Seasonal Homeschooling

Article: Seasonal Homeschooling

This time of year in North America is brilliance

of color and the crisp autumn breezes blow in

a longing for coming together and celebrating family.

Homeschooling in nature can be a teachers dream and

a child's playground. There is so much for the senses to

behold!

The smell of fires burning and apple, pumpkins and hay.

Feeling crunchy leaves, nuts, pinecones to collect for play.

Tasting apple cider, pumpkin pie and other tasty treats inspired

by the outdoors harvest.

Allowing children time to explore and commune with nature can be

the best “teacher” around. For, what could be better than a child

learning animal behaviors, finding birds nests and eggs by actually

experiencing life outdoors.

Here's a few tips for seasonal homeschooling.

*Use what is around you- learning counting or simple math? Use acorns, rocks, shells
or whatever is locally available. Collecting is part of the fun. Besides being economical,
it teaches what bounty is right in your backyard.

*Nature Journals can be a great way to document what is happening for an older child.
They can write and draw what they see while they are outside in their favorite tree.

*Use the festivals. Fall has many great festivals to celebrate and this is a great time to make a bonfire, roast some marshmallows and explore your nature area. Invite some other homeschooling families to make it really special.

*Create a Nature Table. A seasonal or monthly table to display current findings is a wonderful way to bring a hint of nature inside. Make sure to make safe for very young hands.

*Carve out Nature Time. Give your child “free play” time to roam, explore and just “be”. It is amazing what they will learn during this unstructured moments. Sometimes learning happens in the best more organic ways. ;)

Catching Back up

It has been a whirlwind around here with the Waldorf Expo and family coming in for the Memorial Weekend. But, I actually took a few days "off". At least, partly. If is hard with so much going on and so many people emailing and purchasing to step away from my computer.
Here are some photo's I took. Though I just realized we spent 2 days at the beach and not a picture was taken!  Oh well.. the memories are there.  :)

Kids picking the snow peas from our garden

We made homemade chocolate chip ice cream- yummy treat!

Everyone enjoyed a game of disc golf (in our backyard)

Did I mention the Banana Splits?!

Simply Sacred Play

Each morning my girls get up and begin their daily play. Realizing how important creative play is, over the years we have provided open-ended toys and natural items (shells, acorns, tree blocks) to enhance their stories. My twins are 7 1/2 now and the other morning I sat in my office and listened to their play. I was amazed. The ideas  and items they used to mold into what was needed for their game were incredible. I hear vocabulary words that far surpass what an average 7 yr old says (I especially love it when I hear a word from a book we just read). Their play is divided into "chapters" with interesting titles like "The magic snake finds the golden key"

I am currently reading a fantastic book called "Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne. He is a waldorf education counselor and has worked extensively with Waldorf school and parents to "use the power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure children" (subtitle of book)

I highly recommend this book and I am only halfway through! After reading the first few chapters, epecially the one on a child's environment, I spent an afternoon with a large trash bags and some boxes whittling down my girls room. It ended up a truly calm room. The girls had so many clothes (my niece is one size up so we get many hand-me-downs) They could never keep their closet even remotely organized. I realized they didn't wear about 80% of the items! I cleared all but a few favorites and was able to consolidate into 1 dresser. This left room to make a "reading nook"-an old beanbag chair with a makeshift slipcover, a pillow,  a few favorite books, crayons, and paper. They love it and are spending time in their room like never before. I just like to peek in, smile and wish I was 7 for a day.

Homemade Butter

 I saw a lovely recipe in Organic Gardening magazine and today seemed like a good day to make some home-made creamy butter.

I was surprised how simple this is! Start to finish it took about 35 minutes, and would be less the next time since I know what to do. The only ingredients are organic whipping cream. I used 1 pint, but 1 quart will make 1 lb of butter.

Pour cream into mixing bowl and turn on hand-mixer. You will need to mix for 10-15 minutes so get your kids help!

Mixture goes through several stages. First, like whipped cream then like stiff peaks.




Finally it breaks down into cottage-cheese looking
blobs. The butter will stiffen and you will see it getting wet. When it clumps and watery milk pools form in the bottom, turn off mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, press butter to squeeze out "butter milk". Carefully pour out as much as possible. It will not be thick like the kind you buy, but can be used to bake or drink. Now "wash" the butter with ice water. Pour 1/2 cup ice water over the butter and keep pressing it against the side of the bowl. Repeat this several times until the water runs fairly clear. This will stop the butter from spoiling and it firms it up .Make sure water is ice cold.

Continue kneading butter and squeezing liquid out. I used my hands in the end and patted it and squeezed.

Whittling the Day away

DH got involved with some homeschooling today as he and the girls did some whittleing. After a backyard bonfire yesterday, they found an old piece of wood which Lily saud could be a fox den. Next thing I know, they have some knives and a drill and are making one!  It was such fun for them!  After, they took a large stick and whittled them down into pencils.

Waldorf Math- more fun with number qualities...

We have progressed on to the nummber 8/ VIII. Each day they are so excited to do the riddle and get closer to getting the 5 keys (the vowels).

I made up my own riddle for 8 today after DH and I pondered "What is 8?" last night! It was a fun way to get him involved.

I have 8 legs to carry me around
I live in corners and close to the ground
To eat, I must spin and I can jump
Don't mistake me for a small bump- spider!

Then they drew the 8, VIII and EIGHT in the MLB with a nice picture of a spider.
I read a story from "Among the Meadow People" which I found on the Baldwin Project website and printed out for free! It was all about a little spider family and how the mother spider taught the babies (all 170 of them!) to spin webs.

I also want to share a heartwarming from Jen at Ancient Hearth, since we are doing the same Math Block!

Jen says...Thus began our first Maths Block: Quality of Numbers. I pulled from some amazing sources and slept on it for a time before we started maths:

~ Eric Fairman's "Path of Discovery"

~Kristie Burns' Earthschooling "Sixth Sense & Holistic Math: Using the Six Senses & Whole Body to Learn Math" ebook

~Marsha Johnson's "The Quality of Numbers" file in her Yahoo Group

~Barbara Dewey's "Mathematics for Waldorf Homeschoolers Grades 1-3"

~A Little Garden Flower's "A Journey Through Waldorf Math"

The night before we started, I took some paper and some glitter glues that we had in our crafting basket and I drew out the Arabic and Roman numerals from 1 - 10 (see picture above). The glitter goes beautifully with the story we are working with and we have gold, silver, rubies, and emeralds alternating in our numbers...

Then, I created a story inspired by Eric Fairman and Marsha Johnson with some tweaking to make it our own. I set up the scene on our table and covered sections with a blue silk that I would pull back as the characters moved further and further along.

It began with a young boy and girl who were romping through the lush evergreen forest one day when they spotted a frisky little hare. They decided to follow him. Every few feet the little hare stopped and turned to them, as if he was waiting for the children to follow.....click here for the rest of this amazing post!

Waldorf Number Qualities- Day 4

e started our number qualities/Roman numerals block this week. It has been such a joy!  I am following A Little Garden Flower's 1st grade curriculum. She has a container story that started back in the Fall with the introduction of the consonants. Now, it has progressed to finding the keys to unlock the gift of reading! There are 10 riddles (for 1-10) and each day they must solve the riddle to get the keys from Gnome King Equals.

Here is number 4.   Fire, water, earth and air

                              All these things we have to share.

The 4 elements. We talk about others things that are 4 (seasons!) and then we write the number 4 and also in Roman Numeral. They are having so much fun with this..I actually thought they might be bored..no way!
Then the get to draw in their MLB. I divided the paper into 4 sections and they could draw the elements anyway they wanted.

While they were drawing a read a verse about the 4 elements  from

A Journey Through Time in Verse and Rhyme.

Waldorf Math Block

So, our next school session is beginning and on to Math! I was hesitant, really quite unsure how to go about this "Math" thing..but after listening to Barbara Dewey's talk on Waldorf Math (The Waldorf Connection) in Nov. I feel like I get it!  We are beginning Number Qualities and the stories of the math gnomes.. I am using Barbara's guide as well as, Melisa Nielsen's- "A little Garden Flower's" First Grade book/math book.

Math Gnomes here we come!  I will keep you updated.. We will be making some math gnomes to help us "see" the whole-to-parts way numbers are taught in Waldorf Education.

Give a Dog a Bone

We made homemade dog biscuits today for Holiday gifts! I have never done this but it was so easy! And a pretty yummy sounding recipe with peanut butter and molasses. Here is the link for the recipe. Quick to come together and easy dough for young hands to practice rolling out.

Teaching to the Temperaments- workshop

Tonight is the first in our series of Waldorf Homeschool workshops.

Join me as I host Kristie Burns for 60 minutes of tips, ideas and techniques on how to teach
to your child's temperament..

Starts at 8pm EST/5 PST. Register on the right side of my blog- pass this on!!!

48hr free-replay

Purchase download at http://thewaldorfconnection.com/

Homeschool Planning

I have been gathering all my books and supplies the last few weeks. It has started to look like a Waldorf store in here! I am planning First grade for my twin girls.. It is the first "real" year, since Waldorf Education really begins in First Grade. We have been doing basic rhythms and circle time, handcrafts and stories the last 3 years to establish a gentle flow.

For me, planning becomes an important part. In the past, when I had a basic outline with supplies ready -it all went smoothly. The time I thought I could wing it, not so smooth. So, this year I am determined to plan through the end of the school year even if we don't follow exactly.

Any tips on planning or ideas you have are welcome!

Here is a link to wonderful planning audios & other info. Waldorf Planning

Block Crayon Practice

I recently watched the Block Crayon DVD's by Sigi( link here ).I finally figured out what to do with those crayons.. I practiced a bit while I watched her draw . Today I tried it out with my girls. We read "Little Red Riding Hood" and we drew a picture from the story. This is mine....

Here are my 6 1/2 year old twins drawings...

I know I have a ways to go, but I am very happy with the results so far! I am getting excited about starting First Grade.

It was the first time they, too have used them "correctly" and it took a bit of coaxing and gentle showing, but they were pleases. And Daddy guessed what story we read!

January brings the snow

But hark!the roots begin to grow

This is from the monthly verses from the poem "The Crowning of the Year" by Juliet Compton-Burnett. I have tried to find a link to this poem, but can find nothing about it on Google. So, I will re-type it here. We use each verse during its month and recite during circle time. It is wonderful way for Lily and Brooke to learn the months and they love it!

The months weave a garland to crown the year,
Its jewels are the leaves and the flower
The golden sun and twinkling stars
The wind and the snow and the showers
Colour and beauty from far and near
Weaving a garland to crown the year

January brings the snow
But hark, the root begin to grow

February brings flowers of light
Petals three of snowdrops white

March's blossoms- purple, gold
Six petals to the sun unfold

April's here, gold trumpets sound
And star of white bedeck the ground

May is the month of pink and white
Apple, may, and Parsley light

June brings flowers of rainbow hue
Crimson, gold and heavenly blue

Flowers gay we still may see
Though dark the green on July's tree

Yellow turn the field of grain
In August sun and August rain

September's fruit grow good to see
On pear and plum and apple tree

October's leaves come fluttering down
In shades of gold and red and brown

November's gift is rich and rare
The beauty of the branches bare

December's joy in each heart glows
For then was born a Christmas rose

Colour and beauty from far and near
Weaving a garland to crown the year.

The Cow jumped over the Moon

Tonight I had one of those sweet moments while driving home with my girls.

We were looking up at the moon and stars and they began asking me questions like. "How far away is the moon? Is it farther than Texas and South America? etc.."

I started thinking how lucky I am to be able to give them a simple answer that won't break the magic. If they were in school they would be studying the planets. Instead they are wondering if

the unicorns fly to them. This time of wonderment and fantasy is so precious and I am blessed to have found Waldorf Education and gentle parenting that allows my girls to be girls a bit longer.

Lessons from Life

I have been viewing others' blogs and longing to share my journey as we grow in our homeschooling life. I am blessed with the ability to stay home and homeschool my two amazing daughters. We are following a nature-based way of school and a mindful, organic way of living. I want them to experience life, as well as, read about it. I am learning a thing or two, by the way.