Autumn Nears - Waldorf Continues!

Math 'Royal Family'

In the first grade, it is typical for Waldorf schools to introduce math gnomes or a math royal family. Each member of the family has a different function, and there are fairy tales that go along with them to help the child understand the function of each one. 

I found this mini chalkboard at a craft store for about fifty cents, so it definitely had to come home with me!  Here I wrote the qualities of the number four. We've already worked on numbers 0-3 already in other formats. I am trying to make a more concerted effort to document (ie. photograph) more of these things for this blog to give other people ideas. I just want people to know that giving your kids a Waldorf-style education does not need to be expensive. I could have used a piece of paper instead of a chalkboard, or laminated a piece of black construction paper to act like a chalkboard and then used dry erase markers. The point is, where there is a will there is often a way.

This is my autumn-scape on my fireplace mantle. I haven't made peg people to create a story on it just yet. In the basket that cannot be seen in the photo are acorns I found on the ground while visiting my cousin one day, and the leaves are from our visit to the park this past weekend.

More watercolor pictures

Can you see the 3 figures running through the rainbow?

This is the rhythm I created for my teacher binder that I am putting together.  We are still tweaking our rhythm, so this is really kind of a first glance try at it. As I mentioned in my last post, I don't like to feel completely tied down to this in our homeschool setting, but of course in a classroom the rhythm would be fairly fixed.

B is for Butterfly - also part of my teacher binder.

M is for Mountain - also part of my teacher binder.

This is my current reading list. You've gotta love inter-library loan! These books would cost probably $150 to purchase them all.  I am taking notes as I read and scanning specific pages that I really love to keep as a reference on my computer.

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Isn't all this Waldorf stuff fun?! I'm really excited about it in a way I never expected.  It has started to completely change the way I approach homeschooling! I started off planning our year some time in August. I had spent about 2 weeks planning and organizing. Then, as if overnight, I discovered Waldorf education (which I had heard about but had not really delved into before to discover its many wonderful details). Now, at the 11th hour (if you will) I have begun to change our homeschool curriculum into a Waldorf-inspired one. I have still kept much of what I already had, but the atmosphere of how I present things and the time spent on imagination, stories and PLAY has changed.  

We spend a good 30 minutes or more on circle time activities, including stories and 'finger plays'. We do some movement and songs as well.  We just *LOVE* this time together.  It has surprised me a bit how much the kids really love this time and how closer we all are as a result of taking the time to come together each morning for these fun activities.

I am so glad I 'caught' myself before this school year got going in earnest. 

I will admit that my general attitude toward homeschooling has always been laid back and would include snuggles and a story, but the story was often saved until around bedtime.  I did teach the occasional seasonal song, but this is so much more intentional and frequent. It is a ritual, which does appeal to me even tho my free spirit would originally have balked at the idea of being 'tied down' to a daily task. I'm glad I tried it out before I allowed that side of my brain to cast a judgement upon it. 

There seems to be soooo much talk about rhythm in Waldorf education. I am not entirely sure why there is confusion about it, but I understand that it is a huge talking point.  I have seen very elaborate ones (much like the one I posted above) and more simple ones (ie. Monday: baking, Tuesday: handwork). It would seem that you could be as simple or complex as you like. 

I think what happens is that people compare themselves with other people, which nearly always results in insecurities of one kind or another. PLEASE (and I beg of you) do *NOT* compare your rhythm (or anything else, for that matter!!!!) to mine! I didn't post it as some unrealistic display of what we may get done each week. In fact, right now we are not living up to this rhythm. We shuffle things around as needed quite happily. Lately, we've tossed it right out the window on some days and simply unschooled all day long. It really shouldn't be a source of comparison or even a fair expectation of our family's week.  It is simply a guideline, a sort of ideal.

Thankfully, I am happy to do our own thing at any given moment when needed, and I hope you feel free to do the same!

Be your own person and go at a pace that makes sense for your family and no one else's!