Our approach
Heritage Oak brings a little of Waldorf education to families who don’t have a Waldorf school nearby, or who want to bring it home. Our classes and curriculum are inspired by Waldorf education and built around how children learn best: with their hands, through stories, in step with the seasons.
Story first
A new idea arrives as a story before it becomes a rule. A story gives children a picture to hold, and the facts attach to it.
Hands before abstraction
Children card wool before they read about the Industrial Revolution, and cut bread into pieces before they write fractions. Real experience makes the abstract make sense.
Real materials
Wool, beeswax, plants, paper and thread. Natural materials are a pleasure to work with, and they carry real science inside them.
Rhythm and the seasons
A steady rhythm through the day, the week and the year helps children settle in and know what comes next.
Science alongside art
Every project has a question behind it: why wool felts, how plants hold color, why twisted thread is stronger. Children make something beautiful and understand how it works.
The three-day rhythm
At home, our curriculum follows a simple rhythm that helps learning stick. New material is taken in, slept on, then brought back.
- Day one
Hear it
A grown-up tells the story, or the child does the experiment.
- Day two
Remember and draw it
The child retells it from memory, then draws it. Remembering the next day is one of the strongest ways to learn.
- Day three
Write and figure it
The child writes about it in their own words and works the math that goes with it.
Who we are
Heritage Oak is a small team in the Davis area. Our curriculum lead grew up in Waldorf schools and has taught art and K–12 classes for years. Our science lead brings a background in research labs and makes sure every experiment is safe, real and worth wondering about.
Every family and school has one person to reach: our Curriculum Coordinator, who answers questions, helps you get started and checks in along the way.
For charter schools
Our curriculum is built to California standards and leaves families with real work samples their teachers can review. If your charter school would like to learn more, our Curriculum Coordinator would be glad to hear from you.