Monthly Archives: November 2009

An Anthroposophic View of the Second Year

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We looked at the first year here: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/11/07/an-anthroposophic-view-of-walking/  and now we are on to look at the second year.  My main source for this perspective is Karl Konig’s wonderful book, “The First Three Years of the Child:  Walking, Speaking, Thinking.”

Konig points out that speech is something that separates Man from Animal.  “Cries, screams, moans, or other sounds expressing the woes and joys of existence are not speech.  Speech is not merely expression, but naming.”

Anthroposophists see speech unfolding in a three-fold manner:  expression, naming, and then speaking.  “The life of the speech organism begins at the moment of birth.  The beginning has been made when the air current is drawn into the body and tone formation is accomplished with the first cry.  During the embryonic period, this speech organism was at rest, being built up and formed, but at birth its activity begins, enabling the child gradually to learn speech as well as speaking.”    The other three-fold way to look at speech is to see syllables as building the expression, words building the naming, and sentences building the speaking.

Speech is also seen as having two sides:  the motor side (speaking) and the sensory side (hearing).    Speech develops in a three-fold manner:  babbling, meaningless imitation, meaningful reaction to the words addressed to the child. 

Konig makes an interesting point on page 37 and writes:  “  Though the growing baby seems to take in the words and sentences addressed to him with increasing understanding, his comprehension does not yet constitute a word understanding in  its true sense….the word or spoken sentence is not of importance to him, but rather the accompanying gestures and actions, the inner approach.”

From the eighteenth month through the twenty fourth month, the child is typically in a stage of naming.  Everything is named and the child is a joyous discoverer.  The child also becomes what Konig calls a “conqueror” because that which the child can name can also belong to him and become his property. 

The child then moves from naming  into simple, sometimes jumbled sentences into the use of one’s native language.  “Only in talking is the true acquisition of one’s native language accomplished, and this is possible only because the child grows up in a speaking environment.  Speech speaks with the other speakers and expresses the personality of the child.  Speech assumes a social character and the child grows into a language community, that is, into the community of his people.”

Konig’s last point in this chapter is to point out that speech pathologies are actually the “falling apart” of the three-foldness of speech and the lack of harmony between expression, naming and talking.

Happy pondering,

Carrie

Waldorf Pure?

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This actually goes with this post:  “Are You Moving Forward Or Just Treading Water?’”( https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/11/16/are-you-moving-forward-or-just-treading-water/).  I think this is one thing that holds people back from Waldorf homeschooling, this notion  that they are not “pure” Waldorf.  I find it rather odd we preface conversations about Waldorf in this manner, when we don’t seem to about any other form of homeschooling.  Are you Montessori pure?  Classically pure?

Roberto Trostli  points out in his book “Rhythms of Learning”  that there are “three salient features”  of Waldorf Education:

“1.  Waldorf education is based on a developmental approach that addresses the changing needs of the growing child and maturing adolescent.

2. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child- the heart and the hands as well as the head.

3.  Waldorf schools are committed to developing capacities as well as skills so that their students will become self-aware, compassionate individuals with a sense of responsibility for the Earth.” 

Doesn’t sound that crazy, does it?  So where do we get so hung up?  Maybe we put much of the dogma on ourselves.  Steiner was all about the individual, and creating one’s own path within Waldorf Education.   He was all about teachers evolving and creating their own things out of Waldorf Education and their own inner work, arising to meet each individual child. 

Many people “mix” Waldorf with different things….Donna Simmons writes somewhat  of this here in her post entitled, “But Is It Waldorf?”  http://christopherushomeschool.typepad.com/blog/2005/10/but_is_it_waldo.html

Her point is if one understands the Waldorf curriculum then one can choose to work from that and make that work for your family even if you deviate here and there from what a Waldorf school would do in accordance to what works best at home.  Let’s face it, there are some things that work well in the home environment that don’t work well in the school environment and vice versus.  But let’s celebrate that and stop perceiving it as some kind of inferior being to do Waldorf Education at home instead of at school. 

Can you mix Waldorf with other methods? Sure, many people do.  Donna Simmons has an audio download here specifically about Unschooling and Waldorf:  http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/bookstore-for-waldorf-homeschooling/audio-downloads.html

However, I will say this:  Waldorf is a philosophy of education, not just a mish-mash of this reading program, this math program, this writing program.  While many homeschoolers are out searching for the “best program”, Waldorf homeschoolers continue to work within a distinctive approach for each seven year cycle and what subjects really speak into the soul of a child who is seven, eight, nine, ten, etc.  It is a fundamental difference. 

And I do think “mixing” can be harder in the very Early Years.  To me, either you work within that first seven year cycle and accept that the right time for more pure academic work is toward that six and half or seven years of age or you just don’t.  And it is not that the Waldorf Kindergarten is anti-academic!  But it is anti “shove it into their heads” at that stage.  We use the body at that stage for such academic concepts of acquiring language and writing (oral, through the ears and the voice as we listen and  re-tell stories and verses in three different languages), math (orally and through the body as we play, skip, count in verses and being outside), science and nature education (through bodily movement outside using all 12 senses), artistic sense (by doing and creating, not  by looking at pictures in a book of masterpieces and analyzing the book). To me, though,  this makes sense for a small child – does it to you?  Some people are concerned about a “slow start” – I personally am more concerned about bringing in the information at the time when my child is going to understand it and want to learn it best.  Are you?

Many people are afraid if they stick just with Waldorf their children will miss something.  Aren’t you more afraid they are missing something by skipping around and changing programs all the time?  In Waldorf every single thing builds upon itself and it is all covered in its due course.  Trust in that!

Every teacher has to pick and choose the best way to illuminate a subject for a particular grade, this is true in public school, private school and Waldorf school.  It is also true in homeschooling.  There is no way to “cover everything”.  Part of homeschooling is teaching your child how to find information, synthesize information and problem-solve, not just regurgitate facts.  Waldorf homeschooling really does excel in this area.

What you want is to have time to ENJOY your family – you should be able to have time to hike, bake bread, paint, pick berries, cook and love and enjoy each other. 

Simplify your life, and yes, pick what works best for you and your family.  I really do think Waldorf is enough, but if you understand what Waldorf is then you can decide where you are comfortable to insert a different approach to help your child.  However, my plea is for you to give Waldorf a chance alone instead of automatically assuming  it is not enough 🙂 or that it is too “dogmatic” for you to make it work.

I am sure this will generate a lot of discussion!  Looking forward to it!

Blessings,

Carrie

Are You Moving Forward Or Just Treading Water?

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Do you have family or friends where the same issues keep coming up over and over and over?  Someone who has health problems, for example, yet does nothing to help himself or herself get better?  Someone who constantly has issues with basic routines of household care but who cannot seem to pull it together despite talking, planning and help?  Someone who wants to change something and complains about said something but just cannot seem to change it?

What is holding them back?  What holds you back?  How can you move forward instead of just treading water?

1.  Get support!  I think this is the number one way to become accountable. For years I was involved in lifting weights, and it was always so much easier to go the gym at 6 AM if I knew someone was there waiting for me.  The same is true for developing habits!  Get support, get a partner, get accountable to someone besides yourself.

2.  Develop your own inner will power.  This is difficult, but sometimes the only way to do something is to just do it! Sometimes in parenting and in life we have to do things we don’t want to do. Don’t want to get up early? Put your feet on the floor and sit on the edge of the bed a minute.  Don’t want to knit?  Do ten stitches.  Work in those baby steps and if you fall get back up again.

3.  Stop using excuses. They only limit you!  Work toward solving the problem, not going around and around about why you can’t. Low on cash and need Waldorf curriculum?  Save 5 dollars each week from the grocery money, save spare change, ask for books for holiday gifts, sell something you own, scour the used Waldorf curriculum list, look on the Internet for free resources, join the national Waldorf Yahoo!Groups and ask questions.  If you want it badly enough, you will work to make it happen!

4.  Make a decision!  Sometimes you just have to stop researching and gathering information, and start doing.

5.  Know when to let go – we cannot be responsible for anyone but ourselves and our own household.  Know when to lighten up; know when to respect other people’s ideas even if it is not what you would have picked or done.  And know when to let go.  If someone feels the need to bring up “that thing” which they love to complain about but have done nothing about, respect that they may only want a listening ear (and it is okay to not have it be YOUR listening ear!)

Keep moving forward toward your dreams!  You can do it!

Carrie

How Not To Be The Angry Parent

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To read  this in Spanish, please see here:  http://fabiolaperezsitko.blogspot.com/2010/01/eres-un-padre-enojon.html

Are you ever an angry parent?

Conflict is a part of life, and anger is not a BAD emotion – it is just a feeling like other feelings.  However, many parents choose to discipline their children when they are angry or hurt.  Some parents choose to hit their children when they are angry.  Hitting a child is wrong, (if you need an argument for this please see this post:   https://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/20/getting-past-fear/ )  and when we lose control and responsibility for our actions when we are angry we lose that teachable moment.  A  split-second action in anger can also cause a parent to have remorse and guilt.  It can necessitate an apology!

Instead of losing control, I would like to talk to you today about how not to be the angry parent.  I personally believe the number one reason parents get angry with their children is that their children “are not listening.”  Many times this happens in conjunction with having to complete something on a tight time table.  Sometimes it just seems as if the child is endlessly negative, or the temperament of the child in conjunction with the parent leads to a fragile relationship between the child and the adult.

However, aren’t children supposed to be immature?  Children are noisy, messy, and yes, often immature.  Otherwise they would be born as adults and age backward, right?

I believe anger issues actually are OUR problem, the parent’s problem.  Usually we are trying to do something in a tight time frame, we are carrying in baggage from our own childhood (“I NEVER would have talked to MY parents that way!), we are tired and stressed out over things that may or may not even have to do with that child, we are carrying unrealistic expectations of that child’s behavior, or just in general our needs are not being met.

In the heat of the moment, what one needs is the ability to calm down.  This may entail taking a “parent time-out”.  Many parents complain about this because they are ready to explode, they are trying to get away to calm down for a minute, only to have  a screaming child follow them!  Ah, that  youthful immaturity again – an adult probably would give you the space to calm down whereas a child may not!

What do you do then?

My personal vote is to go outside.  I pull a lot of weeds in yard when I am angry, and that helps me calm down before I do something stupid.  My children can be out there, but will often give me a bit of space in an open area (as opposed to going into the bathroom with everyone yelling and screaming on the other side of the door!). 

The question becomes:  What do we want our CHILDREN to do when they are angry and how can we model that for them?  If we walk around yelling and slamming doors, how can we be surprised when our six-year old does that?

After you are calm, hopefully you can return to the situation and work to solve the problem. Help the child, guide the child.  Breathe in and breathe out.

Patience is developed over time.  I am certain I am more patient with this third child than I was with my first child.  Learning to relax into parenting and how to let go of the mentality that every single thing must be addressed so the child will not become a Detriment To Society is also learned.  Set a timer and see if you can keep your patience for half an hour if that is where you are, and work up from there. You can do this!  Fill your own tank so you have something to give.  Get your children into a rhythm with an early bedtime so you have time for you and time for you and your spouse. 

Most of all, be thankful.  Go look at your children while they are sleeping, those small faces, realize how very little ages three, four and five really are.  And in this time of dwindling light and moving into darkness, work to cultivate yourself as a light for your family.

Blessings,

Carrie

Mealtime Rhythms and Routines

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This is a lovely post by Annette that is sure to give you inspiration:

http://natural-childhood.blogspot.com/2009/11/mealtime-rhythms-and-routines.html

Thanks Annette!

Carrie

My Little One Is Being Lost In The Shuffle!

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Many of us have an Early Grades child (ie, Grades One – Two-Three) child we are providing Main Lessons for in Waldorf homeschooling, but also have a Kindergarten-aged child to consider as well.  The number one complaint I hear is that “my (three to six year old) child is just tormenting us during our attempt to do a Main Lesson for the older child”.  I understand! 

Here are some things to kick around and see if any of it helps:

1. Consider doing your Kindergarten work first – ie, Kindergarten Circle, Kindergarten Story, a response to the story if needed.

2. Consider where you are putting practical work in – is that happening or has your routine of Tuesday as Baking Day, Wednesday as Crafts Day, etc, that you had with your older one completely flown out the window now?  Sometimes using the earlier part of the morning to do that and then coming to the Main Lesson for the older child does the trick.

3.  Are you starting your day with physical activity?  I know sometimes it is hard, because once you get out and walk and ride bikes and such and come back in and regroup it seems the whole morning is gone, but perhaps some variation of this will work for you and your family.

4.  Can your older child be flexible?  Can you do something at naptime?  Can you take a day and go hiking during the week and make up that Main Lesson on the weekend at all when Dad is around to help with the Kindergarten-aged child?  The weekend idea may not work well with a three-day rhythm, but might work well for something such as Form Drawing once a week or wet on wet watercolor painting where you need a more meditative quality.

5.  Can you home school outside?

6.  What sensory experiences can you set up inside?  Can you have an indoor sandbox, can you build a fort for the little one to play in, can you have a sensory table inside, can your little one play in the sink, etc?

7.  Could anyone be a mother’s helper for two days a week so you can get more concentrated work done?  Is there an elderly neighbor who would love to garden with your child during the week at one point or bake?  Is  your spouse’s job flexible enough at all to portion out part of homeschooling your Kindergarten-aged child to him or her?

For those of you who have been there and done that, what has worked for you?

I think the most important thing to remember is that homeschooling is about family first, it is also about flexibility and enjoying some of the advantages of homeschooling has to offer – like being outside during nice fall weather!  🙂

Most of all, remember that even the Early Grades are still little (First and Second), Third should be a lot of hands-on work perhaps even more than Main Lesson Book and perhaps we should take a hint from our friends Raymond and Dorothy Moore that late is better than early.  Oral storytelling can assist the whole family, plays and puppet shows and the academic pieces will come..

Looking forward to hearing YOUR ideas on this one,

Carrie

Waldorf 101: Waldorf “Preschool”

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Faithful readers of this blog will probably know  what I am going to say:  there is no Waldorf preschool. Waldorf Kindergarten used to start after age 4, and now the age has dropped to age 3 with “Morning Garden” classes for toddlers to age 3 in many schools.   I have a strong dislike of where the Waldorf schools are headed in terms of taking younger and younger children out of the home.  Waldorf Kindergartens work to emulate a loving home, and this is something that we obviously can work on at home for far less cost and for far more personal development than perhaps would occur if our child was at Waldorf school.  Having your children with you 24/7 forces your own spiritual growth!  Ask any homeschooling mother!

So, if we are thinking about “preschool” we are thinking about the ages before age 4, or perhaps I would even argue before the age of 5 or 6.  I think in the home environment really we need to do “Waldorf Kindergarten” around the five-year-old year and the six-year-old year.  These are the ages for increased attention, increased ability to do artistic and creative work in a focused fashion.  It is just a thought; I know some will disagree.

Here are a few things to work on in the years before starting Waldorf Kindergarten in your home:

  • Work on your own ability to nurture and enfold your child into life on Earth.
  • Establish a rhythm for your child, your family, your life.  If you are still struggling with rhythm when you hit homeschooling for the grades, it will be difficult to focus on teaching.  Remember though, rhythm is not a schedule but a flow.
  • Establish health of your child through protection of the 12 senses, use of warmth, establishing rhythm.
  • Repetition!  It is what little people need!
  • Play, singing, interaction
  • Including your child in household chores
  • Outside and sensory experiences
  • Fostering the imagination through oral storytelling

If you need more information regarding the very Early Years, try the Waldorf Baby tag and Rhythm tags.  If you need more information regarding Waldorf Kindergarten, please try that tag.

Less is more in the Waldorf Home.  Please remember the differences between the Waldorf Home with a six-year-old versus a three-year old.  There should be a difference!

Love,

Carrie

Please Pray For Our Troops

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Today is Veteran’s Day – Happy Veteran’s Day to my husband who devoted ten years in duty to the United States Army.  Please pray for our troops.  This is part of an Associated Press article published today:

“WASHINGTON – Far from winding down, the numbers of wounded U.S. soldiers coming home have continued to swell. The problem is especially acute among those who fought in Afghanistan, where nearly four times as many troops were injured in October as a year ago.

Amputations, burns, brain injuries and shrapnel wounds proliferate in Afghanistan, due mostly to crude, increasingly potent improvised bombs targeting U.S. forces. Others are hit by snipers’ bullets or mortar rounds.

With Veterans Day on Wednesday, wounded veterans from the recent conflicts consider the toll of these injuries, and the rough road ahead for the injured. Of particular concern are the so-called hidden wounds, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder that can have side effects such as irritability and depression.”

Please say a prayer for the men and women who feel called to military life.

In gratitude,

Carrie

Waldorf 101: Circle Time

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Circle Time is absolutely the heart of the Waldorf Kindergarten in a Waldorf school setting.  At home, it sometimes is successful and sometimes not.  Many families have increased success with just choosing verses that go with transitions of the day, such as verses to accompany brushing of teeth, getting dressed, etc or verses and fingerplays that go along with things in nature that one can pull out on nature walks and during outside time.

One thing that I would encourage is doing a lot of singing in the presence of your children – singing whilst you do dishes or cook for example.  This, to me, is something that happens outside of the regular Circle Time or verses and fingerplays.

If one wants to try to put together a Circle Time,  remember  it can be difficult with only one child!  However, here are some suggestions:

1.  Circle Times usually are held for a whole month (or sometimes even longer with elements that are added or taken away).  A Circle almost always reflects the season, but can also include elements of festivals or can include a story as told in a Circle Time.

2.  Within a Circle one usually considers slow and fast movements, quiet and loud, gross motor movements versus movement of just the hands, balance.

3.  A Circle can include elements of counting in rhyme and movement.

4.  The Circle is typically so well-known by the end of the month that the child can say parts of it with you!

Here are some on-line examples of active circles:

This is noted as more of a “movement journey” rather than a strict Circle Time with indications for children with certain challenges:  http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/GW55blanning2.pdf

A Summer Circle:  http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/gw4615.pdf

A Winter Movement Journey:  http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/GW5004.pdf

When I do a Circle Time within my home, I either use a “pre-made” Circle out of “Let Us Form A Ring” or “Movement Journeys and Circle Adventures.”  Sometimes I do make up my own Circle Times, but I also can read music, which is a huge help in putting together Circle Times.  The Wynstones Books have been a large help to me in that regard, but again, the songs will not mean much if one cannot read music!  Your voice is the most wonderful thing for Circle Time, some teachers also bring in pentatonic flute or kinderlyre for part of the Circle.

Sometimes I find the Circle Times that I have put together myself are the biggest success because they speak so to my children.  You could make a circle about knights for Michaelmas and the month of September, an insect circle for Summer or whatever speaks most to your child.  One thing I would like to try is to write my own circle from scratch; I think that would be a fun adventure to pick a theme and write verses and music for my pennywhistle to go with it!

Hope that helps answer some questions regarding Circle Time.

Peace,

Carrie

Waldorf 101: Main Lesson Books, Block Teaching, and The Three Day Rhythm

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NOTE:  This is NOT for Kindergarten aged children!  This is for children in the grades, who should be seven for most of Grade One, eight for most of Grade Two, etc.

Kindergarten aged children (traditionally ages 3-6 at a Waldorf school, at home perhaps ages 5 and 6) do not follow three day rhythms, nor block teaching, nor have Main Lesson Books.  They follow a strong rhythm, a story that changes once a month, singing and verses and practical work.

Main Lesson Books: These are stapled or spiral bound blank books.  One Main Lesson Book is for each block  (see below) or for a certain subject throughout the whole year.  For example, you may have one Main Lesson Book for October’s Language Arts block on Aesop’s Fables in Second Grade or perhaps you have a Nature Main Lesson book where you draw the same tree once a month on the first day of the month.

Where to find them:  Through A Little Garden Flower http://www.alittlegardenflower.com/store/  , through Paper Scissor Stone http://waldorfsupplies.com/   or through here:  http://www.raand.com/supplies-waldorf-schools.html

Block Teaching: In Waldorf Education, we teach a Main Lesson on a focal subject for 3-6 weeks.  Many home educators work with one month time frames for ease.  A typical school year may include 3-4 Language Arts Blocks, 3 Math Blocks, 2 Science Blocks, perhaps Form Drawing as a block or two.

Here is an example of my own personal plan for Second Grade:

September – Form Drawing from Cherokee Trickster Tales for 2 weeks, Math for 2 weeks

October – Language Arts from Fables (this includes word families, spelling, vocabulary, handwriting, punctuation, grammar)

November – Math

December – Language Arts/Nature  from Saint Stories

January – Math

February – Language Arts from Saint Stories

March – Nature Block

April – Math Block

May – Form Drawing from Jataka Tales

June – Language Arts from Saint Stories

Separate from the Blocks include things such as foreign languages (usually two languages; we do Spanish and German); Handwork; Games; Music, Painting, Eurythmy, Form Drawing.  These are typically worked  in several times a week, and also sometimes within a Main Lesson as part of the three-day rhythm.  As the children becomes older, typically there is also extra lessons and practice for spelling and math.

Three-Day Rhythm:  Waldorf is the ONLY educational method to use sleep as a learning aid.  Typically it looks like this:

Monday – Perhaps practice something from last week, perhaps Form Drawing, TELL new story and let it rest

Tuesday – Hands on piece – re-visit story, pick out elements of story and work with poetry, crafts, painting, building, modeling, etc from story

Wednesday – Re-visit story, work on academic pieces such as grammar, writing summaries in Main Lesson Book, etc.  Tell new story if doing five days of school a week.  (If not, stop here and make Thursday a painting day or such with Fridays off).

Thursday – Re-visit story, hands-on pieces

Friday – Re-visit story, academic pieces

Hope this helps clarify a few basics of Waldorf Education for the grades.

Blessings,

Carrie