A basic premise in Waldorf educational theory is that each child recapitulates, in her/his development, the development or evolution of mankind as a whole. Rudolf Steiner taught that, during the current "great epoch" of evolution on Earth, mankind has passed through a succession of "cultural epochs" [1]. These cultural epochs began with ancient Indian culture [2], which was succeeded by the cultures of ancient Persia, ancient Egypt and Chaldea, and so on, up to the present day [3]. It ought to be possible, then, to trace the development of children along an arc that replicates the trajectory of these cultural/evolutionary stages. We might conclude that very young children (say up to the end of first grade) stand at the developmental level of ancient India, second graders stand at the level of ancient Persia, and so on.

Standard Waldorf programs are indeed structured, at least approximately, along these lines. Thus, first and second graders are told fairy tales, legends, and fables (appropriate to mankind at its earliest stages). Third graders usually study Old Testament stories (appropriate to the time of ancient Egypt). Fourth graders are told Norse myths (appropriate to a somewhat later time in northern Europe [4]). Fifth graders are told Greek myths (appropriate for the early Greco-Roman period). And so forth. 

But Waldorf teachers should not be to overly doctrinaire in following this schema. There is debate within the Waldorf movement over the exact sequence of subjects to be studied and whether or not Steiner laid down absolute rules governing this. Some prominent Waldorf teachers have argued that Steiner did not. Thus, for instance, Waldorf teacher Stephen Sagarin [5] has written this:

"Beyond inferences from Steiner's work, the idea that the Waldorf curriculum must include Norse myths in fourth grade or Greek history in fifth grade — curricular practices common in Waldorf schools — is difficult to discover. It's not in well-known lecture cycles that [Steiner] gave on education, nor is it in The Study of Man and its correlates [6], nor may it be found in Stockmeyer's or Heydebrand's well-known descriptions of German Waldorf school curricula [7]." — Stephen Sagarin, "What Is Waldorf Education?", SOUTHERN CROSS REVIEW, No. 68, Jan.-Feb. 2010.

Nonetheless, Steiner's guidance — vague though it was in some areas — has led to a general consensus in the Waldorf community that children develop according to a set pattern, one that humanity as a whole has followed; and therefore there is a correct time for children to study certain subjects [8]. If we loosen up a bit, not aiming for a strict stage-by-stage delineation, we might reach the following description of the general Waldorf view: Children up to about the end of second grade pass through stages comparable, more or less, to ancient India and Persia. Kids from third through sixth grade pass through stages approximately comparable to ancient Egypt, Chaldea, Greece, and Rome [9]. Kids in seventh grade and higher pass through stages roughly comparable to English and German cultures (medieval up to early modern), and then — perhaps — the succeeding cultures of the modern and perhaps post-modern world [10].

Bearing in mind the approximate nature of this overview, we can find the Waldorf consensus reflected in the curriculum advocated by British Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson [11]. Here are a few excerpts of an outline of the Waldorf curriculum prepared by Wilkinson. I have taken this material from Wilkinson's book COMMONSENSE SCHOOLING - Based on the Indications of Rudolf Steiner (Henry Goulden, 1975; reissued by other publishers up to at least 1989). Wilkinson listed many subjects to be studied at the various grade levels; I have pulled out a few examples that are particularly indicative.

Class 1. Ages 6/7

Story Material: Fairy stories. Russian folk tales. Grimm. [12]

Science: Not as such but descriptions of environment, including flora and fauna.

Religion: Not as such but in story form. [13]

Class 2. Ages 7/8

Story Material: Fables and legends. [14]

Science: Not as such but enlarge knowledge of surroundings in story form.

Religion: Special stories [15].

Class 3. Ages 8/9

Story Material: Old Testament stories. [16]

Science: Not as such but special periods might be given under the headings of (1) farming and gardening; (2) housebuilding; (3) any other practical activity.

Religion: Stories. Biographies (Saints). Phenomena of nature.

Class 4. Ages 9/10

Story Material: Norse stories. [17]

Science: Special period 'Man and Animal'.

Religion: Stories, biographies.

History [18]: Study of immediate environment.

Class 5. Ages 10/11

Story Material: Greek stories. [19] Stories from history.

Science: Special study on 'Plants'.

Religion: Stories. Biographies. The life of Christ [20].

History: Ancient civilizations (mythology [21]). India, Persia, Egypt.

Class 6. Ages 11/12

Story Material: Folk lore and background literature for other lessons.

Science: In physics: heat, light, sound, magnetism, electricity.

Religion: Biographies. Life of Christ [22].

History: Greece and Rome to the Renaissance [23].

Class 7. Ages 12/13

Story Material: Tales of chivalry. King Arthur [24].

Science: In physics: Nutrition and hygiene. Mechanics. In chemisy: first concepts, chemistry in industry.

Religion: New Testament [25].

History: Renaissance to 17th Century.

Class 8. Ages 13/14

Story Material: Dickens [26], explorers' tales, anything relevant to main lesson teaching [27]. 

Science: Physics and chemistry. Man as microcosm [28].

Religion: New Testament [29]. Biographies. Philosophical ideas [30].

History: 17th century to present [31].

[Classes 9-12. Ages 15/18]

In the next four years (15 to 18) studies are on as wide a scale as possible. [32] Of special value will be the story of the evolution of man [33] ... Otherwise the work already started is extended on all sides ... Other studies would be anthropology and ethnography [34] ... World religions might be given as a final cultural study [35]. 

— Roy Wilkinson, COMMONSENSE SCHOOLING (Henry Goulden, 1975), pp. 62-66.

Waldorf student art,

courtesy of People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools.

Endnotes

[1] See "Epochs". Steiner taught that before life on Earth, we lived "on" Saturn, Sun, and Moon. [See "Evolution, Anyone?"]

[2] I.e., Asian Indian (not American Indian).

[3] These are the cultural epochs and their approximate dates:

Ancient Indian: 7227 B.C. (sinking of Atlantis) to 5007 B.C.

Ancient Persian: 5007 B.C. to 2907 B.C.

Egypto-Chaldean: 2907 B.C. to 747 B.C.

Greco-Roman: 747 B.C. to 1413 A.D.

Anglo-Germanic: 1413 A.D. to 3573 A.D.

Note that the end of the Anglo-Germanic cultural epoch lies in the future. Following it, two more cultural epochs will occur:

Russian: 3573 A.D. to 5733 A.D.

American: 5733 A.D. to ~7900 A.D.

[See Stewart C. Easton, MAN AND THE WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophic Press, 1989), p. 37, and Richard Seddon, THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH AS FORESEEN BY RUDOLF STEINER (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2009), pp. 16ff.]

[4] Steiner taught that myths are, in general, true. He was paricularly partial to Norse myths — the mythology of northern Europe, including Germany. Steiner said that Norse myths give an accurate picture of future human evolution. 

◊ “Actual facts concerning the higher Spiritual Worlds lie at the foundation of all myths.” — Rudolf Steiner, UNIVERSE, EARTH AND MAN in their Relationship to Egyptian Myths and Modern Civilization (Kessinger Publishing, 2003), p. 94 {facsimile of 1931 H. Collison edition}, GA 105. 

◊ “Myths...are the memories of the visions people perceived in olden times ... At night they were really surrounded by the world of the Nordic gods of which the legends tell. [The Norse gods] Odin, Freya, and all the other figures in Nordic mythology were...experienced in the spiritual world with as much reality as we experience our fellow human beings around us today.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 198.

[5] Sagarin has been executive director of the Berkshire Waldorf School in Massachussetts, USA, and he has been an associate professor in Waldorf teacher education at the Sunbridge Institute in New York State.

[6] STUDY OF MAN is a series of lectures Steiner delivered, laying out the basic principles of Waldorf education. It has been published under various titles. Most pertinent is THE FOUNDATIONS OF EXPERIENCE, The Foundations of Waldorf Education, Vol. 1 (Anthroposophic Press, 1996).

[7] E. A. Karl Stockmeyer and Caroline von Heydebrand both published descriptions of the curriculum created by Rudolf Steiner for the first Waldorf school. See E. A. Karl Stockmeyer, RUDOLF STEINER'S CURRICULUM FOR STEINER-WALDORF SCHOOLS (Floris Books, 2015) and Caroline von Heydebrand and Daniel Jonathan Hindes, THE CURRICULUM OF THE FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL (Aelzina Books, 2021).

[8] Sagarin quotes Peter Curran, who for many years taught history in a Waldorf school: 

"As each child’s consciousness matures, it recapitulates the cultural epochs of all Mankind. Waldorf education agrees with Emerson when he says that all children go through a Greek period and a Roman period, etc. There is, then, a proper time and method for particular subjects to be taught." [https://southerncrossreview.org/68/sagarin-waldorf.htm]

(Disclosure: I attended the Waldorf school where Curran worked. I took history classes from him, I played on sports teams he coached, and one year I had a job at a Waldorf-related summer camp where he and his wife were counselors. — R.R.)

[9] That is, they recapitulate the Egypto-Chaldean cultrural epoch and then the Greco-Roman cultural epoch. 

[10] That is, they embody the levels of the Anglo-Germanic culural epoch as these could be understoood when Waldorf education was created (the world Steiner knew as the present), and then they may may come to embody even more recent variants of these levels. (It would be stretch to imagine they might anticipate the coming Russian and American cultural epochs, which lie centuries in the future. But imagining this would not be wholly beyond the Anthroposophical mindset.)

[11] According to SteinerBooks, 

"Roy Wilkinson was an indefatigable teacher of children, lecturer, author, and inspirer of many people in the Waldorf movement in the UK and abroad, right up to his death at the age of 90 in 2007." [https://steinerbooks.presswarehouse.com/browse/author/f317fcfe-f899-4be6-9223-e3eea8f76d2a/Wilkinson-Roy?page=1]

[12] As I indicated earlier, fairy tales are presumably appropriate for the entertainment and instruction of humans at the earliest stages of development. Bear in mind that, according to Steiner, such stories are not mere flights of fancy — they are fundamentally true. 

“Fairy tales are never thought out [i.e., invented]; they are the final remains of ancient clairvoyance [a power that produced true insights] ... All the fairy tales in existence are thus the remnants of the original clairvoyance.” — Rudolf Steiner, ON THE MYSTERY DRAMAS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1983), p. 93.

In his book THE INTERPRETATION OF FAIRY TALES, Wilkinson gives detailed reinterpretations of many fairy tales, making them consistent with Anthroposophical beliefs. [See "Fairy Tales".]

"Grimm" is a reference to the brothers Grimm, who gathered a wide assortment of fairytales,  many of them Germanic. In Waldorf schools, "Grimms' fairy tales" are often treated as especially potent and true.

[13] Thus, simple Bible stories — and perhaps tales from other religions — would complement the fairy tales told in grade one. (Note that Wilkenson later prescribes Old Testament stories, probably told in more sophisticated form, for third grade, and New Testament stories for seventh grade.)

[14] These are similar to fairy tales, but somewhat more down-to-earth. 

"Fable - story in which animals speak and act as human beings ... Fables and stories of saints form part of the story-telling curriculum of Class Two in Waldorf schools." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 43. 

Legends are traditional stories believed to convey historical truths. For Steiner, legends are related to myths (which he said are basically true). 

"[M]en have obtained mighty revelations...which were expressed in the legendary form of myths and which have arisen out of deep wisdom." — Rudolf Steiner, "The Wisdom Contained in Ancient Documents and in the Gospels", ANTHROPOSOPHIC NEWS SHEET, No. 26, 1937, GA 125.

[15] "Special stories" is an evocative but extremely vague term — it at least hints at the possibility that Anthroposophical tales may be told. Anthroposophical authors have written numerous magical tales (in effect, newly minted fairy tales) about, for example, gnomes and other supernatural beings; sometimes these have been published by Waldorf educational associations.  See, e.g., Waldorf teacher Jacob Streit's LIPUTTO — Stories of Gnomes and Trolls (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, 1999).

[16] If third graders stand at the level of ancient Egypt, Old Testament stories would be particularly appropriate for them. (A smattering of Egyptian legends and myths would also be appropriate, obviously.) Ancient Egyptians and ancient Hebrews lived at about the same time, and indeed their interactions are depicted in some Old Testament stories (such as Moses leading the Israelities out of Egypt).

In his book COMMENTARY ON OLD TESTAMENT STORIES, Wilkinson gives detailed reinterpretations of these stories, making them consistent with Anthroposophical beliefs. ["Old Testament".]

[17] As indicated earlier, Norse myths are presumably appropriate for human beings more advanced than ancient Egyptians. Indeed, according to Anthroposophical beliefs, Norse myths contain important truths about human evolution. 

“No other mythology gives a clearer picture of evolution than Northern mythology. Germanic mythology [i.e., Norse mythology] in its pictures is close to the anthroposophical conception of future evolution.” — THE MISSION OF THE FOLK SOULS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), a collection of Rudolf Steiner lectures, p. 17, lecture synopsis. 

In at least some Waldorf schools, Norse myths arise again later in the curriculum, often during the high school years.

[18] According to Wilkinson, history is not taught to Waldorf students before fourth grade. (And note that even in fourth grade, "history" classes provide no information about the past. The situation is somewhat similar to Waldorf science classes, which are distinctly devoid of regular scientific content in the early grades.)

[19] Fifth graders presumably stand at about the developmental level of ancient Greeks.

[20] The Waldorf curriculum seems to take on a distinctly Christian cast from this point on. But bear in mind that, in Anthroposophical belief, Christ is not really the figure found in the New Testament — the Anthroposophical Christ is, instead, the Sun God. [See "Sun God".]

[21] To reiterate a key point: In Waldorf belief, myths are considered to be essentially true. Myths originating at various stages of human evolution are thought to reflect the course of our evolution. 

"Myth — a story passed down through the ages which embodies a certain stage or cycle in the development of human consciousness ... [H]uman consciousness is not a fixed attribute but a purposeful sequence of evolving states of consciousness, from the beginnning of Creation on Old Saturn through to Vulcan." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 84. 

(Old Saturn, in Anthroposophical belief, was the first stage of human evolution, occurring long before we began our lives on Earth. Vulcan or Future Vulcan will be the seventh stage of human evolution, occurring far in the future.)

Study of myths may occur in Waldorf "history" classes because myths are thought to convey reliable information, especially about the earliest stages of human development. 

[22] Note: This repeats the same subject from the previous grade. (Precisely what account the students are given may be questionable. In Anthroposophical belief, there were two boys named Jesus, each living a portion of the "life of Christ" as described in the New Testament. [See "Steiner's Fifth Gospel".] Whether Waldorf students are told this will vary from school to school and from teacher to teacher.)

[23] This takes in a tremendous span of time, and in many Waldorf schools sixth grade may not be designed to cover this entire span. More typically, the sixth grade curriculum in Waldorf schooks focuses on ancient Greece and Rome. Sixth graders are generally deemed to stand at the level of ancient Romans.

[24] These are medieval legends. Although Wilkinson indicates that sixth grade carries students up to the Renaissance, the reference to medieval tales here suggests that seventh graders are still working their way through the Middle Ages. Note, however, that seventh-grade history classes press forward as far as the 17th century, according to Wilkinson.

[25] The apparent Christian character of the curriculum continues here, with evident study of the actual texts of the Christian books of the Bible. (The question arises, whether an Anthroposophical interpretation of these biblical texts is given, or at least hinted at, by Waldorf teachers. Steiner radically reinterpreted the New Testament. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Fifth Gospel".])

[26] I.e., Charles Dickens, the 19th century British novelist.

[27] In a typical Waldorf school day, the "main lesson" is the first and longest lesson of the day. It sets the theme and tone for at least some of the subsequent lessons of the day.

[28] This is the idea, affirmed in Anthroposophy, that the human being is a small replica of the universe. [See "The Center".] This is not, by ordinary reckoning, a "scientific" concept that should be included in science classes.

[29] This study continues from the previous year.

[30] In Waldorf schools, Anthroposophical concepts and beliefs are sometimes introduced to students under the guise of "philosophical ideas" or speculations.

[31] Waldorf education largely stands in opposition to modernity. Note that the modern world gets short shrift, packed into a survey that races across multiple centuries. (In the curricula of at least some other schools, precisely the opposite happens: Recent centuries, in which events highly relevant to the present occurred, are examined in more detail than preceding periods.)

[32] Waldorf teachers are often given wide latitude to decide how to run their classes and how to teach their subjects. [See "Core Principles".] This becomes even more the case in Waldorf high schools. Not only are subjects taught "on as wide a scale as possible," but in his discussion of the high school years Wilkinson refrains for breaking things down by year or by subject. Teachers will make their own decisions.

[33] How this is presented can be extremely important. The basic narrative of Anthroposophy follows Steiner's occult account of evolution. [See "historical narrative of Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.] The most recent stages of this narrative, occurring here on Earth, provide the backbone of Waldorf education: the developmental phases reflected in the curriculum as we are examining it here.

[34] Anthropology is the study of human cultures. Ethnology is the study of different peoples and (at least in the past) races. If, in a Waldorf school, study of these subjects is shaded to reflect Anthroposophical beliefs (as may easily occur), then the school is proseltyzing for Steiner's belief system.

[35] Anthroposophy incorporates beliefs from many world religions. Thus, although Anthroposophy may seem to be Christian, it is polytheistic and includes such non-Christian beliefs as karma and reincarnation. [See, e.g., "Polytheism".] If, in a Waldorf school, study of world religions is shaded to reflect Anthroposophical beliefs (as may easily occur), then the school is proseltyzing for Steiner's belief system. (Such proselytzing may be considered appropriate during the high school years —  grades nine through twelve — because the students are approaching adulthood, and Steiner indicated that only adults can actually understand Anthroposophy. Younger people may feel  Anthroposophy and absorb it more or less unconsciously, but only adults can cope with it as a body of formulated mental concepts.)

— Compilation, commentary, and endnotes by Roger Rawlings

Waldorf student art.