Early Childhood AT BWS
At Berkshire Waldorf School, learning begins with rich sensory experiences and play-based education that honor your young child’s developmental readiness and innate potential. We offer Early Childhood programs for children from Toddler through the last year of Kindergarten, with the comfort of knowing that–in partnership with the Berkshire Waldorf High School–we can offer Waldorf Education for your child from cradle to college.
Learning by Doing
Young children innately learn through play, action and imitation, so our Early Childhood program offers them play-based learning, with “child-activated” natural playthings, stories, songs and movement. Learning by doing teaches collaboration, enhances creativity and strengthens each child’s love of learning and doing, caring for the world, themselves and each other.
An Indoor/Outdoor Education
Each Early Childhood class has a designated outdoor classroom: climbing trees, sandboxes, the Hairy Beary Woods, Tree Island, surrounding gardens, fields and streams, all changing through four seasons of the Berkshire year.
Homelike indoor classrooms, filled with color and the fragrance of baking bread, or soup (which the children help to make with vegetables from our biodynamic garden), appeal to all their senses. The dependable rhythm of the day nurtures your child’s self-esteem, and creates a natural bridge from home to school.
Unique to Waldorf Education
At BWS, children typically spend two years in Nursery (turning 3 or 4 during the school year), and then two years in Kindergarten (turning 5 or 6 during the school year), before moving into the Grades School. Depending on when your child enters school, they may stay with their same Early Childhood class and teacher for several years. (See below for class details.) The wisdom of this rhythm is that each child experiences being the youngest and then being the oldest in their class community, becoming helpers and leaders with able self-confidence, before they move ahead to their next developmental phase of learning.
The sensory richness, collaborative play and satisfying work of Early Childhood bridge to abstract learning in First Grade, for children who will turn 6 by September 1, 2025.
How to Apply
We welcome your application for Fall 2025 starting November 1, 2024. The priority application deadline for the 2025-26 school year is February 1, 2025. Late Admissions remain open through July 1, 2025; however, if spots are no longer available in your child’s program, your application will be placed in a wait pool. All programs are currently at capacity for the 2024-25 school year.
School Days and Times
Our Early Childhood programs run during the school year, starting after Labor Day in September through early June. (View the current school calendar here.) Families can choose full days (8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.) or half days (8:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.), M-Th or M-F.
In addition to the school day, BWS offers aftercare from 3:00-5:15 p.m. for an extra cost, for students starting at age 4 who are fully potty-trained.
Berkshire Waldorf Summer offers Waldorf-inspired summer day programs for young children, starting at age 4, typically running from the last week of June through the first week of August, M-F 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m.
For more information, call Admissions Director Robyn Coe at 413-528-4015, ext. 106, or visit us for a school tour or family event. To get started, click the button below, then choose your child’s program button on the Admissions page to create an account in our Admissions portal, Ravenna. That will help us keep in touch about events, dates and deadlines. We look forward to welcoming your family!
Early Childhood Faculty
Early Childhood Classes at BWS
Children who are at least 18 months old by September 1, 2025 are eligible for morning or day school at Berkshire Waldorf School during the 2025-26 school year.
We offer:
- Toddler Nursery (18 months through 2.8 years) – We have one Toddler Nursery for 8 children;
- Nursery – We have two Nurseries (for children who are turning 3 or 4 during the school year), with room for 10-12 children in each class;
- Kindergarten – We have two mixed-age Kindergarten classes (for children who are turning 5 or 6 during the school year), with room for 14 children in each class. (Note: At BWS, children are considered First Grade ready the year they turn 6 by September 1.)
Each Early Childhood class has a Lead Teacher and an Assistant Teacher. We also have department-wide assistants who help throughout the classes, as needed.
The Early Childhood School Day
In Early Childhood, morning classes start at 8:15 a.m. and end at noon; full day classes extend until 2:45 p.m., and include lunchtime, rest time and an additional outside play time. Extended Care is available until 5:15 p.m., for an additional fee, for children who are 4 and up and fully potty trained.
Early Childhood classes create a special community snack every morning. Children bring their own lunch if they stay for the full day.
For Children Turning 6 During Their Kindergarten Year
We strongly encourage families with children who will turn 6 during the school year or the following summer to attend our program for 5 Full Days, in order to best prepare for First Grade the following Fall. However, if you choose not to enroll your child for 5 Full Days, we will automatically enroll them in our Spring “First Grade Ready Fridays” program, starting after Spring Break, for a nominal additional cost. This special Friday program takes place in the last weeks of school during rest time, and is exclusively for rising First Grade-aged children. Group activities with their future classmates are designed to prepare them for the next phase of their education.
Admissions Process at BWS
- Head over to our Admissions page, and click on your child’s program link to create an account and create an inquiry in our parent portal. That will make it easy for us to invite you to Admissions tours and community events, and remind you of important admissions deadlines. No need to apply before you register for a campus tour (however, if you’re ready, go ahead!), but a tour is a required step in our Admissions process.
- After you submit your child’s application (starting November 1, 2024), we also ask for a Teacher’s Reference, if your child has been in a prior school or daycare program.
- Once we receive all your application materials, if your family appears to be in alignment with the values of Waldorf Education, we’ll arrange an opportunity for you and your child to meet with one or two of our Early Childhood teachers.
- After we complete your admissions process, if you choose to enroll your little one, teachers will determine class placement based on the best developmental fit for your individual child, within the constellation of the group.
Tuition Cost
For more details about tuition, please see our Tuition Information page. Note: We post annual tuition rates for the upcoming school year around January 1 for the following Fall.
If You Want to Start with Your Child 😉
Parent-Child Garden classes for children 4 months to 4 years old with a parent or guardian take place on campus year-round, in partnership with teacher Somer Serpe of Harmonious Child.
