Teaching Mathematics for First and Second Grade in Waldorf Schools, by Ernst Schuberth

For Waldorf teachers, math is often one of the more difficult subjects to teach. On the one hand, memories of our own school days can cloud our view of the developmental needs of the child; while on the other hand, Steiner's many indications do not form a cohesive structure for the math curriculum. Thus, many different ways of teaching were developed during Waldorf pedagogy's seventy-year history. This diversity underscores the responsibility each teacher carries for his/her lessons. This guide does not intend in any way to diminish this responsibility, but seeks to contribute to a unified view of Steiner indications for a developmentally appropriate math curriculum. Our approach may differ from existing ones, mainly in directly and quickly beginning math activities and avoiding pictures when introducing the numbers. Other differences may exist as well.

Contents: The First Math Block; The Math Operations (The Four Processes); Memory Formation; Math Weaknesses and Developmental Foundations of Math; Math Plays; Rudolf Steiner on the Introduction of Processes in Connection with the Temperaments

Ernst Schuberth is a mathematician, Waldorf high school teacher, and Waldorf teacher educator. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, he has taught courses for teachers and mentored schools in many western and eastern European countries and in the United States.