Website preview · Orchard Valley Waldorf School
Previewing at
Orchard Valley Waldorf School(802) 456-7400Request a visit
Menu

Approach.

What Waldorf teaching looks like day to day, and why the hands matter as much as the head.

Approach

Language Skills, Cursive Writing, and the Orton-Gillingham Approach

Cursive is part of how reading and writing are taught here. The Orton-Gillingham approach uses handwriting as a foundation for language skills. Two teachers are training in it now. Lessons are student-centric: spelling, reading, handwriting and expressive writing, taught directly. Children use sight, sound, and touch, so skills stick.

What this looks like in practice

A language lesson here might begin with the hand before the page. Children form letters in cursive, say the sounds aloud, then read them back. Spelling, reading, and handwriting are taught together rather than apart. Lessons stay flexible and meet each reader where they are. You can ask to see this in a classroom.

At home, you may notice your child writing letters in cursive before reading them. Handwriting and reading get linked. The multi-sensory work helps memory and recall, so skills hold. You can ask the teacher how this looks for your child and what to practice at home.

Two girls sit on the edge of a wooden stage with a canoe behind them, one wearing a bandana and the other holding a fishing rod.

Questions? Ask us

OV
Hi! I'm Orchard
How can I help you today?
OV
Orchard Valley Waldorf School Assistant
Ask about tours, programs, and enrollment.
Hi! I can help with Orchard Valley Waldorf School questions.
Powered by EnrollIQ