Is Waldorf as academically intensive

[DharmaDisciple]

as other forms of homeschooling eg Classical.

If my daughter was in normal school they would be looking at Literary genres and encouraged to write their own poetry and stories. Do they do this sort of Literary exploration in Waldorf curriculums?

I am trying to choose a way of homeschooling that is peaceful and spiritually nurturing but one that also produces a bright and sharp intellect.

[Madame Pomfrey]

Waldorf education is like any other education - it depends on you, the teacher, and your child, the student. Yes, in a Waldorf school you write poetry and do LOADS of lit. If you buy a canned curriculum you will get some of that but it won't be as challanging as if you take the full advantage of homeschooling and use a Waldorf syllabus to develop your own curriculum year-by-year, supplementing your child's strengths and addressing your child's individual weaknesses. You put in time and energy and get more out of it.

We've done our own eclectic Waldorf mix for years and my 9th grader is flourishing. He's scoring really well on standardized tests even though I never allowed him to take a test until 9th grade...but it's just as much from expectation and lifestyle as it is any educational model.

Does that help?

Lucie

[lach]

You might want to look into Charlotte Mason. I don't actually know all that much about it, but my impression is that it's academically intensive in short spurts, with a huge component of nature study.

[DharmaDisciple]

Originally Posted by Madame Pomfrey

Waldorf education is like any other education - it depends on you, the teacher, and your child, the student. Yes, in a Waldorf school you write poetry and do LOADS of lit. If you buy a canned curriculum you will get some of that but it won't be as challanging as if you take the full advantage of homeschooling and use a Waldorf syllabus to develop your own curriculum year-by-year, supplementing your child's strengths and addressing your child's individual weaknesses. You put in time and energy and get more out of it.

We've done our own eclectic Waldorf mix for years and my 9th grader is flourishing. He's scoring really well on standardized tests even though I never allowed him to take a test until 9th grade...but it's just as much from expectation and lifestyle as it is any educational model.

Does that help?

Lucie

I like the idea of creating my own with pulling in fun books for literacy games and activities. I was going to buy Christopherus 3rd Grade as a spine to get ideas from then pull in other things I want to do with Jasmine. Where do you get your Waldorf ideas from?

[DharmaDisciple]

Originally Posted by lach

You might want to look into Charlotte Mason. I don't actually know all that much about it, but my impression is that it's academically intensive in short spurts, with a huge component of nature study.

I love Mason, I used her ideas with my eldest, but I always feel drawn to the spiritual side of Waldorf. I will have a look at her nature ideas though, thanks.

[Madame Pomfrey]

Originally Posted by DharmaDisciple

I like the idea of creating my own with pulling in fun books for literacy games and activities. I was going to buy Christopherus 3rd Grade as a spine to get ideas from then pull in other things I want to do with Jasmine. Where do you get your Waldorf ideas from?

We use a wide variety of sources - mainly Alan Whitehead's Syllabus Series, Modeling by Arthur Auer, and Looking Forward by Molly von Heider, plus of course You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin gave us a GREAT start. I do own the Science from Christopherus and I have used it though I'm a sometime science teacher so I have a lot of my own stuff.

Mainly just find the things that YOU like because then you'll take in the information better - if it is Waldorf-based it's all about the same information presented in different styles. You;ll need less than you think in philosophy, then you just need some guidance in the form of a syllabus. Our number one resource is the library and I buy the books I can't get there.

Warm regards,

Lucie
sipping Chamomile tea in an Oklahoma blizzard