How to choose stories for Class 2 (age 8)

Stories for eight year olds

In Waldorf/Steiner Education, Fables, Legends and Stories about Holy Men and women are the main stories told to Class 2 children (seven to eight year-olds).

This is based on the developmental needs of the eight-year old child, and the stories are aimed at meeting them at that stage.

Here is an excerpt from my Master’s Thesis on Developing a Waldorf Curriculum in Asia:

Developmental Profile and Needs

Eight-year-olds remain in a largely self-created psychological landscape, developed from the imagination and inner life. They are more alert to what happens around them, and are drawn to contrasting ideas of the religious as well as mischief.

In contrast to the wholeness of the previous year, in Class 2, a mood of contrast or polarisation often surfaces, which can be seen in the way the children relate to one another. Stories of contrasting human qualities portrayed by holy people and saints in legends and by animals in fables can be told to help children through this stage. Strong leadership is needed from the teachers, through consistency of approach and the power of imagination. From the images they are given, the children derive direction and form (Avison and Rawson, 2014).

The curriculum should cultivate a sense for the breadth and richness of feelings and emotions. Learning through movement and organic imagery awakens the intellect through the artistic approach.

 

Curriculum Objectives and Themes

Fables highlight the lower aspects of the human soul. This is appropriate for the eight-year-old child, who has become ‘clever’ and enjoys wit and trickery. The cleverly devised fable meets them on their own ground.

“It works like a homoeopathic remedy: clothed in the form of fable, the intellect treats the very illness it causes. The intellect is linked to the rise in egoism and the fable holds a mirror to its baser inclinations. The fable offers the child a first and gentle awakening to her less agreeable aspects” (Kornberger, 2013, p.128-129).

In the same way, the saint legends do the same for the higher self. While the fable deals with animal instincts, and portrays vices in the form of animals, the legends depict virtues and goodness in the inspiring lives of saints and heroes. Between them, legend and fable provide a balanced perspective of the human soul. This helps the children to orient themselves in a world they are slowly awakening to (Kornberger, 2013).

 

These images from legend and history are aimed at cultivating and guiding the will, enabling the growing children to find their personal direction and values.

– End of excerpt –

You may read the complete thesis: Developing a Waldorf Curriculum in Asia.

 

A note on telling Saint Stories:
In my selection of stories, I have tried to choose stories that reflect a multi-faith and multi-cultural classroom, and focus less on specific religions, and more on universal values of truth, love and compassion, one’s quiet intuition, inner wisdom and moral compass. A religious saint story about a Divine revelation might be told in terms of “hearing a voice speaking to his heart”, “having a strong feeling” or conviction, having a “strange unsettled feeling”, or “something told her” that she should do something. The idea is not to glorify the saint, but to make the experience more accessible and practical- the children then learn that they can listen out for an inner voice of wisdom when they make choices.