Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, 40 Dodgingtown Road, is set to host a virtual First Grade Readiness Evening for parents and teachers.

The internationally recognized Waldorf pedagogy is most known for honoring childhood while at the same time providing rigorous academics in a low-stress, art-rich environment.

The Waldorf curriculum counters undue academic stress that may be placed on children at a young age. To support meaningful, hands-on learning that engages the whole child and supports the unfolding of their capacities, the arts are used to teach virtually every academic subject. Art engages the imagination, develops capacities, improves conceptual understanding, fosters empathy, supports the parasympathetic nervous system, and promotes a sense of beauty and wonder. Waldorf Education nurtures the sense of awe where true learning takes root — information is turned into knowledge and know-how; a lifelong sense of wonder leads to wisdom.

When a Waldorf teacher looks at a child to determine if they are ready for first grade, the age guideline is only the beginning. The teacher must consider physical, social/emotional, and intellectual development, all of which point to a fundamental shift in consciousness from the kindergarten child. It is this transformative change, occurring around the traditional age 6 or 7 for entering grade school, which enables a child to take up academic work in a new way.

The task as parents and educators is to recognize the outer signs of this very subtle inner process, an announcement for the event reads. The timing of the transition from early childhood education to grade school affects children’s capacities and confidence life-long. Connecticut is one of eight states with the earliest age cut-off for kindergarten and first grade ,which results in them being among the youngest students in college since they attend with students from all over the country.

This event is free. Attendees are asked to RSVP at waldorfct.org/visit to receive the zoom meeting invite.