Rudolf Steiner on the changes and stages of consciousness of the growing child. For more links to Steiner education, including other books based on his methods, see the appendix page at the end of this project.
You can also download this file directly from the link below.
childs_changing_consciousness.pdf | |
File Size: | 640 kb |
File Type: |
I would really like to look much deeper into Steiner philosophy than I am able to within the boundaries of what is necessary for this project. I think that this is one of the things I may be exploring doing some extra study on in the near future.
But, understanding a little of how children are developing emotionally and intellectually at each phase of development really helps give some guidance on how to approach lesson plans for each age range. |
To return to the main project page please click here