Where do I start?

[Newbi]

I think my title says it all. I have 4 boys ages 10yrs. to 22months. We are just starting our journey into Waldorf influenced education. I am starting the tv/computer game detox period. I have chosen to use Oak Meadow supplies. What other changes regarding home enviroment, diet, etc. should I be considering? Do you have to accept Stiener's religious belifs to use this method? I do not ask that to offend anyone.
Thank you for responding.

[Donna]

Dear Newbie,

Welcome! Welcome to this Forum.:)

Rudolf Steiner is the founder of anthroposophy, a spiritual-scientific view of the world, a set of tools, as it were, to know and understand both the material and spiritual worlds. Waldorf education is but one impulse that has sprung out of his work.

Waldorf schools are found on every continent as Waldorf education is seen by more and more people to be relevant to children from every cultural, racial, religious and economic background. Though its basis is discernibly the same, each school is different in response to the different community it serves. Waldorf teachers also come from every kind of background - they are not required to be anthroposophists. Having said that, I want you to know, that as anthroposophy is not a religion, there are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian anthroposophists - and anthroposophists from other religious traditions as well, I am sure!

And so it surely follows that to homeschool with Waldorf one does not need to take on board Steiner's spiritual work. Like Waldorf teachers and parents, Waldorf homeschoolers come from many different backgrounds, including those from a wide variety of religions and those from no spiritual tradition at all. I would say, though, that other than the people with very set religious beliefs which cannot accommodate the esoteric elements of anthroposophy, it is atheists who have the most trouble with Waldorf - it is, after all, a holistic form of education for the whole child, including his or her spiritual self. There's no getting away from that.

So I feel it is extremely important that anyone getting involved with Waldorf know what its foundations are - however, that does not mean one has to accept this. Many people work simply with the elements of Waldorf which appeal to them and are quite content.

You should know, however, that the intention of this Forum is for people to explore anthroposophy quite deeply if they wish. That is why there is a special sub forum devoted to Waldorf and Anthroposphy - and I do not limit spiritual conversations only to that forum! There have been people who have left this Forum, uncomfortable with the spiritual views expressed here.

As for your other questions - why don't you go to the Waldorf Home forum or to other sections and post there? :) Such questions are a bit too large to adequately deal with here!

And do go to my web site www.christopherushomeschool.org and have a really good browse around. Have a good read of the articles, of the Waldorf 101 page and Resources page - there are links so you can find out more about Steiner and anthroposphy. I also write a blog, the Homeschool Journey which will answer many, many of your parenting and homelife questions.

[Balletmom]

I could use some guidance in this area of where to start. Admittedly, my Christopherus order just arrived, so I will be reading for quite awhile, but I'm intrigued enough with what I've read in another forum to want to explore Waldorf.

Some significant concerns are in the area of how to introduce a change in approach to my four daughters who are 11, 12, 13, and 14 (all internationally adopted). My oldest has a serious language processing disorder, both expressive and receptive, and she is struggling in all areas of learning because of the language problems. If we were to rely solely on her IQ tests, which I hated having done but we were struggling for answers to her learning problems, she would fall in the slow-learner/borderline retarded category.

How does a newcomer to this find the appropriate stories for older kids who have never been taught this way? I've been a reading mom, not a story-telling mom, and I'm concerned about how to introduce main lessons.

Thanks,

Elaine in Montana

[Donna]

Dear Elaine,

I think the best thing for you to do it relax - Waldorf isn't just a method, it's a whole different way of viewing the human being and although one is, of course, free to take bits here and there and not the whole shebang, in order to understand why things are done, when things are done and how things are done, one does need something of a larger picture.

So I would read through the resources you have gotten and then consider purchasing the audio downloads for each grade. See if just one or two main lessons appeal - and for your girls, as they are older and close in age, it could be that you do something like an Ancient Mythology block with all 4 of them at once. Focus mainly on the rhythms of the work and on the artistic and living presentation of the material. Read my blog about Reading and Telling stories - there are good reasons for telling stories but there are also valid reasons for reading aloud as well.

Think in terms of "let's take a couple of steps with Waldorf" instead of "let's now become Waldorf". To be honest, it is also considerably harder with older ones simply because the foundations that they have will be quite different - there are also almost no Waldorf homeschooling resources for high school students (though we are about to bring out our first in a series of High School Notes).

Having said that, it sounds like your big girl has some issues which might put her on a different timeline than other children. Have a listen to my free Therapeutic Waldorf audio download (where we sell our downloads on the Christopherus website) and see what you think. ( And consider purchasing the Transitioning to Waldorf download while you're there). Are there lifestyle changes you can make which will help nurture her and perhaps help fill in some gaps. Other than that, as you are a member of this forum, do bring specific questions there or, as Barbara suggests elsewhere, do consider a consultation with me.

There's not a lot more I can say in the space of this little e-mail. Keep reading - my blog and all the posts on the forum. See what resonates with you - why have you turned to Waldorf? What is it that feels right, makes sense? How can you bring that into your homelife? Think about peacefulness, aesthetics, reverence, beauty, educating the whole child.... and see, over time, where you get.