Waldorf Homeschooling

Suggested Books

Nurturing Children and Families: One Model of a Waldorf Parent-Child Program by Sarah Baldwin
From amazon.com Sarah Baldwin has created a beautiful portrait of the grace that a Waldorf parent/child program can be -- for the parents, the children and the entire community. She writes from her heart, from her considerable knowledge of children and families, and from her experience leading the Ashwood School's Parent/Child Class. The result is a book that covers all the bases, from why to have such a class at all, to what sort of qualities a parent/child teacher needs, to a detailed description of the rhythms of day and season in her own class. In addition, about half the book is devoted to discussion about parent education, space, publicity, festivals, field trips, birthdays and more. Finally, there are brief descriptions of other Parent/Child classes at other schools. All in all, this is a beautiful, delicious resource -- one which will inspire and guide anyone interested in young children, families and the fostering of healthy community. Like a small seed on fertile soil, I can see this book growing beyond its covers until it shares its harvest with all who pass by.

Waldorf Education (Rudolf Steiner's Ideas in Practice Series) by Christopher Clouder
From amazon.com This basic introduction to the Waldorf School describes the philosophy and ideals behind the movement that aims to help children become freethinking, socially responsible adults with initiative

You Are Your Child's First Teacher: What Parents Can Do With and For Their Chlldren from Birth to Age Six by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
From amazon.com Nowadays parents are bombarded by any number of approaches about how to be with their children. YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER introduces a new way of understanding the human being so that parents can be best equipped to serve as their own children's best teachers. Chapters include: Caring for the Newborn, Helping Your Toddler's Development, The Development of Fantasy and Creative Play, Nourishing Your Child's Imagination, Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life, Readiness for School, and more.

Waldorf Education: A Family Guide by Pamela J. Fenner
From amazon.com What draws parents and educators toward Waldorf Education today? "Waldorf Education - A Family Guide" offers a "first look" for parents and educators into the history, philosophy, curriculum, and traditions of this unique education. This comprehensive book is a collection of articles describing the world of Waldorf Education - the fastest growing independent school movement in the world.

Free to Learn: Introducing Steiner Waldorf Earkt Childhood Education by Lynne Oldfield
From amazon.com Free to Learn is a unique guide to the principles and methods of Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood education. The author draws on kindergarten experience from around the world, with stories, helpful insights, lively observations and pictures. This inspiring book will interest parents, educators, and early years education students. It is up to date, comprehensive, and contains many illustrations, including a 16-page color section. Lynne Oldfield invites you to explore Steiner Waldorf kindergartens. Here, teachers and parents believe that children's early learning is profound, that childhood matters and that the early years should be enjoyed, not rushed through.

Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out by Jack Petrash
From amazon.com Written by a teacher with more than 25 years of experience, this book offers a jargon-free view of Waldorf schools with their philosophy of the importance of a three-dimensional education. Through learning experiences that involve all of the senses, children use a variety of intelligences to develop thought, feeling, and intentional, purposeful activity. Whether you’re a Waldorf parent or teacher, or you just want to learn more about these innovative educational concepts, this book contains important ideas on learning that you can apply today.

Millennial Child : Transforming Education in the Twenty-First Century by Eugene Schwartz
From amazon.com Today's children are an endangered species. As a result of reductionism and the homogenization of the human stages of life, it seems that many children have lost their childhood only to be thrust into a confusing and chaotic world. Eugene Schwartz presents an incisive analysis of how errors during the first third of the twentieth century have now returned to haunt us at the beginning of the new century. After carefully examining Sigmund Freud's tragic misunderstanding of childhood and tracing its consequences for today's parents and educators, the author points us toward the radically new paradigm of childhood development offered by Rudolf Steiner and embodied in Waldorf education. Parents, teachers, and child psychologists will find a wealth of insight concerning such diverse subjects as the nature of play, the causes of ADHD, computers as teachers, and the power that love and imagination will have in educating the Millennial Child.

What Is Waldorf Education?: Three Lectures by Rudolf Steiner
From amazon.com One of the most talked about alternatives to public schooling today is method known as Waldorf education. But what is it? Simply put, it is an approach that considers the "whole" child, not just intellectual capacities. It also considers the child's whole life - how a teacher's actions will affect the child later in life, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Here is a reader-friendly Waldorf "taster." It contains three lectures on Waldorf education by Rudolf Steiner and a thought-provoking, accessible introduction by a Waldorf teacher and longtime student of Steiner’s educational methods. The lectures present what Steiner sees as the "fundamentals" of Waldorf pedagogy in a matter-of-fact, objective, non-dogmatic way. The introduction is broad and informative, explaining that, before all else, a Waldorf school must be a good school. This is a must-read for anyone involved with, connected to, or interested in Waldorf education. If you are at the point of deciding where and how your child