By Ashley Brickeen | Lower School Admissions Director
Imagine you are in an important meeting when BUZZ. You take a second to peek at your phone—a friend has sent you a text asking about getting together today after work. You quickly switch back to listening to your meeting, but now you’re also thinking about your schedule. What do you have after work today? Can you juggle things so you can get together with your friend? Why does your friend want to see you? You should get back to them. They’ll expect you to respond, especially as they know their message was delivered. You quickly flip open your calendar to check—yes, you can meet up but only if you do so right after work. You tune back into your meeting—wait, are they now talking about your project?
Brain science shows that humans actually can not multi-task. What we can do with varying levels of competency, is switch our focus very quickly between tasks. But with every switch between tasks, there is a brief re-set, where we have to quickly review what we were doing before we switched focus. Adults, with fully mature brains, are generally better at this form of quick switching than teens and children.
Now imagine the above scenario, but it’s not a meeting at work. It’s a classroom and you’re trying to learn chemistry.
Here are two insightful articles that explore the effects of phones and social media on young people:
“End the Phone-Based Childhood Now” by Dr. Jonathan Haidt, looks at the impacts of social media and phones on adolescents and children. Nationally and internationally, parents and schools are witnessing how phones are reducing student learning, negatively impacting student emotional well-being and in some cases, leading to radicalization and extremist views.
While I appreciate Dr. Haidt’s work on social media and agree with his argument that it has negatively impacted the mental health of girls in particular, I think he has missed a lot of the negative impact experienced by boys. For some time, researchers have known that white supremacist and other radical groups were using social media to target boys and normalize racist and sexist beliefs. “How White Supremacists Recruit Kids” touches on this issue which I think Dr. Haidt is too quick to discount.
As we navigate the complexities of our digital age, it is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers to recognize the profound effects that phones and social media can have on young minds. By fostering open conversations about these challenges and implementing thoughtful strategies to mitigate their impact, we can create environments that prioritize learning and emotional well-being. Encouraging students to engage in meaningful face-to-face interactions, setting boundaries around technology use, and promoting critical thinking about online content are essential steps. Together, we can empower our children to thrive in both their academic pursuits and personal lives, ensuring they are equipped to face the world with resilience and clarity.
By Melanie Ingler | Communications Coordinator
in conversation with Ashley Brickeen | Lower School Admissions Director
Waldorf education’s approach to teaching students to read is a carefully structured method that aligns with children’s developmental stages and brain readiness. Contrary to popular belief, Waldorf schools do not actually delay reading instruction. Instead, we lay a strong foundation for literacy from the earliest years, giving children the time they need to properly develop the skills needed to grow into active and engaged readers and writers.
Building the Foundation In preschool and kindergarten, our teachers focus on building vocabulary and understanding of spoken grammar. This is done through rich storytelling, puppet shows, and dramatic play. For instance, children might learn complex words such as “horrendous” or “precipice” through engaging stories. Teachers use puppet shows to clarify vocabulary and grammar concepts, especially for children who might be confused. Classrooms feature books with complex stories and beautiful imagery and art for children to explore.
Contrast this to a kindergarten classroom focused on early reading instruction. Of necessity, the teacher must dramatically simplify the grammar and vocabulary used in the classroom and in classroom materials, such as books. Instead of hearing stories with words like “incidental,” programs that push early reading instruction use books with sentences such as “The dog sees the cat.”
In our kindergartens, teachers gauge comprehension while introducing complex language structures by having children act out or retell the story in their own words. For example, children might encounter the use of passive voice in stories such as “The sun was lassoed by Maui.” By acting these out, children internalize these grammatical structures naturally. These methods help the children to develop a love of stories.
This early focus on rich language and comprehension lays the groundwork for later reading success (Shanahan and Lonigan). When children eventually encounter complex texts with large words and varied sentence structures, they’re already familiar with these concepts, making comprehension easier.
The Role of Movement in Literacy Development Traditional childhood activities like skipping and jumping rope play a crucial role in cognitive development, including the skills necessary for reading. From an evolutionary standpoint, reading is a relatively recent human skill. Our brains lack specific circuitry for reading, instead relying on neural pathways developed through movement and hands-on experiences to support this complex cognitive task.
As modern lifestyles increasingly favor sedentary entertainment, there’s growing concern about the impact on children’s cognitive development and reading readiness (Carson et al., 2015). Without physical activities that naturally promote bilateral coordination and neural integration, children may miss out on building essential brain connections needed for complex tasks like reading.
Waldorf education addresses this challenge by intentionally incorporating movement and hands-on experiences into the curriculum. This approach ensures that children develop both the physical and cognitive skills necessary for successful literacy acquisition. By prioritizing these activities, Waldorf schools support holistic development, preparing children not just to read, but to thrive in all areas of learning.
You might notice our kindergarten children skipping around the field in the mornings. While this also provides excellent exercise, it serves a much deeper purpose. These seemingly simple activities are laying the neural groundwork for future academic success, including reading proficiency. In essence, Waldorf education recognizes that the path to strong literacy skills begins long before a child picks up their first book.
Reading Instruction and Brain Development Waldorf education recognizes that most children’s brains are developmentally prepared for reading instruction around ages 6-7, coinciding with the maturation of neural connections between brain hemispheres. This is why formal reading mechanics (like “c-a-t spells cat”) typically begin in first grade. If children are exposed to these mechanics before this developmental stage, they often rely heavily on picture cues to guess words, which can lead to significant challenges when illustrations are removed from texts at a later time around third grade.
Assessing Reading Readiness To ensure a solid foundation, WSP conducts thorough first-grade readiness assessments and screenings. These include observing whether children can cross their midline in bilateral movements, indicating connected brain hemispheres. Interestingly, screeners will purposefully place writing utensils in specific places throughout the assessment to see if students are crossing the midline and to determine which hand is dominant. These observations are similar to those tracked in pediatric occupational therapy, highlighting the holistic approach Waldorf education takes towards child development.
The Holistic Path to Literacy Our approach, incorporating movement and hands-on learning, aligns with this understanding of human cognition. By focusing on physical and linguistic development in the early years, we aim to create strong, confident readers who not only can decode words but also deeply comprehend and enjoy what they read. This approach stands in contrast to most modern educational methods that prioritize “more and sooner” when it comes to literacy, as if in a never-ending competition. While society often associates earlier reading with better long-term outcomes, Waldorf educators argue that the focus should be on the end result. After all, as they point out, no one in a job interview asks, “When did you learn how to read?” Instead, Waldorf education looks at the desired outcome and works backwards, ensuring a solid foundation for lifelong literacy which can lead students to a joy of reading and writing.
References
Carson, V., et al. (2015). “Sedentary behavior and cognitive development in early childhood: A systematic review.” Preventive Medicine, 78, 115-122. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26212631/.
Shanahan, T., & Lonigan, C. J. (2015). The role of early oral language in literacy development. Language Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.languagemagazine.com/5100-2/.
I was so eager to read Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation that I started listening to the audiobook the morning it was released. I had heard the book would speak to my growing concerns about teenage mental health. Having started my teaching career in 1980, recently I have seen quite a few changes in the culture of today’s teens, and even more so, since COVID-19, I have been concerned with the impact of technology and social media on their lives. Don’t get me wrong, our students are amazing and I am continually impressed with our younger generation in many ways. Jonathan Haidt’s book presents scholarly research that supports what we as Waldorf teachers have known for a long time about healthy practices for children, and it provides guidance about what we can do given the current climate. The research confirms that a play-based childhood is essential for healthy child development. For me, this is a watershed moment as the author provides the foundation for society to adjust our norms to support our children.
My big takeaways are:
Since the widespread adoption of the smartphone, children are now experiencing a phone-based childhood rather than a play-based childhood. Haidt articulates the importance of free play for child development, and how modern children have been experiencing less and less of it. Waldorf Schools emphasize free play throughout the grades. For example, it is quite common for me to have trouble exiting my office during recess as I need to navigate the raucous game of “grounders” the middle schoolers play. Having read The Anxious Generation, I am now re-reminded of the benefits of this free play – physically, socially, and intellectually. It fills my heart with joy each time I see them.
It is important to have a phone-free environment for children. At our high school we have implemented cell phone lockers so that students are freed up to be present with each other, and for their classes, without distractions. As I walk around during my day, I witness wonderful interactions where students are engaged with each other. I also have heard from students after they have gone on week-long trips without their cell phones that they find great value in being disconnected from technology. Often these trips serve as a touchstone for them to make healthtier boundaries around technology as they have experienced the gift and positive impact of being technology-free for an extended period of time.
Haidt points out how as parents we have become more overprotective in the real world while under protective online. As I read through his charts and graphs, as well as his reminder that the aim of social media is to “capture eyeballs”, he indicates that students are not yet developmentally ready to make conscious decisions when faced with social media until age 16. (He actually recommends age 18, but realizes that it would be difficult to implement.)
Haidt recommends that students do not have smart phones until high school, which resonates with my experience. He illustrates the power of communities and schools in helping families wait until high school for students to have a smartphone.
The development of digital technology happened quickly, and much of it before we truly understood its impact on child development. Haidt brings research and data to what Waldorf Pedagogy has been saying for years – children need free play, we should delay the introduction of screens (although he says some uses, such as face-timing with family members, are fine), and that when a community or school agrees to norms (such as our cell phone locker policy in the high school), it’s better for everyone.
Then, the cherry on top was when I heard him mention Waldorf School of the Peninsula specifically as a place that supports healthy childhood development. I had to rewind to be sure, but yes, indeed, our wonderful school is mentioned in the book. I truly hope it will be a catalyst for changes that will support a culture of healthy child development. At the very least, it confirms the importance and positive impact of what we do here at WSP.
Lisa Babinet has been teaching at WSP since 2003. She is blessed to be the mother of two adult children who attended WSP from K-12, and considers providing her children with a Waldorf Education to be the best parenting decision she has made.
This early focus on rich language and comprehension lays the groundwork for later reading success (Shanahan and Lonigan). When children eventually encounter complex texts with large words and varied sentence structures, they’re already familiar with these concepts, making comprehension easier.
