Waldorf Homeschooling

Yes I agree with one poster, you did say when she gets to Kindergarten age. What a wonderful idea to research this method for when she DOES get to that age. Have fun with her now, and I agree, lots of music, especially Classical. It does help stimulate the brain!!!! Let me know what you decide and what you find out! Ellen

Hi. My son is almost four, so we have not quite decided about his school yet, either. I don't know about Waldorf, however, I am a teacher in a weekly history and fine arts program for homeschooled students in the B'ham area. The website is www.mafabham.com if you are interested in checking it out. I wish you the best!

You should contact your local Waldorf school and talk to them about how you can meet other Waldorf parents. I used to live with a Waldorf teacher and know that even if you don't send your kids to the school, they do eveything to encourage comradere in the movement. I am also considering Waldorf when mine gets older, although, Im going to send him to the school (because I work full time (Unfortunately)). But it is a really cool program that encourages children to learn through play and letting children be kids without high pressure.

I am currently teaching my oldest using the waldorf method. I really enjoy this method. There really is not a curriculum to follow but there are a few places that you can get books to follow http://www.waldorfwithoutwalls.com/ is one of them I bought some books from there and they have been very helpful also there is a place called live education at http://www.live-education.com/ they have curriculum that you can buy. I do not know how much you know but I will do a little background for those who do not know much about it. Rudolf Steiner is the creator of the waldorf method. The focus in the younger years is toward self reflection though playing with simple toys, painting, drawing, story telling, dancing, song, movement, and interacting with the world around the child. For the first seven years not much emphisis is put on reading, writing and other things the public schools think is so important. A good place to go to read more about this would be http://www.waldorfanswers.org/Waldorf.htm and http://www.waldorfanswers.org/Waldorf.htm. There are alot of other sites but these are two of my favorite that I decided to bookmark. For supplies this site is a really good one http://www.waldorfsupplies.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/psstone/st... For waldorf inspired toys you can look here http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/welcome.asp?section=.... This is a good site for simple toys although it really does not have any ties to waldorf http://www.leapsandbounds.com/home.jsp. If you have any questions feel free to ask my email is ____@____.com biggest problem that I have had so far is getting people to understand that my daughter is not going to be left behind. My mother thinks that just because I am not trying to teach her to read that she is missing out. Jenna likes to be read to and makes up her own stories. She knows all her ABC's and can wright them and her name and her age. She is interested in learning to read but we do it at her pace. There are children for such a small part of there life, sometimes just getting to be a child is the best learning there is. Hope this helped, have a great day and blessed be.

3 is so young to be deciding what to do. Just watch her over the next year and decide what would best fit your child's personality and way of learning. This is the age that they start to show you how they learn best. I'd always planned on using a certain curriculum until my son turned 5, at which time I'd decided it was not right at all for him, and that themed units would be best. My 2nd son, on the other hand, would do GREAT with the curriculum I had originally wanted.

I have heard some about the Waldorf method, but not alot. I would just keep researching it and see what you find out and look at all of your options for curriculum. Its good that you are thinking ahead. I notice the other ladies did not realize you said when she is kindergarten age....lol. You are mom and you will have to do what you think is best! Sorry I don't know more about it!

I sent my children to a Waldorf school for 3 years and would have continued this year but some circumstances prevented my doing so. The teachers have been trained for years to be able to apply the philosophies of the Waldorf curriculum and it was such a gift and wonderful experience for them. They miss it terribly.

The Waldorf schools have teacher training and curriculum available, but would you be willing to commit to that much time for education for yourself? I think the only way to have a Waldorf experience is to go to a Waldorf School.

The Waldorf school in Birmingham is the Redmont School.

http://www.home-schooling-basics.com/
Maybe this site will help you. I am homeschooling my 8th grader this year, first time for me, and it's been wonderful overall. It does have a few drawbacks, but I'm still more at ease with it than public school. Good luck.

I have not used this method, but I have home schooled. I personally do not feel that one as young as three or four needs to be "tied down" to a school schedule. They will have to do that soon enough. I think young kids need to learn their letters,etc., but in a fun no-stress kind of way. Your little one has plenty of time for school let her be a baby while you can, and enjoy her. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying she should not learn at 3, but to me it seems everyone wants to get younger and younger teaching these babies. I am trying to enjoy every minute with my 4 year old b/c I know there is no getting this time back. Also, I have done research on kids who go to preschool before Kindergarten, and kids who have not. Though the kids who have been to preschool may have a little easier of a time in Kindergarten, at the end of the school year they are generally on the same level.
So do not stress out, and good luck!