This handbook was first produced by the Southern African Federation of Waldorf Schools to bring enthusiasm for teaching literacy as well as the necessary rigour. It is based on the principles of child development inherent in a Waldorf curriculum, drawing attention to relevant texts by Rudolf Steiner that provide a guide to this approach. It is influenced by the concept of progression in learning, showing how writing skills and speech is developed through the primary school years. This handbook includes a wide variety of activities, movement and speech exercises and poems that provide lively and engaging ways to encourage a love of literature, of writing and of speaking. These activities will be applicable in any classroom throughout the world.

Louisa Oberholzer has many years of experience teaching in a Waldorf classroom and in training Waldorf teachers. She is fascinated with language, the word and the way the word works in a sentence. This book is part of a series of books on teaching literacy in the English Language, which comprises A Grammar Curriculum for Waldorf Primary Schools and A Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Curriculum for Waldorf Primary Schools.