• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Kimberton Waldorf School

Kimberton Waldorf School

Education That Matters

  • SUMMER CAMP
  • quicklinks
    • Calendars & Contacts
    • School District Transportation
    • Student Login
    • BigSIS Portal Login
    • Parent Square
    • Health & Safety
    • Teacher Portal
    • Buy KWS Gear
    • Buy KWS Athletic Wear
  • Alumni
  • Search
  • Give Now
  • Apply Now
  • About
    • KWS History
    • Staff
    • Organic Lunch Program
    • Mission & Values
    • Governance
    • What Makes Us Unique
    • Resources
      • In the Classroom
      • Bringing Waldorf Home
  • Admissions
    • Admissions Process
    • Events
    • Tuition & Tuition Assistance
    • International Students
  • Curriculum
    • Early Childhood
      • Parent Child
      • Rosebud Garden
      • Kindergarten
    • Lower School
    • High School
    • Summer Camp
    • High School Summer Reading List
    • All School Learning Goals
    • Arts
    • Athletics
    • Gardening
    • Library Resources
    • College Guidance
  • Support
    • Annual Fund
    • PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program
    • Beneficiary Planning
    • Community Growth
    • Other Ways of Giving
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Visit us
  • Blog
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • DEI Work at KWS
    • DEI Resources

Skills for Lifelong Success

October 30, 2019 by Kimberton Waldorf School

21st century skills are more important now than ever as employers seek diverse thinkers who are knowledgeable in a wide range of fields and who are able to creatively solve problems.

Competencies commonly associated with 21st century skills include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, perseverance, self-direction, collaboration and teamwork. The rapidly changing world requires students to be equipped with cross-disciplinary skills in order to be successful in furthering their education and to meet the challenges in the workplace.

For almost 80 years, Kimberton Waldorf School has been providing a multimodality, integrated education with a curriculum based on the developmental needs of the child, validated in scientific research. Our unique approach to education utilizes movement, music, arts, and handwork to strengthen academics and help develop motor skills, focus, perseverance, creativity, and critical thinking.

Emphasis on the breadth of skills and opportunities that we value in childhood and in adulthood provides a reminder that education needs to be designed to produce holistically developed learners who are well-equipped to navigate the challenges of life in the 21st century.

Studies demonstrate that the arts develop neural systems that produce a broad spectrum of benefits ranging from fine motor skills to creativity and improved emotional balance – the driving force behind all other learning.

Creativity is nurtured as students learn to approach tasks from different perspectives and to think “outside the box.” Artistic creations are the result of problem solving. Students’ typically ask themselves: How do I form this clay into a sculpture? How do I step into my role in the play? How will my character react in this situation? How am I going to learn this piece of music?

Movement activities in younger grades, such as circle time, handwork, string games, or playing on a balance board may appear as simple play in the classroom are actually promoting growth toward skills acquisition. The same regions of the brain responsible for movement are also involved in higher level thinking such as problem solving, creating, designing, and anticipating outcomes.

Observational learning is another key component in skills acquisition. When students contemplate a phenomenon with deep curiosity, they are able to hypothesize potential outcomes before testing for the actual answer. Divergent, creative thinking occurs, which is essential for innovation and solving problems.

The goal of Waldorf education and the curriculum at KWS is to provide students with opportunities and training to become autonomous, creative thinkers with the ability to accelerate their ideas into actions. An education that asks students to develop the capacities for collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem solving is an education that prepares students for what lies ahead.

Read more in our article Equipping Students with Skills for Lifelong Success

Critical thinking is essential in health sciences.

Creativity leads to ideas and innovation.

Perseverance is found in entrepreneurs, lawyers, and journalists.

rhythm stick math
Reach out via email for more information

Filed Under: Lower School, Resources

Primary Sidebar

About Kimberton Waldorf School

As an independent private school, we feel privileged to be able to create a curriculum based on the needs of a developing child. This allows us to intentionally and carefully align creative developmental activities with emerging cognitive, emotional, and physical stages of growth. Our students and faculty have received recognition for high achievement, both within the classroom and outside of the classroom. We are proud of our scholars, musicians, athletes, artists, and educators who strive for excellence.

Join our email list

Footer

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Contact

410 West Seven Stars Road,
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Mailing Address:
PO Box 350, Kimberton,
PA 19442
Email us directly here

ph:610.933.3635  f:610.300.5488

Menu

  • Current Students
  • Admissions
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Curriculum
  • Contact
  • Employment
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 Kimberton Waldorf School

  • HOME
    ▼
    • What Makes Us Unique
  • About
    ▼
    • KWS History
    • Mission & Values
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Organic Lunch Program
    • Employment
    • Resources
      ▼
      • Governance
      • Bringing Waldorf Home
      • In the Classroom
      • Working Towards a Better World
  • Admissions
    ▼
    • Admissions Process
    • Events
    • Tuition & Tuition Assistance
    • International Students
  • Curriculum
    ▼
    • Early Childhood
      ▼
      • Parent Child
      • Rosebud Garden
      • Kindergarten
    • Lower School
    • High School
    • All School Learning Goals
  • Support
    ▼
    • Annual Fund
    • PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit
    • Beneficiary Planning
    • Community Growth
    • Other Ways of Giving
  • Alumni
  • Quicklinks
    ▼
    • Calendars & Contact
    • School District Transportation
    • Student Login
    • BigSIS Portal Login
  • Contact
  • Visit Us
  • Current Students
  • Blog
  • Summer Camp