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From: julian@deepthot.UUCP (Julian Davies)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: learning to read at an early age. - (nf)
Message-ID: <287@deepthot.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Apr-84 17:21:21 EST
Article-I.D.: deepthot.287
Posted: Wed Apr 11 17:21:21 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Apr-84 06:49:12 EST
References: <2226@gatech.UUCP>, <22800003@uicsl.UUCP>
Organization: UWO CS, London Canada
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[]
  A passing comment on learning to read early.  Waldorf schools
don't believe in it for various reasons.  In fact the Waldorf
curriculum has the children learn to Write before they learn to
read.  Part but not all of the reason is that learning to read
may tend to stimulate the 'intellectual' levels in the mind,
and Waldorf philosophy deemphasizes intellectual skills in the junior
grades in favour of 'artistic' activities (in a very broad sense).
Writing is approached as an artistic and movement thing; treating the
letters as iconic signs at first rather than as merely constituents of
words and sentences.  Words and spelling come later, with the reading.
At least, this is my understanding of the reason.
		Julian Davies