Using language that any teacher or parent can understand, Steiner goes into the essentials of Waldorf educational philosophy, providing many examples and anecdotes to convey his meaning. In this way, against the background of the developing child, he allows the curriculum and the method of teaching to emerge as the common sense conclusion of practical experience.

During an intensive two weeks, Rudolf Steiner gave three simultaneous educational courses to those who were to be the first teachers of the original Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany. In this course, which integrates theory and practice, Steiner spoke of new ways to teach reading, writing, geography, geometry, language, and much more.