Reading List and Resources

The True Purpose of Preschool: Concise and beautiful article that is the guiding inspiration for Dragonfly Preschool. Read this article!

Waldorf Education and the Nature Connection: exactly that! Beautiful article on the importance of nature in childhood play.

Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America: all about Early Childhood, with more fabulous resources.

Childhood Development: Year by Year: exactly what it says, from a Waldorf philosophy.

Preparing for Life video: a fabulous video of Waldorf education in action through the grades, and how it creates well rounded human beings.

Why Waldorf Works: From a Neuroscientific Perspective: a powerful article detailing how the Waldorf approach and pace works with the developing child’s brain.

A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute: Famous NY Times article about tech industry parents preferring to send their children to Waldorf schools which fundamentally prohibit technology in the classroom.

Waldorf vs Montessori: illustrates the differences between these successful alternative schools of thought.

“You Are Your Child’s First Teacher” by Rahima Baldwin Dancy

This is a beloved classic, and a very accessible book about bringing the Waldorf philosophy into your home life and into the early childhood classroom. Out of her research and her experience as a Waldorf early childhood teacher, Dancy answers the question: “What can parents do with, and for their children, from birth to age six that will enhance their development?”

“The Way of the Child” by A.C. Harwood

An excellent introduction to Waldorf education, particularly valuable for its clear explanation of how Waldorf education integrates with the fundamental stages of child development.

“How Children Play” by Ingeborg Haller

Imaginative play is a vital element in the growth of the preschool child. A child’s freedom to play lies at the root of a happy and well-balanced attitude to work and responsibilities in later life.