Articles
There is a growing body of research that supports the position of Waldorf schools that children should remain in play-orientated pre-school until the age of six. The clearest exapmle of such research which has come to our attention is a major study undertaken in Germany comparing 100 public school classes for five-year olds. Fifty of them had only play in their program and the other 50 had academics and play together. The children entered first grade when they were six, and the study surveyed their progress until they were 10. The first year there was little difference to be seen. By the time the children were 10, however, those who had been allowed to play when they were five surpassed their schoolmates in every area measured. One can imagine how startling these results were to the state educators. They considered the results so conclusive that within months they had converted all of the academic programs back into play programs. They also recognised the advantage of mixed age kindergartens in which through play, the children help one another to grow and learn.Taken from article by Joan Almon in "what Are The Needs of the Five-Year Olds?" Leading Forth, Journal of the Waldorf School of Baltimore, Spring 188, No 4 pp5-6
