THE BIRTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL

IN THE 9TH YEAR

....Between the ninth and the tenth year, but nearer to the
ninth, one of the smaller periods (Ed.life cycles ) begins, when
the child gradually awakens to the difference between self
and the surrounding world. Only then does it become aware
of being a separate ego. .......
From: The Childs Cha!i! Cos"io#sess ad $aldor% Ed#"a&io
Rudolf Steiner ( April 18th, 1923):
The dawning of the age of ego consciousness in the children will ost pro!a!l" ha#e !ecoe apparent
around the age of se#en in $rade %ne& 'itherto, the child has e(perienced hi)herself as *one+ with the
en#ironent and with the e#ents which re#ol#e and happen in his)her dail" life& ,earning e(periences
in the preceding se#en "ears ha#e !een priaril" through the process of *iitation+ which has !een
graduall" replaced !" an innate desire to *understand+ the world& This latter period of growth appears
in the se#enth "ear where the child !egins to show the a!ilit" for independent thought& The thought
process at this stage of a child+s de#elopent is #er" different fro that of an adult, in that it is
predoinantl" pictorial and ore a-in to the process of thin-ing which we are failiar with through
reading fol- tales&
.ore fre/uentl" than not, the transition fro an unconscious perception of the world to a ore
conscious one, can !e a draatic process for !oth the child and the adults around hi)her, for not onl"
is the child entering into a stage of greater awareness of the outer0world and his)her position in it, !ut
he)she is also !ecoing ore aware of his)her own inner0world& This change in consciousness !rings
with it an eleent of insecurit", and a feeling of separation fro what, until now, had !een a secure and
supported e(istence& The child awa-ens to his own de#eloping ego and to a sense of his)her uni/ue
indi#idualit" with thoughts, and eotions which appear not to !e recognised and appreciated !" those
with who he)she interacts& The child e(periences a sense of isolation, of loss and the first realisation
of huan ortalit"&
This is actuall" a -ind of new independence& The child finds hi)herself no longer a!le to accept the
world as it had pre#iousl" appeared and the 1'ow2 3h"2 3hen2 and 3here24 period of growth
!egins& 'e)she !egins to /uer" and criticise what until now had !een accepted without /uestion&
5nstead of sipl" iitating what he)she sees, the child will now want to -now the reasons underl"ing
such and such an acti#it"&
An e(aple of this is the *.orning 6erse+ which is spo-en each da" in unison !" the pupils in the lower
grade school& This acti#it" had alwa"s !een accepted without /uestion as part of the dail" routine in
" $rades %ne and Two, !ut now suddenl" in $rade Three a child as-s: !hy do we ha"e to say this
"erse e"eryday# !hat is the use of it#$
7aturall", children do not alwa"s pose their /uestions at the ost appropriate tie, as was the case in
this instance, when the class was standing in silence waiting to recite together& So 5 refrained fro
gi#ing an iediate response& 7e(t da", the /uestion was posed again, !ut at a ore suita!le 8uncture
and this tie 5 chose to respond, !" sipl" a-ing a stateent of fact: %t is good to do something
together to begin each day&$ The /uestion was not posed again&
7aturall", 5 could ha#e #iewed the child+s /uestion fro a ore intellectual point of #iew and entered
into an e(planation of what the *#erse+ actuall" contained and how we as a class and as indi#iduals
should stri#e to !ring to realisation the thoughts which underlie the words we recite together& The le#el
of understanding which the child is reaching for at this stage, howe#er, is not an intellectual one&
5ntellectual thought re/uires the power of reasoning, which is an adult facult" and one not "et present in
the "oung child&
Rather than see-ing an *intellectual+ response to life+s /uestions, what the child reall" desires is an
understanding that arises fro the soul 0 a *feeling+ understanding eanating fro a s"pathetic
interrelationship with the stages of huan e#olution and the world in general& Thus, the ost profound
/uestion for the child is: Who am I and where is my place in the world? This is a ar-edl"
different outloo- fro the *drea0li-e+ e(istence which had !een li-e a protecti#e sheath or cocoon
around the child& 5nstead, the child now !egins to search for the *realit"+ of life&
This eerging *ego+ of the child ust not !e e(ploited !" an intellectual approach to teaching& %n the
contrar", it re/uires the teacher or parent to suon0up all his)her iaginati#e powers to ensure that the
ego is protected fro !eing e(posed at too earl" a stage to the world+s forces& Though in course of
tie, the ego will de#elop sufficientl" to !e a!le to assiilate such forces without detrient to its
de#elopent& 5n the earl" stages, it is iperati#e for the future health of the child that the *ego+ is
allowed to graduall" de#elop and this is !est accoplished !" an *iaginati#e+ approach to teaching: a
teaching which is i!ued with iages&
n the first se#en "ears of a child+s life, the etheric forati#e forces are full" engaged in foring and
shaping the child+s ph"sical !od"& At the close of the first se#en "ear life c"cle, soe of these etheric
forces reain !ound0up with the organis and continue to participate in the process of growth& Those
forces which ha#e !een *freed+, now !ecoe a#aila!le for the de#elopent of the child+s thin-ing0
cogniti#e processes&
Those readers failiar with Rudolf Steiner+s #iews, are aware that the etheric forati#e forces are those
forces which gi#e the true shape to the huan 9theric :od" and which are in thesel#es fored !"
powerful *iaginations+ fro the Spiritual 3orld& 5f we accept that this is the case, then we can readil"
understand and appreciate that !" de#eloping the a!ilit" the thin- in a health" and li#el" fashion, to
thin- in *iages+, gi#es us the possi!ilit" to sei;e upon the higher iaginati#e forces, in turn gi#ing us
the possi!ilit" to help aintain and shape the child+s de#eloping !odil" organs& Thus it is that as
parents and educators, we ha#e the responsi!ilit" to reall" wor- in a health" anner upon the ph"sical
de#elopent of the child gi#en into our care&
The different stages of the learning process are generall" referred to in 3aldorf circles as !eing firstl"
education through the *3ill+ (li!)eta!olic s"ste) in the first se#en "ears leading to education
through *<eeling+ (rh"thic s"ste) in the second se#en "ear period and e#entuall" culinating in
education through *Thin-ing+ (ner#e)sense s"ste) fro the age of 1= "ears to 21 "ears&
The !irth of the ego will !e seen as falling into the *<eeling+ stage of learning where growth acti#it" is
ost acti#e in the rh"thic s"ste& To /uote >r 3alter 'olt;apfel, .>&
'he turning point between the ninth and tenth year also manifests in bodily symptoms. (t this age,
the heart$s capacity for blood intake (the so)called pulse)"olume) suddenly increases in leaps and
bounds. 'hus, the organ that holds a central position among all other organs increases its powers
at the "ery moment when the central being of the child ) the 5 or ego ) undergoes a decisi"e turn in its
de"elopment. ......... %n the course of the childhood years, the sugar le"el steadily increases in
proportion to the increasingly deeper incarnation of the child$s ego. 'his ascending cur"e,
howe"er, shows a temporary descent e*actly at the age of nine. 'here we ha"e a physical counterpart
to the tender 50e(perience that needs the support of the adults and appropriate educational measures.
>r 'olt;apfel goes on to sa" that the child+s e(perience of insecurit" and separation are irrored in this
decline in the !lood0sugar le#el& 5t is 8ust now that the child !egins to coplain of headaches, stoach
pains and other ailents 0 usuall" 8ust !efore school coences or when soe change ta-es place in
the child+s noral dail" rh"th& Such s"ptos are ...almost always caused by e*ternal
influences....$. such as disruption in the fail" situation or !ecause of an(iet" at not !eing a!le to cope
at school (imaginary or otherwise). :ut ore often than not, the s"ptos are caused !" e(cessi#e
stiulation of the sense organs through watching tele#ision or #ideo, ga;ing at a coputer screen,
sense0less pla" with 7intendo gaes, etc&,& *&&&%n many cases, the child$s diet is also a contributing
factor, more often through too much rather than too little food. +eals should be eaten at regular
inter"als and not substituted by casual snacking between meals. (rtificial additi"es and colourings
should also be a"oided . ....$
Although there is no clear e(planation as to wh" children react to these e(ternal influences, the fact
reains that the" are suscepti!le to school sic-ness 8ust at this crucial stage of their de#elopent&
:earing this in ind, the 3aldorf curriculu is so designed that o#er0stiulation of the child+s
sense)ner#ous s"ste is a#oided and this is ost effecti#el" accoplished !" an iaginati#e approach
to all teaching and other interactions with the child&
The attitudes and ipressions that coe !efore the children during this iportant phase of their life will
ha#e a direct !earing on how the" eet and cope with the often trauatic "ears of pu!ert"& ?erhaps it
can !e suggested that at no other tie is the child ore in need of guidance fro the adults around hi
or her than at this crucial stage of de#elopent&
The *authorit"+ of the adult should now ha#e a a8or role in the education of the child& 3hen one uses
the ter @authorit"@ in connection with the education of children, it often con8ures up in the inds of
an" adults the /uestion of control and whether one should infact ipose oneAs authorit" upon a child&

Surel", soe ight clai, this would !e ipinging upon the childAs inherent right of *freedo+&
'owe#er, the *authorit"+ which we are referring to is not one of a dictatorial nature or of authoritanis,
!ut rather an *authorit"+ which arises out of the indisputa!le fact that the adult, whose tas- it is to guide
and safe0guard the child, has through their own life e(periences gained -nowledge and insight of which
the child has not up until now had the opportunit" to ac/uire& The adult is -nowledgea!le of certain
areas of life and is therefore an *authorit"+ to a greater or lesser e(tent on an" aspects which will ha#e
a direct !earing on the life and de#elopent of the child in their care&
As adults we ha#e a responsi!ilit" to use this authorit" with regards to our children and to pass onto
the the -nowledge that we ha#e !een fortunate enough to ha#e ac/uired oursel#es fro our parents
and through lifeAs e(periences& 7ot to do so, would !e to depri#e the child of an iportant part of their
education&
9#en as adults, we still see- guidance fro others and in soe counities the guidance (authority) of
the elders is still uch respected and sought after& 5t naturall" follows that the child, too, needs
guidance, for it would !e ludicrous to presue that the child in its innocence could responsi!l" assue
control for its deeds and actions& 5f one were to su!scri!e to such a tenet, then when Benn" first as-s to
dri#e the car, she should !e allowed to do so, e#en if she canAt /uite see o#er the dash0!oard& Afterall,
she ust learn fro her own e(periences 0 who a 5 to interfere and sa" @7oC@& 5f children are in need
of authoritati#e guidance in atters of fact, how uch ore ust this !e so in atters of !eha#iourC
All of us -now that there will !e fre/uent occasions when a child will do soething which the" are
aware is *wrong+, !ut to the child this is #er" uch soething which he or she -nows is not appro#ed of
!" his or her parents or teachers 0 it is not that the child has arri#ed at the stage of a-ing an
independent oral 8udgent& 3hat a child *does+ is coloured #er" uch !" what his)her parents or
teachers *allow+ or e#en do thesel#esC
5f the adults responsi!le for the child allow certain things to happen, then in the e"es of the child it will
!e full" 8ustified in doing such things& Silence on the part of adults is often tantaount to appro#al&
?ro!les of !eha#iour)discipline cannot !e a#oided, !ut the" ust !e et and seen to !e dealt with !"
parents and teachers& To *turn0a0!lind0e"e+ or to a#oid dealing with an issue in an" anner, is a
disser#ice to the child& There is no roo for half0easures& ?artial success in dealing with a pro!le
fre/uentl" eans no success at all& ,i-ewise, inappropriate easures also ha#e to !e a#oided, for these
too can !e detriental to the child& Also, if we ha#e the strength to follow through with the process of
discipline and pro!le sol#ing, we gi#e the child confidence&
The /uestion as to whether such an approach is not in fact an intrusion on the childAs right to act in
*freedo+ presupposes that the child has the capacit" to for independent 8udgent, especiall"
.%RA, 8udgent& Such a capacit" is onl" slowl" de#eloped throughout childhood&
3e as adults on the other hand, onl" feel coforta!le in doing soething if we ha#e the !ac-ing of our
own oral 8udgent& 'ow uncoforta!le we inwardl" feel if we do soething which we -now with
our own powers of thought is orall" wrongC
The child has an iplicit trust in the adults who ha#e a direct influence on his)her life& This iplicit
trust deands of us as adults to stand !efore the child as representati#es of what is orall" right in the
world& This is a treendous responsi!ilit" and one which none of us can e#er hope to li#e up to, !ut
tr" we ust ne#erthelessC 5f we wai#er or falter in our endea#ours, then it is as if the #er" ground has
!een swept fro under the childAs feet& Dnfortunatel", this happens ore and ore fre/uentl" in this
da" and age with an" fail" situations leading to inner distress and turoil for our children&
%ne of the tenets of Rudolf Steiner (3aldorf) education is to educate the child towards *freedo+ in
later life& To de#elop the a!ilit" to for *oral+ ideas which can !e transfored into *oral+ actions 0
this is true *freedo+& 5n the pre0grade school the children iitate what the" see in the adult world,
the" ha#e faith in that which is *good+& 5n the grade school the children should !e shown that which is
*!eautiful+ (and good) and in the higher grades that which is *true+ (beautiful and good). $oodness,
:eaut" and Truth: $%%>79SS 0 that which we do with our hands& :9ADTE 0 that which we feel
with the heart& TRDT' 0 that which coes with the a!ilit" to thin-& 5f we as parents and teachers are
a!le to achie#e an haronious wor-ing together of these three fundaental faculties, then we ha#e
!lessed the children in our care with the capacit" for .%RA, <R99>%. and 575T5AT569 in later
life&
Our highest endea"our must be to de"elop
free$ human beings who are able of themsel"es
to impart purpose and direction to their li"es.
Rudolf Steiner&
FFFFFFFF