Donn Ashton from The Waldorf Connection is here to answer our questions on getting started with Waldorf Homeschooling.

Getting Started with Waldorf Homeschooling.

If you have decided to homeschool using Waldorf-inspired methods, you
may be at a common cross roads- Where do I start?

Checking online resources and blogs of others can leave you feeling overwhelmed or intimidated with what is expected.
There can be quite a learning curve for you, the teacher.

I suggest starting from where you are right now.

Take a look at several things like your child’s age, your level of knowledge of upcoming curriculum and your own skills. Look at where you are currently, and take the 1st step.

For those starting kindergarten or pre-school,  know that you don’t need to learn everything right away. You have a few years before you need to start academic lessons in 1st grade.

A Waldorf morning garden/kindergarten setting is play oriented, not learning letters and numbers. It more about creating a rhythmic foundation in which you and your child flow through the day. It’s singing songs, verses, short fingerplays and puppet shows.

You can spend an afternoon knitting in front of your child and have them help you wind the yarn or learn to fingerknit if around age 5.

You can practice painting slowly and then bring it to your child when you feel comfortable with it. Or create a few handmade toys/props to use for storytelling, then weave a story about your child’s favorite animal.

The idea is to chunk it down into small steps. Once you get a few concepts under your belt, you can move on. Your confidence will increase with your level of comfort and skills.

The same applies if you are starting the grades. Start with what you know and what you  need to know right now. Then build on that knowledge by adding new projects like knitting, wet-on-wet painting or recorder. You only have to be one step ahead of your child.

Take it slow and enjoy :)

Love Donna Ashton

For more info on Waldorf Education, please visit my Waldorf page.

Discovering Waldorf is a weekly series of articles written by ‘everyday’ Waldorf families. The contributors to this series share their ‘real-life’ insights and inspirations on all kinds of Waldorf topics. This series is not meant to be Waldorf philosophy in its purest form, but rather a snapshot of how we can all incorporate Waldorf ideas into our lives to help nurture and encourage the magic that is in our children. If you have a topic you wish to learn more about (or want to share) on Discovering Waldorf please contact me

Blessings and magic,

Donni

 

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25 Responses

  1. We homeschooled with Waldorf inspired ideas for a couple of years. Then we tried something new this year and miss the old way. Would love to win this to help us find our way again.

  2. Thank you so much for this information! !! It would be so wonderful to have the wardolf u! Thank you again for this wonderful info!
    Jessica

  3. I love Donna and her classes. I am doing the Homeschool Academy with the Waldorf Connection right now but it is almost done so I would love to win the Waldorf U classes :)

  4. Excellent resource! I am very much on the fence on whether we will homeschool or take advantage of our local Waldorf school, and Waldorf U would certainly help me make an informed, thoughtful decision.

  5. This autumn my then six and a half year old will be starting first year alongside her brother who will be moving up I to year four. I am comfortable in our rhythm of one kindy child and one grades child but I could use a boost as I move to having two grades age children!

  6. I am so glad I discovered this blog! I’m very excited to begin homeschooling my two youngest this year. I am new to Waldorf and live in a tiny southern town with no resources. I am blessed to have found so much information and inspiration online. Thank You!!

  7. We’re new to Waldorf and could use any help we can get! Thanks for the incredible inspiration and information- our family is so grateful!

  8. I would love to learn more about the Waldorf ways of education. I am a trained artist and a Mom. I have recently finished my Montessori certification….as I searched the internet on ways to better my teaching style and really bring art into my lessons I found Waldorf. The more I search the more I find that it is exactly what my heart wants to do. I would love to win the giveaway subscription so that I can live the Waldorf way at home with my children as well as bring it to all the little lives of my potential students.
    Kind Regards~ Laura

  9. This would be an amazing gift to have. I am homeschooling for the first time this year and trying to incorporate Waldorf but it is overwhelming! I would love the chance to have this valuable resource, thank-you for the opportunity!

  10. I would love to win this! My little one is almost three and I would like to bring more Waldorf into our home and create a rhythm to our day. Thanks!

  11. I just wanted to say “Thank you” to the Magic Onions for offering such a wonderful website packed with great ideas and beautiful pictures. I have put a short cut on my desk top for super fast access to greatness :-)
    xoxo
    ~Laura
    still keeping my fingers crossed for the subscription giveaway :-)

  12. We are moving away from or Waldorf school and the loss of it is heartbreaking. I would like to continue in a homeschooling setting so this would be a great start!!! I hope I win :)

  13. I loved the beautiful photos. I would love to take the course to help bring some much needed rhythm to my family with four really energetic children.

  14. Last day until the drawing tomorrow. I would love to win….we have absoultely no Waldorf schools in a 3 hour drive radius of my home. I would love to be able to work with my 3 year old daughter, I feel we would both get so much out of it. When I was little we had a daycare in a Victorian hotel that has since been torn down and was taught by two wonderful ladies one with Montessori training and the other with Waldorf training. In that year I learned and retained so much. I felt blessed to have shared in that and wished I could enlighten my daughter in the same way. Thank you for the opportunity.

  15. I would love to win this. I am a public school teacher who is desperately trying to incorporate Waldorf into my classroom…..and at home with my two boys. Thank you.

  16. Awesome article shared about waldorf homeschooling and it explained how a parent should get ready to teach their children. I loved reading this article and it would be much helpful for the homeschool starters.

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