What is the Extra Lesson?
In our work with children at Waldorf schools, we strive to create a complete picture of each child so that we can best meet his/her needs. Part of the process may include family visits, medical history taking, review of previous school records, including testing and discussions with all of the child’s teachers. An additional component of our program is called the Extra Lesson, which derives its name from work begun in the 1970’s in England, by Audrey McAllen. Taking up Steiner’s many lectures about the developing child, she was inspired to develop a first lesson of assessment techniques and then a curriculum of movement, speech, drawing and painting exercises for children found to have learning barriers. The Extra Lesson helps support children in developing their faculty to learn. It comes out of the teachers’ realm. A typical lesson includes floor exercises, form drawing, movements using beanbags and/or balls, copper rods and copper balls, and ends with a painting exercise. Memory exercises and creative grade—level tutoring for development of math and language skills are included when the student is ready to move on with the academic work. Often The Extra Lesson education support is alternated with other interventions for the student, for example: osteopathy, therapeutic eurythmy, rhythmical massage, art or music therapy, and medical care.