Daily Archives: December 29, 2010

A Skeleton Plan for Waldorf Homeschooling First and Fourth Grade

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Apparently Kara over at Rockin’ Granola and I are on the same wavelength recently…..Several weeks ago I got this urge to make a quick skeleton outline of blocks that I am going to start in the fall with my First and Fourth Grader.  This sounds a little crazy for this time of year, perhaps, but inspiration really struck me and it took very little time.

During the quiet of the Twelve Holy Nights, I urge homeschooling parents to take some of these days and lay out a skeleton plan of the blocks you are going to tackle in the fall.  This way you will be ready to order supplies around March and you will be able to start putting your blocks together.  You will be so proud to have a jump-start on your next school year!

Here is my quickie outline for 2011-2012, subject to change at a moment’s notice.  Smile

(Of course this does not include the middle lesson (s) or the afternoon lessons…just the Main Blocks).

Week of August 29 through September 9 – First Grader Form Drawing and Counting Games (2 weeks) ; Fourth Grader Local Geography (3 weeks total)

Week of September 12-  First Grader Beginning Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting and Crayon Drawing (2 weeks total) ; Fourth Grader Local Geography

Week of September 19- First Grader Beginning Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting and Crayon Drawing’; Fourth Grader Math (3 weeks total)

Week of September 26- October 7  First Grader Introduction to Letters (5  weeks total); Fourth Grader Math

Week of October 10– Week of October 31 –  First Grader Introduction to Letters, Fourth Grader Man and Animal I  (4 weeks total)

Week of October 31/November 1 First Grader Fall Crafts and preparation for All Saints Day (1 week) ; Fourth Grader Man and Animal I

Week of November 7-December 2  First Grader Introduction to Numbers (4 weeks total) ; Fourth Grader Norse Myths (5 weeks total)

Week of December 5- December 16th First Grader Writing First Reader (2 weeks) ; Fourth Grader Math (2 weeks) with Grammar as Middle Lesson;  Advent Crafts

OFF December 19- January 7th

Week of January 9-January 13th First Grader Introduction to Pentatonic Flute and Counting Games (1 week) ; Fourth Grader Kalevala (3 weeks total)

Week of January 16-27 First Grader Science (3 weeks total) ; Fourth Grader Kalevala

Week of January 30th- February 3 First Grader Science ; Fourth Grader Local Geography (4 weeks total)

Week of February 6-February 24 First Grader Math (3 weeks total); Fourth Grader Local Geography

Week of February 27-March 9  First Grader Form Drawing (2 weeks); Fourth Grader Local Geography Man and Animal II (4 weeks total)

Week of  March 12-23  First Grader Word Families and Phonics /Make Readers (3 weeks); Fourth Grader Man and Animal II

Week of  March 26-30 First Grader Word Families and Phonics/Make Readers (3 weeks total); Fourth Grader Math  (3 weeks total)

Week of April 2- 13th   OFF

Week of April 16 and Week of April 23rd  Finish First Grader Word Families and Phonics/Make Readers (2 out of 3 weeks); Fourth Grader math (2 out of 3 weeks started before break)

Week of April 30 –May 18th First Grader Math (3 weeks); Fourth Grader  Four Elements (3 weeks)

Week of May 21-May 25 (1 week)  Drama, Stories, Review

Week of May 28th – safety week if we need to make anything up and push school further….Smile

Anyone else care to share their blocks for fall?

Many blessings,

Carrie

The Fifth Night Of Christmas: Saddle Your Own Horse

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I recently saw this very inspiring trailer about 100-year-old great American horsewoman Connie Reeves, an inductee of the American Cowgirl Hall Of Fame who is still riding horses and assisting at a summer camp to teach young girls how to ride. You can see the trailer for yourself here:  http://www.americancowgirl.com/film.htm.  

In one part of the trailer, Connie says:   “You gotta saddle your own horse” and the woman next to Connie says something to the effect of you have to stand on your own two feet, you gotta saddle your own horse.

Own your life.

Be happy with your life this year and if you are not happy with your life, then change what you need to in order to be happy.

Know your values and your priorities and shape what you are doing with your time around that.  I find a Family Mission Statement and a Personal Mission Statement to be really helpful.  Here are some ideas for getting started in that process:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/05/08/creating-a-family-mission-statement/

Something to always keep in mind as you plan your time, though, is to include how you are going to help someone else.  How will you connect into a community larger than yourself and what part will you play in that community? 

How will you build a wonderful community that your child can be a part of?  How will you reflect that in how you spend your time?  For example, if I have a choice between two activities for my family, I am going to pick the activity that involves the supportive community I have built up over a random class or event every time.

How does your life give you energy? I once worked with a brilliant pediatric orthopedic surgeon who told me how much energy he got from his work.  He loved it (and, I might add, he was really good at it!)

Sometimes parenting, especially parenting small children, can feel more like an energy drain than an energy booster. Parenting of small children can involve endless rounds of feeding, clean-up, diaper changing/bathroom trips.  What is your attitude in all of this?

Please never, ever lose sight of the fact that by what you do you are shaping the next generation.  What you do sets the stage for the adult your child will become.  It will not all be perfect and nor should it be.  None of us are perfect.  But show your children the striving, the learning and most of all the JOY.

Plan fun family things.  Grab all the children, throw them on the floor and smother them with kisses (in our house, our gigantic dog helps).  Laugh! Tell jokes around the dinner table!  Hike and be in nature.  Use humor in dealing with challenging behavior. 

Get energy from it all.  Saddle your own horse.

Many blessings,

Carrie