Some Thoughts on Waldorf Homeschool Scheduling

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One of the things that mothers become the most anxious about with Waldorf homeschooling is how to create Main Lessons for multiple ages, and what to do about outside activities.

I recently saw this post from over at Christopherus regarding “Devising a Schedule That Works”:  http://christopherushomeschool.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/devising-a-schedule-that-works.html

This post was really something I needed to hear (again).  It is very easy to get caught up (at least in my area) with all the wonderful activities available to homeschoolers, plus all the extra things that life brings such as going to a place of worship, running errands, having play dates with friends. 

I am still working it all out for my family and I don’t have all the answers yet, but I wanted to share with you all some of my thoughts as I work through this.

1.  I have thought long and hard about sports.  I personally think around fourth grade that some sports really can begin (and yes, even sports where one loses and one wins on a smaller scale), but some folks put the times to start competitive sports later.  You can see one perspective here:  http://www.movementforchildhood.com/sport.pdf    I do think one thing sports help with is learning not only how to be a gracious winner, but also a gracious loser.  I think it also helps develop the will to not quit the minute you are not perfect at something on the first try!

The other side of sports though, even just sports through the local recreation program,  is that most of the grades-aged sport practices are at dinner time.  In this regard, one has to be really mindful of the trade-off of dinner time as a family, and the drain bringing one child to sport practices and such is on the smaller children.  On the other hand, some nine and ten year olds may be ready to “do something” and I think sports is a nice thing to set up before the twelve-year old change, when children become more heavy and often more sedentary. 

2.  Music typically branches out into a second instrument other than recorder during the Third Grade (typically a stringed instrument).  Steiner talked a bit about picking musical instruments in relation to temperament in “Discussions With Teachers”.  An interesting read there!  Again, the benefits of musical instrument practice has to be weighed against the needs of the whole family. 

3. I have said this before, but will mention it again here:  the nine-year change is a VERY important time for laying a foundation of spiritual practice and for really helping to shape a child’s beliefs as they struggle with the feelings of isolation, of difference, with questions of life and of death at this age.  Please, please, please consider how you will bring this to your child in an active way.

What activities are your children involved in?  How do you balance the needs of  all of your  family members?

Many blessings,

Carrie

Interesting Study Linking ADHD and Maturity

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I caught this yesterday on msn.com’s Science page and thought it was worthy to share with you all (my bolding, not in the original on-line article):

“How mature a child is compared to his peers may partly determine how likely he is to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study. This finding validates concerns that the condition is misdiagnosed, researchers say.

North Carolina State University researchers found that children born just after the kindergarten eligibility cutoff date were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children born just before the cutoff date. Children born just after the cutoff date are among the oldest in their class, and those born just before the cutoff date are among the youngest in their class.

For example, in schools where the cutoff date is Sept. 1, children born on Aug. 31 make the cutoff and are the youngest in their class; children born on Sept. 2 will wait an additional year to enter school and be among the oldest in their class.

Children born just a few days apart should have the same underlying risk of having ADHD, according to the researchers, so this significant difference in diagnosis rates is strong evidence that medically inappropriate diagnoses are being given.

“We believe that younger children may be mistakenly diagnosed as having ADHD, when in fact they are simply less mature,” study researcher Melinda Morrill said in a statement.

The characteristic behaviors associated with ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, according to the National Institutes of Health. Rising rates of ADHD and large differences in diagnosis rates have led to fears that the condition is not accurately diagnosed.

Accurate diagnosing is crucial, the researchers say, because stimulant medications are often prescribed as a treatment for ADHD. The stimulants have side effects, including insomnia, stomachache, headache, dizziness and decreased appetite, and they have been shown to increase heart rates and blood pressure. Little is known about their long-term effects.

Youngest are 50 percent more likely to get ADHD diagnosis

 
The new findings are consistent with those of another forthcoming study that suggests children born just before the kindergarten cutoff date are 50-percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than those born just after, Morrill and her colleagues write in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics.

The findings indicate that there are children who are diagnosed, or who are not diagnosed, because of something other than underlying biological or medical reasons, according to Morrill.

“We are not downplaying the existence or significance of ADHD in children,” Morrill said. “What our research shows is that similar students have significantly different diagnosis rates depending on when their birthday falls in relation to the school year.”

In the study, the researchers examined data from two national health surveys and a national private health insurance claims database to evaluate rates of ADHD diagnosis and treatment in children. The data sources covered different time periods ranging from 1996 to 2006.

The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics. “

Interesting find, don’t you all think?

Many blessings,

Carrie

More Regarding Children and Chores In The Waldorf Home

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Some mothers really did not grow up with chores, and are working to develop their own sense of practical work and de-mechanizing their homes so there is actually something else to do besides push the button on the dishwasher, push the button on the vacuum cleaner, etc.  A general reminder for children up to seven years of age is to think about what YOUR rhythm for the nurturing and care of your home is and how you can involve your children in your tasks. Think how you could do some things differently and do them by hand if you do not do that already.  Could you wash dishes by hand?  Hang clothes out to dry?  What part can the children do?

Here is a list of different chores for different ages, perhaps this will provide a starting point for those of you thinking about this topic:

Up to Age Three:  turn off lights whilst being carried, carry in newspaper, an older toddler could get own snack from low pantry shelf if you are comfortable with small child in the pantry, wipe tables and counters with damp sponge, wash vegetables or tear lettuce, help provide water and food for pets, help clean up after play and meals, water plants outside, pick up toys and books, throw things out for you, help clean up spills and messes, help with dusting or sweeping, help setting table…Again, you are doing these things and they can help.  Think about your tasks and how your child can help you, and what would hinder you and not be helpful.

Ages Four to Six:  all of the above, help fold laundry items and put them away, help find items at the grocery store if you bring your children shopping with you, give you a hand or foot massage, help measure ingredients for cooking and help you pour and stir, water plants, help you sort clothes for washing, hang things on a clothesline, help with sweeping and dusting, help plant a garden, put dishes in the dishwasher or help wash or dry dishes by hand, empty dishwasher and stack on counter or do just the silverware tray with no sharp knives if using a dishwasher and not washing by hand, rake leaves, help take care of pets, help wash car, help younger siblings, carry groceries,  set table, clear table after eating

Ages Seven to Ten:  all of the above, get up in the morning on their own, wash dishes, cook light meals or pack snacks, help read recipes, run washer and dryer or hang things out to dry, change sheets, address and stuff envelopes, read to younger siblings if reading, help younger siblings, clean bathroom,

Ages Eleven to Fifteen:  perhaps in the older ages  babysit younger siblings, cook meals, buy groceries from a list, make appointments, mow lawn, help in a parent’s business

Ages Sixteen to Eighteen: run errands for family, balance family check book or their own checkbook, handle their own checking account, help with family budget, maintain car, take care of house and yard, help younger siblings,

All children go at their own pace, most can start to work toward doing a task independently after you work with them around the age of nine. 

Add your own suggestions in the comment box below!

Many blessings,

Carrie

Ideas For Field Trips For Waldorf Third Grade

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I have been tossing around some ideas for field trips for Waldorf Third Grade.  Perhaps my list will spark some of your own ideas for your family!

  • Obviously, working on farms if that is possible is a biggie.  The point with farming is not so much to visit farms but to WORK on them, to have that experience of building the will when you must do something and see it to the end.  So, that is not so much a field trip but an experience to plan…
  • But, for field trips involving farming, I have also been thinking of orchards, cow dairy farms and goat diary farms, beekeeping operations
  • State Agricultural fairs
  • Native American pow-wows or visits to Native American reservations
  • Perhaps a visit to one of those museums where the people dress up and re-enact how things were done in pioneer days
  • Visits to a working quarry, building sites
  • Visit to see wildlife rehabilitator who deals with injured owls, birds or a visit to a falconer  (it seems as if someone I know was telling me they had a family member who was a falconer, if only I could remember who that was!)
  • Thrift shop/fabric store during textile block
  • Sheep shearing to washing to dyeing to making yarn

 

What experiences or trips are you planning for Third Grade?

Many blessings,

Carrie

Self-Control

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I think one of the most important things we can develop as a parent and model for our children is self-control. 

Self- control shines in so many areas of life:

  • In Our Words.  How can we use our words like the pearls they should be? 
  • In Our Actions.  Our actions reflect what we are louder than anything else and become the foundation of what our children think is right and wrong.
  • In Our Thoughts.  How do we expect our children to be positive when all we are thinking are grumpy, negative and complaining thoughts?
  • In Buying.  When we have the “gimmies” and nothing is ever enough, our children pick up on this attitude.
  • In Work.  How lazy are we?  How many hours a day do we spend on the computer compared to how many hours we do practical work with our hands?  What do our children see us doing all day long?
  • In Eating and Exercising and Taking Care of Our Bodies. 
  • In Being Home and Being Out.   Must we do everything, be everywhere, make sure our children experience everything before they are fifteen?  Is this healthy?
  • In Flexibility. Can we be flexible or do we fall apart when things don’t go as we planned?
  • With Boundaries.  Are we good boundary-setters for our children, and for ourselves with other adults?  It is one thing to be polite and kind  and it is quite another to just offer ourselves up to be torn apart by others.

In what other ways can you  think of issues of self-control impacting your life?

Many blessings,

Carrie

Children and Chores

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Yes, I am still here in Little House mode, LOL.  When I was growing up, “Farmer Boy” was my absolute least favorite in the series of books about the Ingalls/Wilder family.  In fact,  I think I mainly skipped it when I was younger.  Well, I just went back and re-read it and boy, was it interesting to me!  What a wonderful coming –of- age story about Almanzo and his increasing responsibility within the family farm as he approaches age nine. 

Have you ever thought about chores in relation to your own children?  This is a pretty classic Waldorf article you may have already read regarding chores: 

http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/klocekchores.pdf

Here are a few back posts on chores and homemaking and housecleaning:https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/12/08/children-chores-housecleaning-and-homeschooling/    and here:   https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/05/11/housecleaning-and-homeschooling/

I find many mothers I meet come from one of two camps:  one where they were responsible for caring for younger siblings and many responsibilities were dumped on them at an early age or that no responsibility was given to them at all.  This makes it very difficult for mothers to figure out how they feel about chores and how to present this to their children!

I believe children do  need consistent chores.  They should be contributing to the welfare of the family, there should be something that they do that is bigger than themselves, and there should be increasing responsibility as they mature.

For those of you with children under the age of  nine:  I remark here that rhythm in the practical work of the home and working TOGETHER in joy is what lays the foundation of wholly independent work beginning around the nine-year-change.   IMITATION is also another way to help children learn about chores when they are young.  What do you do every day that involves more than just pushing a button that they can imitate?  What can you “de-mechanize” in your home so your child can take part in what you are doing?

Children around the age of 9 can certainly take on chores for the family; many mothers start with cooking for both boys and girls. 

Next post up will include a list of possible chores by season and/or age to get your creative juices going regarding this important subject.

More to come,

Carrie

Layout of Blocks For Waldorf Grade Three

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Well, I am almost done planning for my Third Grader. This is the order of blocks I chose with some brief notes and resources.  I am not saying this is how YOU should do it, LOL.  The joy of homeschooling is to be able to pick what resonates with your family, your child and choose what works best for you.  However, perhaps seeing this layout will spark some ideas for your own family from this list!

Also, please note, my daughter is fully nine for this entire school year, so if you are doing Third Grade with an eight-year-old who turns nine during the  school year, you may consider placing the Old Testament Stories later in the year.  I think children should be fully nine  and in the throes of that nine year change in order to hear these tales and really have them resonate with them on a soul level.

If you would like to read what my overarching theme for this year is, please see this short post here and then come back:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/07/26/a-brief-note-about-waldorf-third-grade/

The idea for Lessons A, B and C did come from Donna Simmons’ Christopherus Homeschool Resources Third Grade Syllabus (see here:  http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/bookstore-for-waldorf-homeschooling/curriculum/3rd-grade.html) and I am incorporating it into our rhythm this year.  I am hopeful it will work out well!

So here is the layout I am in the midst of crafting, completely subject to change as I see fit:

3 weeks Old Testament Stories (A:  Form Drawing; B Math  C (after lunch): Painting alternated with  Modeling 1 week, String Games 1 week and Cooking 1 Week)

1 week  Farming (types of soils, worms, the “perfect farm”)  (A: Handwriting  with Poetry B:  Music C:  Games)

3 weeks Math from Noah’s Ark (A:  Grammar; B Music;  C  Cooking or Crafts/Festival Preparation)

4 weeks Farming (including Farm Animals  with poetry and grammar, some of Farmer Boy, types of wood, weather) (A:  Math with focus on Time ;  B:  Music;  C: Hand-sewing)

3 weeks Old Testament Math  (A:  Grammar; B – Birds, Bats with poetry (goes with farming, in my opinion and Old Testament); C- Hand-sewing and Crafts for Holidays

3 weeks Textiles (A:  Form Drawing B;  Cooking; C: Crafts)

Break for Christmas, The Twelve Holy Nights and Epiphany

1 week textiles to finish up (Lessons A; Form Drawing B cooking; C Crafts)

3 weeks Old Testament (A:  Math B: Music or Grammar C:  Painting alternated with modeling or drama or crafts)

3 weeks Math (A: Form Drawing; B:  Grammar or possibly occupations of different people/social studies; C- Crafts or Free Play)

4 weeks Native Americans (A:  Handwriting  or  Math ; B:  Movement or Music C: Crafts)

2 weeks Building (Building Projects)

Break for Holy Week and Easter

1 Week Bees (using Jakob Streit’s book) (A:  Math B:  Music C: Gardening)

3 Weeks Insects. with lots of poetry (A:  Form Drawing B:  Math or Music C: Gardening)

3 Weeks Old Testament ending with David/Testing during this time; we will actually review a bit of this ending time in the beginning of  Fourth Grade starting with the death of Moses..I really just wanted to highlight some of the faithfulness of God in some of these stories and end with some of the Psalms attributed to  King David’s  that suggests fulfillment of our lives through community and connection with God.  My child will be close to ten by the time we do this and I think this idea of our life being spiritually fulfilling and in close intimacy with God will really speak to this particular child; when we backtrack a bit in the fall with Fourth Grade with some of these stories we will look more at the moral ambiguity and human failings part of these stories in preparation for Fifth Grade.  This will not be highlighted when I cover these stories in Third Grade.  Probably clear as mud to those outside of my mind’s ramblings… Donna Simmons talks about the reasoning behind saving some of the tales for Fourth Grade here:  http://christopherushomeschool.typepad.com/blog/2009/06/ot-stories-again.html   Although I stopped in a slightly different place than her syllabus, I will be backtracking those last stories with the Fourth Grade Syllabus and looking at those stories in a different way.

My other note about this layout:  I really wanted to get in Farm Animals, Birds, Bees and other insects in Third Grade  so I can clear up room in Fourth Grade to do a block on Ocean Animals.  As I mentioned above, I will also have some more Old Testament to finish up in Fourth Grade. 

Hope that helps some of you in your planning.

Many blessings and peace,

Carrie

Getting Ready For Back To School!

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Well, we are counting down toward the first day of school (homeschool or otherwise!).  Here are a few fast tips for getting the school year off to a successful start:

1.  I personally think the physical environment of the home is very important.  Does everything have a place?  Hopefully you have had a chance to go through and de-clutter things this summer.  Do your children know where things go?  Do you know where things are?  What is beautiful in your environment for your children to notice?

2.  How is your basic rhythm – resting, sleeping, eating?  Are you allowing enough time to get ready for things and to wind down from things?

3.  How many days a week are you going to be out of your home?  The smaller your children are, the more you should be at home, and even older children need plenty of time to rest and relax, to plan and to dream and to putter.

4.  Have you thought about the practical care of the home?  Some mothers have told me the hardest transition for them was switching from doing Waldorf Kindergarten, where such a large part of the day is spent upon practical tasks, to doing Waldorf Grades – less time for practical tasks!  How will your home be cared for?  When?  By whom?  What is the responsibility of your children? 

5.  If you are homeschooling, what lesson plans and resources do you have and what do you still need?  If your whole year is not planned out, what time will be YOUR time to plan each week in order to get the whole year laid out?

6.  What is the spiritual foundation of your home and family?  What is your Family Mission Statement?  How is this expressed in your family?  What actions do your children see that expresses this?

7.  What will you do to have FUN as a family?  When?  How?  Sometimes that can get lost in the “busyness” of the school year. 

Many blessings,

Carrie

Children Who Scream

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( This post is NOT directed at toddler shrieking!  Toddler shrieking is a normal phase of development.  If you need help with toddler behavior, please see the Baby/Toddler Header at the top of this blog.)

This post is for children aged four and over who scream.

 

Some parents have developed the following general strategies:

  • A place for screaming:  Some families feel a screaming voice is an outside voice, and therefore screaming belongs outside on the grass. 
  • Making sure their children get their energy out in a physical way every day – please do remember that three to  four  hours outside is probably about right.  
  • They model respectful behavior for their children.
  • They work hard to make sure their children are not tired, hungry, over-stimulated. 
  • They make sure  they are spending time with their child and filling up the child’s tank in that child’s love language.
  • They work with their child’s temperament if that child is aged seven or older. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me, there are several types of screaming during the ages of four plus  years: 

1.  Screaming during a complete melt-down.  If you need help in handling temper tantrums, please see this back post:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/01/12/more-about-time-in-for-tinies/

2.  Screaming whilst you are talking to another adult in person or on the phone because the child really wants attention. 

Many times, we ask children to please not interrupt us.  However, when they do, we answer their request or respond to the request!  Sometimes this is necessary in cases of utmost urgency, but if your child is interrupting you with an issue that really can wait until you are done with your conversation, then you can politely request that they wait.  Tell that you will be with them in just a moment. 

Importantly, one can think about how and when to have adult conversations.  I think adult conversation is important for mothers in order to garner support for themselves, and I encourage all mothers to take time to meet with other mothers by themselves.  Play dates are often difficult to have adult conversation with four and five and six year olds as they may still need assistance with play dynamics. 

With children of all ages, you can make up little stories about animals who interrupt and what happens.  This is a nice sideways kind of way to address interrupting. 

Children that are older than 4 or 5 often love to be in the vicinity of adult conversations/phone conversations so they can listen in and hear what their parents are saying.  Many parents will schedule returning phone calls at night after their child goes to bed. 

3.  Screaming/whining which is really complaining. In this case, we model using our calm voice and we do not grant requests until a normal voice can be used.   Do not respond to a whining, screaming voice!  Explain to your child that you can help them when they use their normal voice.  If they continue to whine and scream, you may need to calmly repeat this phrase more than once (and yes, this is the hard part). 

Sometimes children are not aware that their voice even sounds screamy or whiny, so you can  model in your calm voice how you would like to be spoken to.  And please do consider instead of “Stop screaming!” to tell your child what you DO want in a nice, calm voice.  “Please use a quiet voice in the house.  Quiet as a mouse.” 

I would love to hear your particular challenges around screaming or whining children; let’s talk about this as a circle of supportive mothers!

Many blessings,

Carrie

Eurythmy In The Waldorf Home

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(I originally wrote this piece for Donni over at The Magic Onions.  Donni does a great job covering different facets of the world of Waldorf.  Please do go check out her blog here: http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/)

Eurythmy was invented by Dr. Rudolf Steiner and his wife Dr. Marie Steiner-von Sivers in 1912.   It has often been called “visible speech” or “visible song”, and is not only a performing art, but also part of the educational curriculum  within the Waldorf School setting.  This is unique to Waldorf Education and eurythmy is often viewed as the pinnacle of the artistic component of Waldorf Education. 

Eurythmy essentially integrates all the subjects taught within the Waldorf curriculum in a whole-body movement. The “Guidelines for Eurythmy in the Waldorf School”  as put forth by The Eurythmy Association of North American and adopted by best practices by AWNSA and the Pedagogical Section of the School of Spiritual Science has  this to say about the place of eurythmy within the curriculum:  “The special skills children develop in eurythmy include bodily and spatial orientation, a sense for rhythm and measure, teamwork and social awareness, bringing poise, self-confidence, and the ability to think for oneself. The movements of eurythmy are filled with meaning which is of the same nature as language itself. The eurythmy curriculum offers exercises to provide a deeply somatic, kinesthetic understanding of all the subjects in school, including, for instance, math, geometry, botany, physics, chemistry, history, color, optics, poetry, and music. The wisdom of eurythmy supports the totality of Waldorf education. “It is the supreme example of a principle in all Steiner education that movement comes first. For it is the activity of the limbs which awakens and vitalizes the experience of the head.”

A eurythmist typically graduates from a four-year  to five-year  program.  The curriculum typically involves attending eurythmy classes once a week from Kindergarten through Grade Three, and then from Grade Four through Twelve attending twice a week.   Certain eurythmy exercises correspond to certain stages of development, and the eurythmist works with the Class Teacher to support the subjects being taught.   I have heard Eurythmy referred to as “soul gymnastics” because the whole life of the soul can be moved through these exercises the way a gymnast moves the physical body through exercises. 

Many Waldorf homeschoolers want to try to bring this art to their homeschool.  I feel this could quickly become the children just imitating some of the physical gestures (if you even know those!) and not really getting the essential part that makes up eurythmy – the etheric gesture.  Furthermore, the gestures of speech should certainly be brought by a trained eurythmist. 

So what is a Waldorf homeschooler to do?

I would implore you to look for purposeful and precise movement that goes with verses and rhymes and songs.  Look for what movement and gesture you and your child could experience with oral recitation and poetry in the grades.

There are many resources for movement and gesture in the Waldorf homeschooling arena.   Two resources listed specifically for eurythmy come to mind. These  include “Eurythmy For The Young Child” by Estelle Breyer (for the Early Years, some things are suitable for Grade One) and the “Come Unto These Yellow Sands” by Molly van Heider. (covers preschool through Grades Nine to Twelve).    Neither of these resources will show you what gestures to bring for things such as letters, but will give you suggestions for what letters or  purposeful movements go with the songs and stories and verses in the books.  If you would like to see what eurythmy in a classroom would look like, I suggest you try the 2006 DVD of David-Michael Monarch entitled “The Waldorf Curriculum Through Eurythmy” from the Whole Parent, Whole Child conference and available through Rahima Baldwin Dancy’s website. “Joyful Movement” by Donna Simmons of Christopherus Homeschooling Resources is  not a eurythmy resource per say, but certainly has many ideas for movement in the home environment and is very practical and accessible to the Waldorf homeschooler. 

But best of all, experiment with your own heartfelt gestures for stories and verses.  Try to bring out the exaggerated physical movement of the  characters and archetypes in the stories you tell to your own children.  Work on incorporating singing and clapping games into your homeschool. Work with skipping, stamping, tip-toe walking, walking on heels and the polarities found between quiet and loud and small and big gestures. 

Your homeschool can have as much beauty in movement as you can offer;  from the small points of beauty in your own rhythm to the sounds of careful recitation to precise movement and gestures to beautiful music to warmth.  These things build the etheric body for the future health of our children.  

Many blessings,

Carrie