ABSTRACT
The word “foundation”, as in England’s Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2014), has a specific resonance for the Steiner early childhood practitioner. The Steiner Waldorf philosophy understands that the possibilities for the laying of a firm foundation, in many aspects of healthy human development, lie in the first seven years of childhood. The Steiner Waldorf early childhood pedagogy recognises that certain human qualities can be nurtured and extended in the early stages of development to provide a healthy orientation for future responses in the fields of human endeavour. These qualities enable the child to meet the future and make valuable contributions to society, with the full force of human potential. This fundamental and precious intention requires that early years education is unhurried, genuinely holistic and authentically play-based.
