Mom Is Teaching

OK folks, help me out here. I’m sure that I’ missing something, but what could it be?

Enki Education
Waldorf (And a part 2 here)
Unschooling
Montessori
Classical
Charlotte Mason
Unit Studies
Eclectic
Literature Based
Principled Approach
Homeschooling Online

So what do you think? What special method am I missing? Once I’ve covered all the specific methods I’ll go over the various curriculums out there.

homeschool, homeschooling, curriculum, Method Madness Monday

Christine at The Thinking Mother left me a note to let me know that I missed some great parts of Waldorf in my Monday post. Not one to let things go half finished I’m going to try to add in the missing information here. Now, mind you that I’m not a Waldorf user so this isn’t my strong point. If anyone has some great links they would like added drop me a note and let me know.

Here is a list of the frequesntly asked questions about Waldorf Education. You can find out what is unique about the Waldorf method, what the typical curriculum looks like, and how did it get started.

If you are looking for other Waldorf inspired homeschoolers to chat with there are several groups you can join. There is the Waldorf At Home forum, WE_HS is a Yahoo! group for homeschoolers with a majority of members using Waldorf Education, WaldorfHomeschoolers is another Yahoo group for homeschoolers and unschoolers with an emphasis on Waldorf ideals, and those with younger children will enjoy Natural_Childhood which focuses more on infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Some homeschoolers choose to buy a set curriculum for Waldorf Education. Programs like Oak Meadow offer Waldorf inspired education packages from preschool through high school. Enki Education is another packaged curriculum that is Waldorf inspired that parents can buy.

Of course many Waldorf homeschoolers choose not to buy a packaged curriculum, but instead like to piece together their own. You can find books like The Christopherus Waldorf Curriculum Overview for Homeschoolers , supplies and toys, even find good used supplies if you cannot afford new ones. Do a quick search on Waldorf supplies and you can find hundreds of online stores ready to sell you everything you will need.

homeschool, homeschooling, curriculum, Waldorf

This week we’re going to be looking at Waldorf curriculum for homeschoolers.

Waldorf Education is based on the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Its premise is that the human being has three aspects: thinking, feeling and willing, and that education has to come from experiencing the world from all three aspects. Waldorf Education does not use textbooks. The children make their own based on their experiences.

Waldorf Education is a very popular choice among homeschoolers who prefer a looser aproach with their children. Although it is originally designed to be a school based education it is actually quite adaptable for homeschoolers. There is a lot of emphasis on rhythms and the seasons and seasonal holidays are celebrated as part of the education. For younger children there is a lot of free-play to allow them to learn by doing. As the children age the emphasis turns to the arts and the imagination. There are no set textbooks, instead the children create their own books as they learn which helps them understand the subjects on a deeper level. One large piece of common ground for homeschoolers is that in Waldorf Education the goal is to have a single teacheraccompany the class through their elementary school years. Always having the same teacher that stays with them, like the parent does, allows them to build bonds and to be connected with the person responcible for teaching them.

Here are some great links if you are interested in learning more:

Live Education
Waldorf Without Walls
Waldorf Homeschoolers

Next Monday I am planning on explaining unschooling.

homeschool, homeschooling, curriculum, Waldorf, Waldorf homeschooler, Waldorf Education, Method Madness Monday