Back to Learning

Not really, these guys learn everyday.  

But we are back to my planning and keeping a journal of our days.  The state of Vermont requires either a portfolio with a parent report for each subject, a certified by the state teacher evaluation, or testing.    It really bothers me how "schoolish" I have to be when this is exactly why our family has chosen to make learning just a part of our daily life. 

We have never been radical unschoolers as I was never able to feel completely comfortable with that, or perhaps because we have seven children, I simply don't have the time to support each child's interests as fully as I would need/want to.     I can't just not make lunch, ignore a 1 year old that needs her diaper changed, leave the spilled milk on the floor... my time is limited and that is probably the only regret I have about having a large family; that I am unable to give each of them as much of myself as I would like.

So each year I consider each child's needs, strengths, weaknesses, and gifts and work to formulate some sort of plan.   Our oldest son was academic oriented from the time he was one - pointing out letters on license plates at 18 months. We were terrible parents back then and let him watch PBS (we got rid of the TV about 7 years later) and he has an amazing brain for memorization which is now a bonus as an actor.   As he progressed through his teen years, he was pretty sure he wanted to go to college so I helped him by planning his courses accordingly.  

We have two children, Isaac (age 15) and Sarah (age 9) that really dislike any kind of formal "school work".  As I have worked to incorporate a waldorf inspired home and education, any kind of traditional learning doesn't even begin until almost age 7.   Sarah learned to read fluently during her 8th year.  Isaac right around the same time.  They both resisted any kind of sit-down phonics work.  So as I work to meet each of their needs, my challenge is to identify their interests and nurture them but I also have to meet the state's needs and if I am really honest, allay some of my own fears by weaving in the main subject areas, such as math, literature, writing, science and social studies.    What I do appreciate about being beholden to the state is that I am paying attention more than I might have.

Isaac is our tech guy.  He actually works on our town library's computers and fixes them when a glitch occurs.   He is also interested in how things work - almost anything and he has a mind that doesn't stop (which can be very had for him at times).    Just on our way today to the library he asked me if a dog had on earphones and only played sound on one side, would it run around in circles?    He satisfies much of his personal learning interests by downloading youtube videos when we go to the library, generally on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  We have purposefully kept our home wi-fi free and still only have dial-up.  This hasn't stopped Isaac from being able to rattle off nearly every feature of most tech devices and giving his opinion of their worth.  

Here are some of his favorites for any of you with techie children - 

Marques Brownlee

Austin Evans

Household Hackers

We absolutely do not stress college for any of our children and that topic would require another blog post, but if a child seems as though he or she is headed for college level courses (what is that anyway these days as it varies so..), I do make sure they know the basics.  So for Isaac we are on Algebra II using Life of Fred which is so much fun.  I am sure I am enjoying it more than he is but I do hear him laugh every now and then a I read the lesson.  Isaac likes to be read to when it is a more complicated subject as I will often interject with words to clarify or relate the subject matter to something he understands.

We are also learning (he probably knows much of this already but just making sure) paragraph formation and writing an essay using the Jensen book.  But even here I grab his favorite magazine, Muse, and show him example in the subject matter that interests him.  Science this year is Apologia Biology.   The author, Wile, is a great writer, making the material interesting while still very challenging.  Social studies this year is the boring one - he is using PACE 10th grade, only so that he can have that topic covered as it is not an area of interest to him.  Now, if I had lots of time, I could probably have dug deeper and worked on studying history in the context of scientific discovery which probably would interest Isaac more... hmm... maybe next year.

(I will write part 2 soon.)

Waldorf Inspired Homeschool Expo Giveaway

Donna from The Waldorf Connection approached me about spreading the word about her upcoming Waldorf Homeschool Expo by offering a very generous giveaway. I was honored by the request and am happy to share a little more about Waldorf inspired home learning with all of you.

Our family uses a Waldorf approach to education and our home environment, especially in the children's younger years. For our family that has meant surrounding them by toys and materials of natural fibers, not having television or computer games, using the gentle learning approach by not introducing academics too early, teaching handwork, and using main lessons and incorporating beauty and art into them as much as possible.

Here is my interview with Donna. I have added my own photos throughout the interview.

Tell our readers what Waldorf is and what creating a Waldorf inspired home and/or home school might look like.

Waldorf Education was started in the early 20^th century by Rudolf Steiner, though today, it is one of the fastest growing forms of private education. Waldorf is education for the whole child. There are so many opportunities to let your child unfold into herself, rather than force academics according to a schedule. It is a very nature-based, rhythmic, and creative approach to learning. What I have learned is that is no one “way” to bring this information to your child, but many options depending on the teacher/parent. Most Waldorf-inspired home schools use natural wooden toys, organic wool felt, quality art supplies, and beautiful materials to have available where the child may use them. Play silks and a nature table are frequently found in the schooling area, and there are no text books.

~play silks on a branch hook rack~

~handwork using a drop spindle~

What inspired you to start The Waldorf Connection?

When I found the Waldorf method 4 years ago, I knew it was what I wanted for my family. Slowly I added things to our household, whether it be a wooden toy, set of colorful play silks, or high quality paints & brushes. I gathered as much information as I could find through books and online websites. I had so many questions and wanted specific things explained. Wet-on-wet painting was such an issue with me, that for 2 years I didn’t even try it! I kept wondering, “Was I doing this right?” I couldn’t be the only one wanting more! So, that was how The Waldorf Connection began. I hosted a few workshops last fall and had such an overwhelming response, I decided to keep going!

~a page from our children's form drawing main lesson book~

What does The Waldorf Connection offer? and please share about the upcoming Expo.

I created the Waldorf Connection to be exactly that- a place where homeschooling families can connect to teachers and experts in the Waldorf field. My goal- to bring concrete information to help parents understand the Waldorf concepts and to support the family-run Waldorf entrepreneurs.

The Homeschool Expo was designed after a regular Homeschool expo, but online. I am hosting 15+ workshops on planning, grade overviews, parenting, rhythm, multiple-age homeschooling, rites of passage, music and more! Are you wondering which curriculum to choose for next year? Come listen to your favorite speaker and see what they offer before you buy. Peruse our Vendor Room with online store displaying their books, supplies, curriculums, toys, etc. Registration and all workshops are *free*. Just sign-up at http://thewaldorfconnection.com

Thank you for offering this wonderful giveaway. Please describe what you are offering to the winner of the drawing.

I will giveaway an entire set of the Expo Workshops on MP3. (value $57) You can listen to the workshops again and again, download to your Ipod or burn to CD. An excellent resource to keep for the future, as your children grow.

Thank you for this offer Donna.

Our family will also be offering the winner this wonderful waldorf inspired book - Feasts, Festivals and Food - this is a resource for exploring festivals throughout the year and is filled with recipes, crafts, games, stories, poems and songs. There is also a section on birthdays, teatimes, and rainy days.

Please leave a comment to be entered and if you blog or share it on one of your social networking sites, just leave another comment letting me know and you will be entered again.

The drawing will be Thursday evening at 7:00 pm.

Warm wishes, Tonya