archetypal images. Through images found in stories, the child uses letters and symbols which naturally develop into reading, writing and arithmetic. Musical and literary rhythms are also taught to support reading, writing and arithmetic. Japanese and Spanish, handwork, physical education, eurythmy and flute playing are introduced at this time.

The "Main Lesson" period is two hours long and includes circle exercises, speed practice, oral and hands-on learning of letters and numbers, written work, and a story told by the teacher from memory. The Main Lesson is devoted to a single subject for approximately three to five weeks. Painting and drawing are practiced and the children develop a facility in handling crayons, paints, and paintbrush.

Letter writing is done with the help of visual symbols from the story content of the main lesson. "S" may be a snake sinuously slithering through the grass on some secret errand. The children create their own illustrated books as each letter is presented. In math, the four processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are presented imaginatively as four distinctly different manipulations which the children come to know well.

of the ocean, and the four seasons of the year. There is continued work in the mathematical operations, as well as reading, and the beginning of cursive writing. Music, handwork and foreign languages continue the work begun in first grade, gradually becoming more complex. Games class is taught for both large muscle development and social skills in following cooperative rules together.

with stories of the Old Testament, the fall from Eden and man's first struggles to live in social groups on the earth. At this age, children are very interested in the origin of things. They want to discover new ways of doing things in the world and imagine themselves in very primitive conditions. The practical life is taken up in studies of house building, farming, gardening, cooking and finding out about the jobs people do. Grammar and reading are emphasized, and weight and measure are explored. Through many practical activities the children begin to understand they are separate, but they can be active in world. They learn gratitude and are grateful for the gifts with which they are born.

with stories of the Old Testament, the fall from Eden and man's first struggles to live in social groups on the earth. At this age, children are very interested in the origin of things. They want to discover new ways of doing things in the world and imagine themselves in very primitive conditions. The practical life is taken up in studies of house building, farming, gardening, cooking and finding out about the jobs people do. Grammar and reading are emphasized, and weight and measure are explored. Through many practical activities the children begin to understand they are separate, but they can be active in world. They learn gratitude and are grateful for the gifts with which they are born.

Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece through the study of mythology, biography and culture. Plant life is the focus of science and decimals are introduced in the mathematical lessons. Instrumental music, singing, and artistic studies continue. In the fifth grade the children now feel solid and secure enough to delve into ancient history up through the Greek times. In the study of art, science, government and gymnastics, the students live for a short time in the perfectly balanced harmony and beauty of the Greeks before coming into puberty.

Intellectually, the child receives the sharp sword of logic. The curriculum meets these changes with studies in Roman history, its law, its vanity and excesses, its conquests and heroes. Later the children study Medieval times, the lives of the peasants, the nuns and monks, and the nobility. The children of this age strongly empathize with the struggles of individuals who lived during those times. Through biography studies, the children come to know that they are not alone in their inward struggles. In science, geology brings a picture of the ever-changing movement and development of our planet, and the study of physics hones the children’s observational abilities. Business math and geometrical drawing are introduced in arithmetic.

emphasis of both history and geography is on Europe. The discoveries of the European explorers, their bravery and their follies, are also brought forth in this year. Venturing into the unknown is truly the inner path of the seventh grader. The children also begin work in chemistry by discovering the exciting and dangerous nature of fire, acids, bases and salts. The seventh grader’s concern with self is also met by studies in physiology and nutrition. In the math lessons, the laws of geometry and algebra are studied.

“walk in the shoes” of the people who lived in those times. The study of world geography, including economic interdependency and cultural diversity, is completed.

Physics lessons continue, emphasizing practical applications and the social implications of technological advances in communication and transportation. Organic chemistry and anatomy lessons complete the science work begun last year. Algebra and geometry lessons continue as well as a general review of mathematical skills. Language arts skills in grammar, literature and composition are reviewed in preparation for high school work. Music, drama, and the visual arts continue as a part of the integrated curriculum of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

By eighth grade the children have reached modern history and can oversee the wholeness of the globe, thus completing the picture of humankind's development and the world around them. The children feel whole, at ease, strong and ready to face the rigors of the modern world.