How Steiner Education Prepares Your Children For Primary School Success

A child’s early years are often filled with curiosity, wonder, and a natural drive to explore. Activities like painting with bright colours, building imaginative worlds, and playing hide-and-seek can shed light on where their lifelong learning begins. These formative experiences are important for children to excel academically. That said, parents typically prepare their child’s early childhood education, focusing on academic skills such as reading letters and numbers. However, aspects like emotional intelligence, creativity, and adaptability tend to be overlooked. This is where Steiner Education bridges this gap nurtures the whole child and builds a strong foundation for a confident transition into primary school. Foundation of Steiner Education Steiner (Waldorf) Education's core guiding principles are a holistic approach to education based on the “Head, Heart, and Hands” approach. This means children develop their way of thinking, feeling, and doing in a coordinated manner. This balanced method of teaching supports your child in a holistic way to nurture their potential. For example, Steiner schools across Australia simulate the “Head” approach through engaging storytelling. The “Heart” is nurtured through arts and music, while the “Hands” are strengthened in physical activities like gardening, woodwork, and handcrafting. In fact, the Australian Education Research Organisation cites that children’s executive functions are related to their brain development. This means that the set of complementary skills they learn in early childhood education influences the way they adapt their learning and behaviour. Implementing Play as Early Childhood Education The best Steiner schools for early childhood education emphasise the integration of play as the foundation of learning. Through this curriculum, children are encouraged to imitate everyday life, explore reasoning, and develop imagination through sensory-rich environments. In the primary and high school years, Steiner education features the Main Lesson, which is an extended focus on one subject over several weeks. In Early Childhood, learning unfolds through daily rhythms, play, imitation, and practical activities such as crafts, storytelling, and baking. Educators also believe that experience nurtures the child in body, mind, and spirit. This contrasts with tech-heavy, desk-based early childhood education that we commonly know. Cultivating Curiosity and Creativity for Children In Perth, when children move from early childhood schools to the best private primary schools, simply knowing how to read and count isn’t enough. A child of primary school age should emulate the combination of confidence, curiosity, and creativity that a Waldorf curriculum embodies. In fact, the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia aims to promote confidence and creativity among young learners. This framework is used by educators and approved providers who work in children’s educational programs. As such, Steiner’s holistic approach to education is grounded in the “Head, Heart and Hands” approach to achieve this goal. Build Your Child’s Early Education at Perth Waldorf School A child’s early childhood education sets the trajectory for their lifelong learning. As parents, preparing them for their upcoming years should not merely focus on academic skill sets. Nurturing emotional intelligence, curiosity, creativity, and confidence should also be prioritised. That said, the Steiner Education curriculum encourages these traits in early education. Perth Waldorf School is a leading Steiner school, based in Bibra Lake, Western Australia. Our institution provides an exceptional educational experience for your child, grounded in Rudolf Steiner’s principles for cultivating intellectual, emotional, and practical skills. For more information, get in touch with us today! Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Here are additional insights to help you better understand how Steiner Education approaches early childhood learning: What is the Steiner approach to early childhood education? The Steiner approach to early childhood education focuses on nurturing the child in body, mind, and spirit. This can be done through play, rhythm, imagination, and real-life experiences. It is also an approach that encourages children to learn naturally by exploring their environment, building social skills, and developing curiosity. How is Steiner Education different? Unlike traditional learning models that predominantly emphasise academics, Steiner Education focuses on developmental readiness. This involves fostering creativity, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, as well as academic capacities. It is an approach that values balance to cultivate confident, compassionate, capable, and curious learners. What is the Steiner method of teaching? A Steiner educator’s method of teaching integrates experiential, artistic, and academic rigour. Learning is both creative and structured, combining storytelling, music, movement, and nature exploration with clear expectations and intellectual challenge. The teacher’s role is to guide students with consistency and care, cultivating a classroom where imagination, discipline, and curiosity grow together.