Early Childhood
Education Programme

3 Year Part-Time Training Programme
Study Centre: Raheen Wood School, Tuamgraney, Co. Clare
For more information, contact the Course Directors.

Foundation Year beginning
September 2010 now enrolling

Two year Kindergarten Teacher Training
beginning September 2010 now enrolling
It is essential to have completed the Foundation Year or its equivalent. Students from previous Foundation Years are welcome to join this new group in September 2010.

Introduction
This three year part-time training course in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education is offered in response to an increasing demand in Ireland for trained kindergarten teachers and a growing interest in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education more generally.

Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is designed as an orientation year for the kindergarten training but is also stands as an autonomous one year introductory course in anthroposophical studies and will be of interest to those looking for an introduction to the work of Rudolf Steiner combined with a foundation course in the arts. It will also serve as a necessary foundation for those wishing to undertake a variety of anthroposophically based training courses in Bio-Dynamic Agriculture, Curative Education, Class Teaching, etc. For further information about the Foundation Year, please contact the Course Directors.

Course Structure
The course itself will take place in Co.Clare with the eight weekend sessions throughout the year and three five-day sessions at Halloween, Easter, and in early July. All three years will have largely similar structures with the following elements:

• Guided study which will involve attendance at an evening study group. Where possible study groups will be established in different localities for this purpose.
  
  
• Weekend sessions There will be eight weekend sessions throughout the year. Each session will start at 7.30pm on Friday evening and will end at 5.30pm on Saturday.
  
  
• 5-day Residential sessions - in the course of the year there will be three longer residential sessions. Each session starts at 8.30am on Tuesday and finishes at 5.00pm on Saturday. These 5-day sessions coincide with school holidays in October/November, April, and June/July.

Kindergarten Teacher Training : Years One and Two
These two years focus on child development in the first seven years and will prepare students to work within a Steiner Waldorf Kindergarten. Themes include: creative play, simple crafts, storytelling, puppetry, seasonal festivals, practical work in the kindergarten, child observation, health and parenting issues, work with the angels and inner development. These two years also include a minimum of 8 weeks observation and practice in Steiner Waldorf kindergartens.

Entry to second year is dependent on successful completion of the Foundation Year or the equivalent.

For more details on the Course Content, Dates and Times, Registration etc., contact the Course Directors at training@steinerireland.org.

Cost
Foundation Year course fee: €1850 per annum

Registration
To apply for a place on these courses, please contact the course directors to request a brochure and application form at training@steinerireland.org.

University of Plymouth Trainings

The University of Plymouth, Devon, UK offers a Foundation Degree in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education as a part-time course. For more information see the course description or contact education.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

The University of Plymouth also offers a full-time course leading to a BA (Hons) in Steiner Waldorf Education. The course description is here.