Alongside the study of fractions, local geography, and Man and Animal, this year’s central topic is a spirit of brave exploration.
The Fourth Year – Gaining Self-Control
Class 4 strike out with increasing confidence as they overcome the fading bliss of early childhood.
This age group’s boisterous manner is captured by the Norse Myths, and these myths tell a different creation story to the biblical one, familiar from last year.
This cultural age is also presented without historic dates and detail, but with a vivid description of its spiritual imagery that lets the children feel deeply involved in each story.
Norse Myths and Legends
This age group loves to hear of the mighty World Ash Yggdrasil with its nine homeworlds that are peopled by brutal frost giants and hideous trolls, fair elves and cunning dwarves.
A dragon dwells in the Underworld, mankind lives in Midgard, and the gods in Asgard above.
Wise Odin, fierce Thor, gentle Freya, beautiful Baldur, wild Skadi and sly Loki – the characters of the Norse gods are a mirror for the children’s soul forces as they wrangle and clash, hold council, forge alliances or negotiate a truce.
Form Drawing in Class 4
In contrast with this age group’s often turbulent social interactions, drawing Nordic knotwork requires calm focus.
The logic of its interwoven paths trains our inherent human power of self-control in the act of their creation.
Homework Begins
First small tasks of homework now aim to strengthen the all-important faculty of self-management.
Such homework is not ‘to learn more’ but to recreate the task-oriented focus of the classroom elsewhere and out of one’s own will.
This is not easy for most children and will remain a challenge for years to come. Even so, homework is regarded as yet another skill that needs patient practice.
Old Norse Culture
In the second half of the year, a study of Viking culture with its alliterative poetry takes up the theme once more.
Class 4 recite verses of Ragnarok from the Edda, speaking strongly and with proper feeling.
Powerful images of “the mighty doom of triumphant gods” speak to them, and doom is a favourite word as the children decorate their drawing of a knotwork serpent with a message in runes.
Knowing the runic alphabet provides the means to write secret messages, which appeals greatly to this age group.
The wish to emulate Norse warriors in doing battle is met with a Viking board game that lets the children pit their wits against each other.
At the same time, the social art of folk dancing is practised for its spirit of neighbourliness and inclusion.
Reading in Public
A reading event to celebrate World Book Day with an audience of invited family members demonstrates that the children read very well indeed.
It also shows that all earlier parental anxiety about the Waldorf School’s late start in literacy is now quite forgotten.
Achievements and Challenges
Towards the end of the year, a general blossoming of skills and talents can be observed.
The class is now able to work more independently – though much less quietly. Good habits that were a matter of course are beginning to slip.
Constant interaction with one’s friends takes on a new importance as the soul feels ever more separate from its surroundings.
And to achieve the essential focus for listening and learning will from now on require an act of conscious self-control.
