
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
- Students are given more autonomy over their education w/ teachers acting more as guides
- Birth-7 is all about:
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:
Want to see how to combine Waldorf with your Fun-Schooling? Watch here!