Our Screen-Free Approach

We are often asked why we don’t use computers for instruction at WSL, and why we recommend a screen-free life for our students at home, especially in the early childhood and elementary years.

Technology can be a wonderful tool, which is why our middle school students learn to touch-type and use the Internet for research. However, the promise of technology in education has fallen far short of its aims—while study after study warns of the harm technology and media use pose for children, particularly during the early years of critical brain development.

At the Waldorf School of Lexington, our classrooms are screen-free, and our students thrive, both academically and socially. Our “unplugged” approach is backed not only by current research, but by the hundreds of thoughtful, creative, successful students who have graduated from the Waldorf School of Lexington — and the thousands who have graduated from more than 1,200 Waldorf schools worldwide.

Read our full media white paper here.

Articles & Research on Media & Cell Phones

The Atlantic

Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on nonscreen activities are more likely to be happy. There’s not a single exception. If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this [national] survey, it would be straightforward: Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something—anything—that does not involve a screen.

The New York Times

The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids Is Not What We Expected

America’s public schools are still promoting devices with screens — even offering digital-only preschools. The rich are banning screens from class altogether.

Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent

See why Steve Jobs and other tech execs choose a gadget-free life (or very limited use) for their children.

A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute

Schools nationwide have rushed to supply their classrooms with computers, and many policy makers say it is foolish to do otherwise. But the contrarian point of view can be found at the epicenter of the tech economy, where some parents and educators have a message: computers and schools don’t mix.

Wall St. Journal

Teach Your Children Well: Unhook Them From Technology

At Mountain Oak, a Waldorf-inspired charter school in Arizona, teachers say they can immediately detect who has been using devices at home.