As I am working with more and more families, I am saddened to see something happen more and more often. We live in a society that sees teens swapping partners and having no reverence for their body as a temple. As parents we are often scratching our heads at the choices these teens make. There is no judgement from me, because some teens just make poor choices, no matter how good your parenting is, but then there are those who are coming from homes spinning out of control and we have to ask ourselves... where does it end? When will our young men and young women realize that they are sacre ..read more

The topic of “whole to parts” is pretty central to the Waldorf method of teaching – more than just on the math front, as children advance in age the whole to parts theme is evident in their study of zoology and botany as well as other places in the curriculum.  When we teach using whole to parts, it is easy for the children to pick up everything around them as a whole.  For instance the number 12 doesn't stand alone, many things come together to make up 12, and 12 is also a component of many other larger parts.  12 can be 6 X 2, it can be 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2, it can be 4 ..read more

Ok... I am going to tackle this and try my best to not ruffle feathers, please know that as I write this, I have the purest of intentions and believe that we are all thinking, loving, working beings of Source/God/dess/ Universe. .. what ever you may call it. As I have worked with Waldorf pedagogy over the years I have noticed a great many things - when I started working with families (first peer counseling and then as a business) I found that our left of the road friends had the same concerns as the right of the road friends when it came to Waldorf and religion.  ..read more

  I get this question a lot.  How do you know if your child isn't ready for school? What age is best for a child to start school? How do you know if you are ready for school? Such a hotly debated subject in some circles, while in others it is not even thought about.  Mainstream wisdom would have us thinking that earlier is always better and a child who starts at school or homeschooling at age four might have an advantage over others.  Sounds right doesn't it?  The sooner the better!  Well I invite you to stand back a bit and examine how child ..read more

Common questions: What is the Waldorf approach to reading?   Why do Waldorf schools wait to teach reading? I came across this great Steiner quote today that I wanted to share.  Really, to me, it comes down to whether or not you have a strong testimony of this method of education - do you believe Steiner's work to be inspired... if your answer is yes then trust nature.  If however you do not have a testimony of his work, then you may need to stand back and evaluate things for yourself.  Now I don't believe that in this text he is addressing those ..read more

As a seasoned Waldorf parent, I always appreciate it when I can get a little help in the story telling department! I absolutely love making up stories for my children, just as Steiner recommended, but I always remind myself that for all his brilliance, Rudolf Steiner was not a parent! Making up all the stories is a lofty goal but not exactly practical all the time. Through the years I’ve enjoyed the content in my favorite series by Wynstones press, these have a certain charm between the music and the stories - stories that you can tell time and again. Now I’ve been impressed with a couple new ..read more

  This is a big topic for Waldorf homeschoolers.  What age is good for 1st grade?   What age is Waldorf reading for?    How do I teach my first grade Waldorf?   What is Waldorf first grade?   Instead of getting caught in the debates of Waldorf grade 1 compared to first grades in other schools I encourage you to learn to observe your child.  A lot of discussion happens on when to start first grade. It makes me sad to see so many mothers confused on what to do and who to trust.  One mom emailed me just yesterday and said she ..read more

Most of us did not grow up with Waldorf education. It's common to wonder: What is Waldorf education? How do I find the best Waldorf curriculum for our family.  How is Waldorf different than Montessori?  Is Waldorf secular or religious? Waldorf is a method of education that explores cultures through history as a means to connect children to this world and those that live in it.   Let’s take a brief walk through the literature aspects of the curriculum. In grade 1, children learn through fairy tales. Some are happy, some are sad, all do an amazing amount of wo ..read more

What is the importance of fairy tales in Waldorf education? I get this question a lot, some of those Grimm's tales are so dark to adults and parents are often concerned about giving them to their children. We have some great information in our grade one curriculum about these stories. There is also some wonderful information at the Waldorf library, I pulled some articles here to ponder: The Value of Grimm's Fairy Tales Choosing Fairy Tales for Different Ages The Interpretation of Fairy Tales Fairy Tales and Legends   The full video of Ms. Tiffany and I's conv ..read more