OM 2nd and 3rd Grades...daily rhythm questions :D

[Donebytuesday]

Okay, so I'm not sure what kind of 'homeschoolers' we have been up to now. lol. Eclectic I suppose? We have been all over the place and back again with regards to styles (unschooling all the way to WTM) and this summer we actually ended up touring, entering the lottery and getting both kids into the local public waldorf school. After touring the school, meeting the teachers, etc. we knew 2 things.
1. Both ourselves and the children wanted to continue homeschooling when the reality of them "going to school" sunk in....
and
2. That we wanted what that school had...all of it...the method, the rhythm, the whole thing...

I've read around that Oak Meadow isn't *quite* full fledged Waldorf, and that's okay, I"m sure it's not going to fall together in one night, even one year maybe...but I'm so excited about it.

I'm going to start with the box curriculum this year (2nd and 3rd grades) and then see how it goes with OM and maybe next year continue with it, or work on what suits us best.

So, my (long winded) question is about daily Rhythms. I'm really interested in reading a daily rhythm example. I've looked around online and found generalities, but I"m interested in knowing how a waldorf school day goes...how the blocks are done, and how the blocks fit in with the rhythm of a week...

Also, the daily grains. I'm interested in knowing more about that.

Wow...what a lengthy 'first post' LOL. By the way ... My name is Tuesday...I've homeschooled from the beginning, and I look forward to squeeeeeeezing in here and getting to know other mamas :P

[lovin'leo]

elcome

I have no idea, since I haven't used any curriculum's with ds yet. I just thought you could use a

[chrissy]

hi Tuesday! i answered you someplace else, but just saw this post here too.

how's it going?

[Donebytuesday]

Thanks Lovin' Leo

Chrissy ....Well, we dont' 'start' until Sept. 2...but so far I have been reading that yahoo group's files and getting SO SO much more insight and understanding. woo hoo. :P
thanks.

[mary3mama]

Welcome, Tuesday!

We've always been unschoolers, too, and are doing OM this year. DS#1 is a 3rd-4th grader by skills, so we're jumping in at 3rd (though we may move through it pretty quickly) and DS#2 is doing OM Kindergarten.

Our shipment from OM is due to arrive tomorrow! We are so excited!

So far, as I've had the K materials for a few weeks now, we have been loving OM.

I read through Heart of Learning and the Teacher's Process Manual pretty quickly and immediately knew that this was the curricula for us.

BTW, I still consider us to be 100% unschooling...because we are still doing what we like and still following the childrens' lead. They are wanting this curricula and are loving the activities and stories and crafts thus far.

I know that the there are unschoolers who would be livid at my characterization that we can be curricula-utilizing-unschoolers, but I don't much care. We do what suits us and don't worry much about labels.

I'm not sure I understand your question about Rhythms. The K syllabus has a bunch of finger plays and rhythm songs in the back. Are you referring to the use of these, for example, during circle time?

Circle time is one element of OM that we don't do. It's just too fake and artificial for me/us. My boys would be saying, "um, mama, have you lost your mind...let's get on with the story/craft/project."

I was the person at summer camp who couldn't stand singing songs or doing cheers...guess it's rubbed off on the wee ones.

[Donebytuesday]

aww, thanks Mary Well, From what I have read, K is more about 'play' and establishing a rhythm than is to be built upon in the grades. My rhythms question is more like, during your week, how do you go about the use of Language arts lessons, Math, etc. and building upon them over the first three days (if using a 3 day rhythm in the waldorf fashion).... or are OM users just doing a more traditional (no 'blocks' like Waldorf) style and a little of Lang. arts, a little math, a little science, etc. each day?

I'm sure that makes NO sense at all? ROFL

[mary3mama]

No problem, Tuesday. :

We are to receive our 3rd grade materials today.

I'll come back and post after I've reviewed them.