unhurried childhood

What is Waldorf?

This is be a very brief overview
Similarish to Montessori- lots of overlap
- Montessori begins formal lessons much younger

Developed by Austrian Rudolph Steiner over 100 years ago in Europe
Now spread around the world with homeschoolers and Waldorf schools
A “gentle” way of learning

Very tactile
- Focuses on engaging head, heart, and hands
- Big focus on practical life skills, the arts, and citizenship
- Lots of creating of things like maps, mini-books, journals, illustrations, tactile math, etc

Focuses on using natural materials and engaging w/ nature whenever possible
- Waldorf materials are largely wood, paper, and wool
- Avoid plastic whenever possible
- No technology or screens at all for younger children and very little for older
- Lots of focus on the rhythms of the seasons

Go at the natural pace of each child vs forcing kids into a mold to meet x standard at x time
- Encourages an “unhurried childhood”
- No textbooks until 6th grade
- Document learning in journals
- Writing taught before reading
  - Like a way to communicate with art

Students work in blocks
- Focus on one main subject at a time w/ up to 2 hours per day dedicated to that subject & stay with it for about 4 weeks at a time

Big focus on subjects public schools often drop
- Art, music, playing instruments, crafts like knitting, drama, etc
- Also teach things like breath work, relaxation techniques, mindful movement, self-care, etc.

Founded on the basis that they believe children go through 3 stages of development, each about 7 years
- Birth-7 is all about:
  - Sensory development
  - Observing others and learning through doing
  - Play-based education
    - Not giving reading lessons or formal lessons yet
  - Lots of art, play, crafts, and learning to care for themselves and others
- 7-14 years old focuses on:
  - Beginning of more “formal” lessons
  - Reading is taught in 2nd grade / around age 8
  - Lessons focus on engaging wonder, creativity, and feelings
  - Lots of fairy tales and beautiful stories
  - Study other cultures and biographies
  - Elementary years have a lot of storytelling, drama, rhythmic movement, visual arts, and music – daily
- 14-21 education looks like:
  - Students are given more autonomy over their education w/ teachers acting more as guides
    - Encouraged to work w/ experts in the field they’re interested in studying

Remember- any journal can work- Waldorf emphasizes documenting learning in journals and diving into kids’ interests. They all fit with a Waldorf-inspired homeschool. These are simply some of the more “Waldorf-y” ones: