Author name: awsna

A new study out of Finland shows that adding natural elements to a preschool playground improved the immune systems of the three to five year old attending students. The study, coordinated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), added forest undergrowth, lawn turf and planter boxes to a playground that had minimal natural elements. Doing […]

Researchers in both neuroscience and education have noted the connection between music training and literacy skill building.  Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist and author of the book “Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World,”establishes a key relationship between literacy and sound processing in her research — noting a direct connection between rhythm in

Psychologists from the UK, Dr. Helen Dodd and Dr Kathryn Lester, recently published the paper — Adventurous Play as a Mechanism for Reducing Risk for Childhood Anxiety — in the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. Upon analyzing existing research, they argue that free play in young children that involves risk may provide vital learning opportunities that help

Dr. Dale Clark Farran, a prominent early childhood researcher at Peabody College Vandebilt University, finished a decade long study on the effects of sending low income children to a preschool tailored to school readiness. The results taught her an essential lesson in education and equity. Where she once believed academic readiness was the gold standard for preschools, she

U.S. News and World Report has written a comprehensive feature story on Waldorf education — What is a Waldorf School? This balanced look at Waldorf pedagogy explores how “immersive learning and a focus on the whole child are the hallmarks of Waldorf education.” Education author, Rhonda Franz, interviewed AWNSA Executive Director, Advancement, Rebecca Moskowitz, who spoke to Waldorf’s holistic approach:

Prairie Hill Waldorf Schoolstudents learned about history and geography by embarking on a two-day riding trip on the newly restored Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin. The trail, nicknamed the “Granddaddy of America’s trails,” was closed for four years due to flooding and stretches more than 100 miles between Reedsburg and Trempealeau Wisconsin. The fourth graders rode for

First graders at the Pasadena Waldorf Schoolare learning numbers through the Seneca Nation folklore story of Crow —  a young man who, while grieving the death of his parents, runs away from his people to find himself transported to the land of Grandfather Mountain.  Waldorf first grade curriculum teaches numbers and mathematical functions through story, which

U.S. News and World Report recently published an article reminding parents and educators, yet again, about the crucial need for more recess in schools. Waldorf education, which develops a curriculum and teaching methodology based on child development, understands and honors this need. Children spend nearly one-half of their waking hours in school. It is not healthy

BBC authors Alessia Franco and David Robson look at the latest research on the benefits of outdoor play and getting dirty in their article How Mud Boosts Your Immune System. They reiterate that “Findings show that outdoor exercise is not only beneficial because of the chance to roam free – but that certain natural materials, such as

The Berkshire Waldorf School is reflecting on the season of Thanksgiving in their thoughtful article The Real Thanksgiving which offers a historical look at the storytelling around this day and resources for telling these stories from different points of view. They say, “As parents, educators and caregivers, we’d like to offer some resources regarding the celebration of Thanksgiving. We believe