Screen-Free Education In an increasingly technological world...
We are often asked why we don’t use computers for instruction and why we recommend a screen-free life for our students at home, especially in the early childhood and elementary years.
Our screen-free educational approach can provide ways for children to experience a more organic way of being in the world. The Early Childhood programs allow children to play unencumbered by screens, digital music, and unreasonable academic expectations that are not based on child development. The use of screens for entertainment and learning in the young child robs them of the vital tasks and activities they need to be engaged in for proper physical, mental, and emotional development.
We know that a child's imagination is blossoming during the early developmental years, setting the stage for learning. Imagination has developmental purpose that serves us in adulthood. Nurturing the imagination has lifelong benefit. Parents at Wishing Well School commit themselves to consciously limiting their children's screen time in order to allow their child to be fully present in the moment, to play and learn creatively, and to establish an environment that supports the healthy growth of the child.
There are many reasons for eliminating or limiting screen time for your student. Our faculty and staff understand the many pressures and stressors of modern parenting, including the pervasive presence of screens in all aspects of contemporary society. With this in mind, we offer a screen and media policy that we feel best cares for and nurtures your student's development and wellbeing, with an understanding that reality can, at times, fall short of ideals.
Media & Screen Time: What’s the Waldorf Approach ?
Here is a short video from the Marin Waldorf School.
Further Reading
For a wealth of information about Waldorf education, Rudolf Steiner, and anthroposophy, be sure to visit the website for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). For information specific to early childhood education, visit the website for Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). You can also read books for free online at the Online Waldorf Library.
