INCORPORATING WALDORF INTO YOUR HOMESCHOOLING

The golden sun is shining
Up in the sky so blue;
Good morning, happy morning,
Good morning, sun, to you!

0animljus3

I have been really excited by all that Waldorf has to offer. It has given me insight and wonderful ideas to incorporate and make our homeschooling experience a richer one. I am not a Waldorf educator but rather use a quilt of ideas and incorporate Waldorf wherever possible. Read on and follow the links if you are interested in a wonderful natural approach to education and children!

WALDORF BASICS

Homeschooling using a Waldorf approach has also been called holistic homeschooling or natural homeschooling. It approaches the education of the child as a whole human being - body, soul and spirit. Early academics are not encouraged, instead the curriculum follows the 7-year developmental phases of a child- hands (0-7yrs), heart (7-14yrs) and head (14-21yrs). This approach is vital to the curriculum, which is designed to provide the right thing at the right time. Waldorf emphasizes play and nurtures imagination and therefore the use of electronic media by young children is discouraged. It incorporates natural and practical learning such as beeswax modelling, painting, gardening, woodwork, knitting and singing etc. It has a deep oral tradition, beginning with fairy tales. Writing evolving out of art is taught first, reading naturally unfolds later. Main subjects are taught in lesson blocks, with each block lasting three or four weeks. This offers an opportunity for focus and in depth study rather than jumping from one subject to another. Textbooks are not used; rather children create their own main lesson books, which contain a record of work that has been accomplished. Waldorf education continues to revisit subjects, deepening them and gaining new insights each time.

Note on Waldorf & Christianity – Sadly, many people have been put off Waldorf, as the philosophy is not Christian. Waldorf does not teach any specific religion but acceptance of all people and diversity. Many miss the wonder of Waldorf for this reason, which is a shame as Waldorf has so much richness to offer!

More About Waldorf

An Introduction to Waldorf Homeschooling – Christopherus Homeschool Resources

What is Waldorf Education? – Waldorf in the Home

Sample Waldorf Lessons

Live Education.com – excellent curriculum sample pages on left

Oak Meadow.com – curriculum sample pages

Waldorf Curriculum.com – see sample pages (includes free online preschool units)

Waldorf Curriculum Overview – an outline of each Grade

Interesting Waldorf Articles

First Grade Readiness by Alicia Benoit-Clark – Christopherus Homeschool Resources

Excellent article and self-test on learning styles – Oak Meadow

There's More to Reading than Meets the Eye by Barbara Sokolov

Why Should Children Learn to Read Approximately Age 7? By Valdemar W. Setzer and Sonia Setzer

The Waldorf Kindergarten: The World of the Young Child from Waldorf Early Childhood Association

Waldorf Art

Waldorf Art – Waldorf Homeschoolers

Crayon Drawing – A Basic Introduction by Barbara Dewey – Waldorf Without Walls

Music, Nursery Rhymes & Verse

When Should My Child Begin Music Lessons? A Comparison of Waldorf and Suzuki Philosophies by S Balwin

Collection of Verses – Waldorf Homeschoolers

Verses for Grade One through Five – by Eugene Schwartz

Come bright butterfly, close to me
Your beautiful wings I should like to see
You fly like a bird, you sip like a bee
But you're really a flower the wind set free

Waldorf Crafts & Activities

Knitting, Make Your Own Puppets, Make Your Own Felt Board and Fuzzy Felt, Gardening, Folk Dancing etc.

Finger Knitting – Waldorf Homeschoolers

Knitting – Waldorf Homeschoolers

Puppets – Live Education

String Games – Waldorf Homeschoolers