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HELP curriculum options... affordable waldorf?

post #1 of 14
1/27/10 at 8:08pm
Thread Starter 
ETA: I think a wonderful (although completely contradictory) blend for us would be the time4learning with waldorf supplementation. I would just spring for the oak meadow curriculum but we can barely afford the $20 for time4learning. So I'd like to cover my bases with the time4learning and then bring in the artsy/craftsy/hands-on type stuff of waldorf... anyone have ideas for how I'd go about doing that?



original post:
I just came from the homeschooling resources sticky and I need help.
we need to pull ds1 out of school because his sensory issues make it impossible for him to function there. I was hoping to go with an online public school but the ones our district will release to are full. I am completely overwhelmed and need to find a curriculum or online school option that will work for:
1-disorganized/ time-strapped mom
2-easily bored child (1st grade)
3-limited budget

I'm looking for something all-in-one because it would help with #1, but I haven't been able to find anything that also works for #3. And if I try to piece things together I'm afraid I won't meet the needs of #2.

Please, ANY suggestions would be much appreciated, I'm swimming in links and don't know where to start!!

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post #2 of 14
1/27/10 at 8:30pm
K12 ( www.K12.com) is an online school. Most reviews I've read on it are good.

I don't really know all of the all-in-one types of curriculum. I believe Sonlight is all-in-one and Oak Meadow is a waldorf inspired all-in-one.
post #3 of 14
1/27/10 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
I was planning to go with k12 but our district doesn't release students to it and I can't afford to buy the private option

I don't necessarily need to have an all in one thing but I don't know how to find and piece together programs and make a cohesive curriculum that we'll actually want to do.... I have pretty much no time to plan for it either, we have to start right away.
post #4 of 14
1/28/10 at 12:12am
You could give time4learning a try. My mom uses it with my brother and they like it. I tried it for awhile with my kids and it just didn't work for us. I think it's because I tended to take advantage of freedom it allowed me by not sitting at a table for hours working through their lessons with them, enabling me to spend more time tending to my youngest, and they took advantage of this as an opportunity to cheat their way through the program by just doing the bare minimum required to get a barely acceptable grade.

It is a good program though and because it's animated they didn't get bored with it easily. It just wasn't structured enough for us.
post #5 of 14
1/28/10 at 12:22am
We use Moving Beyond the Page and like it. I believe they have an online version now as well. You could buy just 1 unit for now and see how it goes, which is nice too.

For the 5-7 level, it covers math as well as language arts, science, and social studies, but we add DKs "Math Made Simple" for additional math practice ($10). It also doesn't teach reading/phonics specifically, but DD knows the basics and is making her way through level 1 readers at the library so that's working for us currently.
post #6 of 14
1/28/10 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 
thank you! I just checked it out and I know my son would LOVE to do that, I let him try some of the sample online lesson/game type things on k12 and he asks to do them again a few times a week!
Honestly I think the cartoons are a little annoying...I'm kinda looking for something with an off-computer component but I could maybe afford the $20/month just to make sure we have the basics covered, or in the beginning before I can get stuff planned. And I know if he ever got bored he'd be begging to get on the computer and "play"

I just saw the moving beyond the page post, I'll check that out next. ds can read and write already so it might be ok.
Thanks for the tips!
post #7 of 14
1/28/10 at 2:45pm
Seasons of Joy (an MDC WAHM) and Little Acorn Learning Monthly guides could help you incorporate Waldorf into your life in a less expensive manner. Seasons of Joy is $15 a season. Little Acorn Learning 5-day a week guides are more expensive at $25 but you can buy just one guide a month to break it up. I truly recommend Seasons of Joy if you can afford it. But believe me: I understand doing this on a budget.

There is free waldorf curriculum for preschool through the grades herehttp://www.waldorfcurriculum.com/index.html

There are some great yahoo groups which are wonderful free Waldorf resources as well. Homeschoolingwaldorf which is run by A Little Garden Flower WAHM and waldorfhomeeducators which is run by a Waldorf teacher in Portland, OR. Both are wonderfully rich resources and completely free. waldorfcurriculum website listed above also has a waldorf group with full curriculum listed for the grades if you find their website hard to navigate (I do). The yahoo group waldorfcurriculum-supplies is a place to get used curriculum materials. There are some great deals on that group but you have to be quick. The tend to get sold really fast.

HTH

Kimberly

ETA: Here is a great (free) movement resource to help with sensory integration. http://www.movementforchildhood.com/zoorobics.pdf
post #8 of 14
1/28/10 at 7:45pm
Thread Starter 
awesome! I requested to join the waldorfcurriculum and waldorf supplies yahoo groups.
I don't see the free curriculum stuff on waldorfcurriculum, but I do see they have more content available for $5/month. Do you know what that's about and if it might be worth it?
seasons of joy looks beautiful but seems to be a little young for my 6yr old, might be great for my 3yr old though. The more I see of waldorf the more I fall in love with it.
post #9 of 14
1/28/10 at 8:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by furfeet View Post
I don't see the free curriculum stuff on waldorfcurriculum, but I do see they have more content available for $5/month. Do you know what that's about and if it might be worth it?
Their website is REALLY hard to navigate. It's there somewhere. If you joined their free yahoo group then look in the files section of the yahoo group. All the info on that website is on their yahoo group but in better format. (Wait, I just checked the yahoo group - it is mostly for ages 3-6 with a little bit first grade stuff. I am so sorry. There are still great things about rhythm and other aspects of Waldorf though.)

check out this link for Waldorf Curriculum http://www.waldorfcurriculum.com/Cur...resources.html It lists what is free and what is for subscribers. But do remember in Waldorf a 6 y.o. is in "bridge" between kindy and 1st grade and is not yet in first grade.

Seasons of Joy is definitely for the 3 y.o. yet not too "young" for the 6 y.o. imo. It's a treasure trove of stories, verses, crafts, and circle times. If your 6 y.o has sensory problems than a movement circle is what he needs. Also, there are stories to help guide the little ones (including 6 y.o.s) in painting, coloring, and felting. I've heard of mom's using it even through 2nd grade. I really can't say enough about Seasons of Joy. We are on the "super cheap" budget and I think it is well worth it.
post #10 of 14
1/28/10 at 8:16pm


Okay. Apparantly I need my afternoon coffee. I see now that their bridge curriculum is for paid subscribers. Oops. I've just been paying attention to their preschool/kindy curriculum which is for ages 3-6. I suppose for $5 you can't go wrong.
post #11 of 14
1/28/10 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 
I might do just one month and see what it's all about, you're right $5 isn't a big loss.
I'm also thinking of ordering the winter or spring seasons of joy. Do those have illustrations to go with the stories or is it just text?

breaking news... I just figured out that I can buy a used Oak Meadow curriculum for a fraction of the price and I'm thinking about doing that... there must be a thread about oak meadow around here somewhere... ds is already into 2nd grade math and writing/reading so I don't know if he'd get bored with the 1st grade reviewing letters and stuff...
and yeah I'm very very excited about how waldorf can help his sensory issues- his senses are extremely over-responsive, and he also has some motor issues. Spending time knitting, painting and modeling will be great for him!
post #12 of 14
1/28/10 at 10:46pm
Furrfeet, I'll answer your last question. I did OM1 with my then grade 1 6year old. He was already reading and picks up math easily. He was incredibly bored with the language arts & math part of the program (we dumped those and substituted with other programs pretty early on) He DID love the science & social studies though! As well as the handcrafts and such
post #13 of 14
1/29/10 at 4:37am
I am on my third boy. Six is a really tricky year. Don't push it, just love it.

A Little Garden Flower offers a e-book version.

You don't need to buy anything to cover the basics. How is your library system?
post #14 of 14
1/29/10 at 4:11pm
Thread Starter 
the library system here is great, so that's a plus. I think I'm going to go with a little garden flower and possibly seasons of joy... oh what I'd give for a quiet minute to think
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Education › Learning at Home and Beyond › HELP curriculum options... affordable waldorf?