What Is Steiner Education (Waldorf Education)? — 100 Years of History, and What Research Has Shown

Why this topic is on parents’ minds

“Steiner education”—you’ve heard the name, there is a kindergarten like that nearby, rainbow-colored silks and wooden toys, knitted wool dolls, beautiful chalkboard drawings… you can sense that it has a distinctive worldview. But:

• How is it different from an ordinary kindergarten?
• What is “anthroposophy”? It sounds like mysticism, which bothers me a little…
• Is it true that they don’t use screens? We already let our child watch NHK E-Tele
• I hear they don’t teach letters and numbers early—won’t my child fall behind?

When choosing a kindergarten is right in front of you, questions like these never end. Because the method has continued for more than 100 years, information overflows when you look into it, and you can’t tell what to believe.

The origins and ideas of Steiner education

Steiner education was systematized by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), an Austrian-born philosopher and thinker.

1. 1861

   Rudolf Steiner is born in Austria (now part of Croatia)

   While young, he was involved in editing Goethe's writings on natural science, and moved on to research in philosophy and mystical thought.

2. 1900s

   He systematizes anthroposophy

   Leaving the Theosophical movement, he proposed 'anthroposophy,' his own exploration of the relationship between humans and the spiritual world. It developed into many fields of practice, including education, medicine, agriculture (biodynamic), and the arts (eurythmy).

3. 1919

   The first Waldorf school opens in Stuttgart

   At the request of Emil Molt, head of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory, a school for the children of factory workers opened (September 7, with 256 children). This is the origin of the name 'Waldorf education.'

4. 1925

   Steiner dies

   He died at age 64. The students and teachers he left behind spread the educational approach around the world.

5. 1968

   The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is founded

   A dozen or so schools in North America came together to launch an organization for sharing teacher training and maintaining quality.

6. Today

   About 900 schools operate in 83 countries around the world

   In Japan too, there are several dozen Steiner early childhood facilities and schools (such as member schools of the NPO Japan Association of Steiner Schools).

What matters here is the fact that Steiner education, too, was originally developed as a method for the children of factory workers. Its starting point is completely different from the image some people have today of “high-end education for wealthy families.”

About anthroposophy — a neutral introduction

Something you cannot avoid in understanding Steiner education is the worldview behind it, anthroposophy. This is a body of thought systematized by Rudolf Steiner himself, and it includes a distinctive view of human beings, such as “humans have three aspects—body, soul, and spirit—each of which develops over time” and “there are major turning points in children’s development in 7-year cycles (ages 0-7: will, 7-14: feeling, 14-21: thinking).”

Anthroposophy also includes elements of mystical thought such as reincarnation, karma, and the spiritual world, and some people take it as a religious or spiritual worldview, while others keep their distance.

What matters here is that at the level of practice, families do not necessarily need to believe in anthroposophy. Many Steiner kindergartens and schools in Japan do not put anthroposophy up front or require it of parents, and adopt it as a methodology of educational practice. On the other hand, teachers learn the anthroposophical view of human beings in internal training, and that worldview is the basis for daily practice (such as “until age 7, develop the body and senses rather than giving intellectual stimulation”).

How to take the anthroposophical worldview is, in the end, each parent’s own judgment. The reality is that while some people feel “it’s mystical thought, so I can’t accept it,” others feel “I can relate to it as a viewpoint that sees humans from many sides.”

The ideas Steiner education values

Even setting the anthroposophical background aside, the central ideas that are consistent at the level of practice are the following.

• Development has stages, and there is learning suited to each stage — until age 7, “body and senses”; ages 7-14, “feeling and imagination”; age 14 and up, “thinking” are central
• Not rushing early teaching of letters and numbers — until about ages 6-7, pretend play, experiences in nature, and artistic activities are placed at the center
• A rhythmic day, week, and year — the same activity at the same time every day, the same handwork on the same day every week, and a year that turns with seasonal festivals
• Emphasis on artistic expression — painting (wet-on-wet watercolor), music, eurythmy (an art of movement), and handwork (knitting, sewing) are built into daily life
• Limiting screens and ready-made toys — TV, tablets, and character goods are avoided in principle, and simple materials that stimulate the imagination are used, such as silk cloths, wooden blocks, and wool dolls

What is practiced — what goes on at a Steiner kindergarten

If you look inside an actual Steiner kindergarten, you see quite a different scene from an ordinary kindergarten.

1. Mixed-age classes

Children ages 3 to 6 spend time in the same class. Younger children learn from older ones, and older children draw out their own strengths by caring for younger ones. This is an idea shared with Montessori.

2. A rhythmic day

Every day proceeds in the same flow at the same times. For example, morning circle (songs and ring games), free play, snack, outdoor play, lunch, story time… The idea is that “the same things happening at the same time” gives children a sense of security.

3. Seasonal festivals and the rhythm of the year

Sowing seeds in spring, the midsummer festival, the harvest festival, the lantern festival (St. Martin’s), Advent and the winter solstice festival… The year is colored by festivals, and children experience the changing seasons with all five senses.

4. Simple materials and “unfinished” toys

Silk cloths, pieces of wood, pinecones, dolls made of wool (with no faces drawn on). The basic idea is that precisely because they are “unfinished,” they can become anything through the child’s imagination. Plastic character goods and battery-operated toys are not placed in the room.

5. A policy of limiting screens

Steiner kindergartens and schools strongly recommend to parents that children not use TV, tablets, or smartphones, especially until age 7. A distinctive feature is that parents are often told clearly at entry that the school would like screens limited at home too.

6. The teacher as “a mother-like presence”

Kindergarten teachers do not “teach” knowledge; instead, they slowly do housework and handwork in front of the children, and the children grow by imitating it. Time is built into the classroom for the teacher to bake bread, spin wool, or mend things.

What does the research say? Two views

On the effects of Steiner education, there are both “studies with positive findings in particular areas” and “studies finding academics to be average or somewhat modest.” Furthermore, as a premise, we will also tell you honestly about the current situation that the body of research itself is considerably thinner than for Montessori.

Study A: Positive findings in motivation to learn, the arts, and social-emotional aspects

is among the studies of Steiner education with a relatively large sample and solid methodology.

In this study, Waldorf students, compared with students at ordinary schools with matched family socioeconomic backgrounds, showed significantly higher scores in enjoyment of learning science and interest in science. On the other hand, science test scores themselves were almost the same as (slightly lower than) ordinary schools. The researchers interpret this result as “Waldorf education’s inquiry-centered science education (IBSE) works on motivation to learn rather than on acquiring knowledge.”

found that Waldorf charter schools’ English and math test scores showed results that differed by area and grade compared with other charter schools. While they were lower than other charters in some areas, compared with local public schools under the same socioeconomic conditions, results equal to or higher in several areas were also reported.

In addition, as a secondary finding, it was reported that Waldorf charter schools have relatively high proportions of English language learners (ELL) and children from economically disadvantaged families, accepting children from more diverse backgrounds.

Study B: A tendency to be “average, or slower to develop” in academics

found an interesting pattern.

• Lower grades (2nd to 3rd grade): significantly lower scores than the local public school average in both reading and math
• Middle to upper grades (6th to 8th grade): significantly above the local public school average, especially in reading

In other words, the researchers’ interpretation is that children who received Steiner education showed a pattern of developing slowly at first and catching up later. This result also matched the philosophy of Steiner education (“don’t rush intellectual stimulation until age 7; the abilities needed later grow from within”).

However, this study compared publicly available standardized test data and has the limitation that family backgrounds and abilities at entry are not fully matched. “Low at first but improving later” does appear in the data, but this study alone cannot say for sure whether it is really thanks to Steiner education.

Study C: The fact that there is little research in the first place

What Marshall of UCL (2017)an essay that, within a review paper on Montessori research, also touches on the state of research on alternative education methods in general points out is that even for Montessori, rigorous RCTs (randomized controlled trials) are still few. The body of research on Steiner education is even thinner than that, as things stand.

Several reasons can be considered. (1) Steiner schools are a minority worldwide. (2) Because entry requires a strong decision by parents, randomization is difficult. (3) Because Waldorf itself does not take “measurable academic achievement” as its main goal and emphasizes the arts and character formation, it does not fit well with quantitative research to begin with.

In other words, when talking about “the effects of Steiner education,” you need to start from the point that there is little material to talk about in the first place.

How to read the three studies

A, B, and C are not in conflict; they can be said to look at the same question from different angles.

• A: Positive findings in “hard-to-quantify” aspects such as motivation to learn, interest in science, and artistic expression
• B: In academic test scores, modest in the lower grades, with a tendency to catch up later
• C: The body of research is thin in the first place, and strong conclusions cannot be drawn

Taking both into account, it can be summarized like this: “The values that parents who choose Steiner education care about (rhythm, the arts, nature, a slow view of development, an environment that limits screens) have many aspects consistent with recent research on development and children’s well-being,” but “an effect such as test scores going up from attending a Steiner school” is not clearly supported by research.

Children this method tends to suit, and children it may not

From research and accumulated practice, these tendencies are said to exist. However, they are not absolute; please read them only as a guide.

Children it often suits

• Children who like to play at length with their imagination — children who can make up their own stories and play in an environment with few ready-made toys
• Children who like activities using their hands — drawing, knitting, kneading, and similar activities are at the center of daily life
• Children who find a slow pace comfortable — children who prefer the security of repetition rather than a packed schedule
• Children interested in nature and the changing seasons — walks, outdoor play, and seasonal festivals take up much of the time

Children who may need some consideration

• Children with a strong desire to read letters or learn numbers early — Steiner’s policy is not to start reading and writing instruction in earnest until around age 7. Families may need to respond flexibly
• Children who love character goods — Anpanman, Pretty Cure, Pokémon, and the like do not appear at the kindergarten. You need to think about how to reach a compromise at home
• Energetic children who love to play boisterously in groups — the basic tone of a Steiner kindergarten is quiet, and some children feel it is a little lacking at first
• Children who love digital devices — because the policy of limiting screens is a premise of the kindergarten, some adjustment is expected at home too

However, these do not mean “it doesn’t suit them,” but that “the closer the family’s values are to the kindergarten’s values, the more comfortably both the child and the parents can spend their time.” Steiner kindergartens are kindergartens that go quite deeply into “how the family lives,” so we recommend checking that compatibility carefully in advance.

Closing dialogue