Waldorf HS Support Thread January - Page 6

[~ATenthMuse~]

Originally Posted by fluttermama

I would really recommend Melissa Nielsen's new Kindy book...it is really good for bringing a bit of structure and lots of ideas to your home Waldorf Kindergarten. It is at Bob and Nancy's bookshop for a really low price!

I'd like to get this book, but priority shipping is $8.95! Media mail on the site say 2-4 weeks. Any where else it is available or has any ordered via media mail and how long did it actually take?

P.S. Loving this thread!

[mama_kass]

applecore~ See if you have these two books at your library. You Are Your Child's First Teacher, or Beyond the Rainbow Bridge : Nurturing our children from birth to seven On the Oak Meadow subscription can you read the Teacher's manual? Also very good.

MyLittleWonders~ I know exactly what you mean about not being enough of a Waldorf purist to fit in with the Waldorf community, and being too crunchy to relate to mainstream homeschool groups. Try to get involved with your closest Waldorf school just for festivals and such. That's what we did in the last place we lived. I am currently trying to get involved with our closest Waldorf school for festivals and such. We are new to this area. We have only been here for three months and are just feeling settled in.

Circle time-

All join hands and say, "Let's make a circle like the circle of the sun. Let's make a circle to include everyone."

Then we sing these songs and games:
Ring around the Rosy
Skip to my Loo
Looby Loo
The wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
Rolly Polly
Five Sticky Buns

I try to make the circle time songs start slowly, get more intense, and then end slowly again.

Then We all hold hands and walk slowly in a circle while I sing a poem that I wrote:

Good Morning, Good Morning
It's time to start the day.
Good Morning, Good Morning
It's time to run and play.

This is how I release them from the circle.

After this is main lesson for the oldest and play time for the youngest. Then, I read a book about the season and we all go for a walk. I would not put a book in with circle time, because circle time is a breathing out exercise, and reading a story is breathing in. I try to make the rhythm of our day like breathing.

[Quaniliaz]

Originally Posted by mama_kass

Rolly Polly
Five Sticky Buns

Thank you for sharing your circle time! What are these songs??

And, can someone tell me a good resourse that explains in breath and out breath to me?? It confuses me!!!

[MyLittleWonders]

Thanks Kass! That's what I thought about not reading during circle ... though there are times that the boys' attention seem like they would sit for a story at that time, but maybe they just would like some more time with circle ... a couple more songs/verses, yk?

[applecore]

Thanks for the book recommendations! I'm going to the library tomorrow, so I'll see what's there. I did order the new Kindergarten book from Waldorf Books. The shipping price was steep, but worth it to not have to wait for media mail- I'm too excited for that suspense!

[~ATenthMuse~]

Originally Posted by applecore

Thanks for the book recommendations! I'm going to the library tomorrow, so I'll see what's there. I did order the new Kindergarten book from Waldorf Books. The shipping price was steep, but worth it to not have to wait for media mail- I'm too excited for that suspense!

I really want to order it, but the shipping being more than half the price of the book, is totally turning me off. Hope you like it!

Not sure if anyone else has said anything, but I really like "A Child's Seasonal Treasury."

[annettemarie]

I need a refresher.

When you plan a main lesson, do you use any sort of "formula"? What elements do you try to fit into a main lesson each day? Over a week? Over the whole thing?

[carnelian]

Jumping in for a moment. This is a wonderfully inspiring thread. I'm wondering what everyone's favorite festival books are. I've seen a few and am trying to decide which one to get. All Year Round is the one that keeps coming up. But there are few more--Festivals, The Children's Year to name a couple. I'm looking for something that's got creative and nature-inspired ideas for ways to celebrate not just the more obvious holy-days but also some of the lesser known ones as well as those days replete with the wonder of simply sharing a day together with all its attendant mystery and textures.

[fluttermama]

Media shipping has always been really fast for me from Bob and Nancy's for some reason. You can also buy Melisa's books at http://www.alittlegardenflower.com although I am not sure about the shipping.

[~ATenthMuse~]

Originally Posted by fluttermama

Media shipping has always been really fast for me from Bob and Nancy's for some reason. You can also buy Melisa's books at http://www.alittlegardenflower.com although I am not sure about the shipping.

Wow! Thank you so much. Shipping was only $1.70 and it says it will be shipped within 24 hrs. Great. It's ordered. FYI, there's also a pdf download for $10.

[annettemarie]

I have another question--has anyone ever used Melissa Nielson for consulting? I'm thinking about talking to her to bounce some ideas about what to do now with Katie Grace, but I want to make sure (a) that I'm not going to judged and (b) that I'm not going to wander into a "Waldorf purist" type situation. I had a negative experience with another Waldorf homeschool "guru" and really don't want to open myself up to that again.

You can feel free to PM me.

[MyLittleWonders]

So, does anyone have the Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling - Kindergarten? How is it? Worth the money? We are far from being pure Waldorf hs'ers, and if pressed, I'd call us Enki hs'ers with an eclectic and unschoolish feel. But, I also love having more holistic-based resources to help round out what we are doing. So, should I get it?

[MyLittleWonders]

Oh, and I too would love some reccomendations on books re. the tear, festvals, the seasons, etc.

[fluttermama]

Hmmmm...I wonder if I know who you are talking about annettemarie LOL...no Melissa is noone to fear...she is wonderful and her list is wonderful...anything goes and she never tries to tell you what the Waldorf way is, just what has worked with her own family. I love her, can you tell?

Mylittlewonders...do you have Festivals with Children or A Child's Seasonal Treasury? Good books.

I also have a book for five year olds...definitely not Waldorf purist, but it deals with the five year old year and things that really worked here such as using stories, drawing, snack/meal ideas, nature activities etc. Just pm me for the link.

[wonderactivist]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

Oh, and I too would love some reccomendations on books re. the tear, festivals, the seasons, etc.

I recommend A Child's Seasonal Treasury, Keepers of the Earth, and Earthways. For storytelling and song books, I recommend the Wynstones series and the Tales of Tiptoes Lightly series. Plus just get outside almost every day into nature. For picture books, I love these most - there are SO many good ones:

Spring:
The Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomi DePaola

Summer:
The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Autumn:
Woodie, Hazel & Little Pip by Elsa Beskow
A Squirrel's Tale by Richard Fowler
Child of Faerie, Child of Earth by Jane Yolen and Jane Dyer

Winter:
The Tomtem by Astrid Lindgren
The Mitten by Jan Brett
plus we just got Winter Awake! by Linda Knoll and it is just fab

I haven't used Melissa's or Fluttermama's curricula, but I'm sure they are flexible as those fine women....oh and we LOVE The People Could Fly all year long! (lots of cool tales with both people and animals - many are perfect for season stories.)

Warm wishes as we thaw out on the Plains,

Lucie
a Winter wimp from Texas

[mama2cntrykids]

Are there any Christian's on here that also do Waldorf? If so, I'd love to hear what your day involves.

[fluttermama]

yes, I second the Wynstones series and the Tiptoes books...we LOVE them here.

[carnelian]

So no recs for All Year Round or The Children's Year? I did a search on festival books and these two came up most consistently. What about the book "Children, Festivals and Food"? Anyone tried that one? There seems to be a lot of overlap with these books and I don't want to buy 2 or 3 and find out they're very similar to each other.

[jessicaSAR]

Originally Posted by carnelian

So no recs for All Year Round or The Children's Year? I did a search on festival books and these two came up most consistently. What about the book "Children, Festivals and Food"? Anyone tried that one? There seems to be a lot of overlap with these books and I don't want to buy 2 or 3 and find out they're very similar to each other.

Arghh... I have a ton of things to say and no time to say them. I have All Year Round and love it. It has lots of festivals and lots of activities and good stories to go with some of the festivals.

I also love the Tiptoes Lightly books. The Festival of Stones is super for the fall/winter festivals. I don't have the spring book yet, but I have ordered it because the I love the others so much.

I also use Circle Round for the pagan festivals. It is a wonderful resource and has stories for older children, whereas the Tiptoes Lightly stories are better for younger kids.

[paganmum]

OK I'm going to temporarily give up on Dd1 until things start to turn around again and or we get into the specialty clinic. Right now her world is revoling aroud frozen veggies, glitter paint and the things that she wants to do but can't beacuse I won't let her (like eating big bowls of frozen veggies several times a day when I need them for dinners due to a tight budget this week, glueing things to the walls of our rented home, and trying to kick holes in the wall of her bedroom......yes I'm a mean mom. *sigh*). I'm pretty much sold on the fact that the only way to get things going is to get Dd1 back into OT since that was the only thing that got her doing school for her last spurt.

I'm trying to partially focus on Ds since he is so keen to learn, and Dd2 since she just went through a developmental spurt and wants to talk talk talk (when not telling me to do the little piggies rhyme with her toes) and mixing in a little play.

Once we get moved the kids will have more outdoor time since I am deadset that we will have a fenced in backyard. So until then it is basics with Ds, he's been sold on starting some low end writing and spelling since there is an online educational game that he wants to do but has to be able to write out his thoughts to do it.

I'm kind of feeling like a faulure this week.