About 12 years ago we started our homeschool journey in a different direction. In the far past ( this is our 21st year as a homeschool family ) we used text books, worksheets, timed skills tests, computer learning games, and videos.
None of us seemed super excited about learning ( or teaching ) and every day dragged on it was beginning to feel like.
Years ago I came across some information about a Waldorf charter school that was where we lived. And so I looked into Waldorf education. Loved the majority of what I read, so we toured the school. LOVED the school. But the school was far, and even though a charter school, fees are pretty pricey. So that year I spent the summer drowning myself in learning all I can about teaching my children the "waldorf way." I have had so many people ask me "just what the heck are we doing" LOL. So here is a very long description of what it is we are doing now during the day.
I will start adding pictures of our day, and our work next week :) You can see the actual curriculum we use through this link Waldorf Essentials
( All info is taken from http://www.waldorfanswers.org/ )
The best overall statement on what is unique about Waldorf education is to be found in the stated goals of the schooling: "to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives".
The aim of Waldorf schooling is to educate the whole child, "head, heart and hands". The curriculum is as broad as time will allow, and balances academics subjects with artistic and practical activities.
Waldorf teachers are dedicated to creating a genuine love of learning within each child. By freely using arts and activities in the service of teaching academics, an internal motivation to learn is developed in the students, doing away with the need for competitive testing and grading.
Some distinctive features of Waldorf education include the following:
Academics are de-emphasized in the early years of schooling. There is no academic content in the Waldorf kindergarten experience (although there is a good deal of cultivation of pre-academic skills), and minimal academics in first grade. Literacy readiness begins in kindergarten with formal reading instruction beginning in grade one. Most children are reading independently by the middle or end of second grade.
During the elementary school years (grades 1-8) the students have a class (or "main lesson") teacher. The ideal and goal is that the class teacher stays with the same class for the entire eight years of elementary school. This, however, is not always the case, for many different reasons, one being the high demand this puts on the versatility of the teacher.
Certain activities which are often considered "frills" at mainstream schools are central at Waldorf schools: art, music, gardening, and foreign languages (usually two in elementary grades), to name a few. In the younger grades, all subjects are introduced through artistic mediums, use the children respond better to this medium than to dry lecturing and rote learning. All children learn to play recorder and to knit.
There are no "textbooks" as such in the first through fifth grades. All children have "main lesson books", which are their own workbooks which they fill in during the course of the year. They essentially produce their own "textbooks" which record their experiences and what they've learned. In some schools upper grades may use textbooks to supplement skills development, especially in math and grammar.
Learning in a Waldorf school is a noncompetitive activity. There are no grades given at the elementary level; the teacher writes a detailed evaluation of the child at the end of each school year.
The use of electronic media, particularly television, by young children is strongly discouraged in Waldorf schools.
What is the curriculum at a Waldorf school like?
The Waldorf curriculum is designed to be responsive to the various phases of a child's development. The relationship between student and teacher is, likewise, recognized to be both crucial and changing throughout the course of childhood and early adolescence.
The main subjects, such as history, language arts, science and mathematics are, as mentioned, taught in main lesson blocks of two to three hours per day, with each block lasting from three to five weeks.
The total Waldorf curriculum has been likened to an ascending spiral: subjects are revisited several times, but each new exposure affords greater depth and new insights into the subject at hand.
A typical Lower School curriculum would likely look something like the following:
Primary Grades 1 - 3
Pictorial introduction to the alphabet, writing, reading, spelling, poetry and drama.
Folk and fairy tales, fables, legends, Old Testament stories.
Numbers, basic mathematical processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Nature stories, house building and gardening.
Middle Grades 4 - 6
Writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry and drama.
Norse myths, history and stories of ancient civilizations.
Review of the four mathematical processes, fractions, percentages, and geometry.
Local and world geography, comparative zoology, botany and elementary physics.
Upper Grades 7 - 8
Creative writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry and drama.
Medieval history, Renaissance, world exploration, American history and biography.
Geography, physics, basic chemistry, astronomy, geology and physiology.
Special subjects also taught include:
Handwork: knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, basic weaving, toy making and woodworking.
Music: singing, pentatonic flute, recorder, string instruments, wind, brass and percussion instruments.
Foreign Languages (varies by school): Spanish, French, Japanese and German.
Art: wet-on-wet water color painting, form drawing, beeswax and clay modeling, perspective drawing.
Movement: eurythmy, gymnastics, group games.
So there you have it! I am always happy to answer questions, so feel free to ask away.
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