I was sorting through our main lesson books, and I came across our Clothing, Fiber and Shelter work from last year. These blocks were great because we could include stories, writing, drawing, hand …
A few weeks ago, I texted my family group chat about the conversations my faculty had been having about remote learning. My adult Waldorf-alumni children had the most hilarious responses. Me: My faculty and I are talking about how we could teach Waldorf remotely. Calvin (24): That’s actually hilarious. Me: I know. Waldorf via Skype? […]
I was sorting through our main lesson books, and I came across our Clothing, Fiber and Shelter work from last year. These blocks were great because we could include stories, writing, drawing, hand …
I was sorting through our main lesson books, and I came across our Clothing, Fiber and Shelter work from last year. These blocks were great because we could include stories, writing, drawing, hand …
I was sorting through our main lesson books, and I came across our Clothing, Fiber and Shelter work from last year. These blocks were great because we could include stories, writing, drawing, hand …
The Waldorf Approach to Academics in the Grade School - A Presentation at the Cincinnati Waldorf School on November 16, 2010 by Lori Ann Kra...
I was sorting through our main lesson books, and I came across our Clothing, Fiber and Shelter work from last year. These blocks were great because we could include stories, writing, drawing, hand …
Mary had a little lamb Which grew to be a sheep. The wool upon its back became Too Thick and warm to keep. Then Mary’s sheep did with the rest Down to the brookside go, And soon again it well…
I often think of Third Grade as 'The Practical Year' in Waldorf homeschooling, and hence one that, for me, is going to require quite a bit of preparation and forethought. The Third Grade curriculum is such a beautiful example of holistic education, with one subject flowing out of and complementing another so well this year. If I had to describe a theme for the year I would say, at its most basic, it is Humanity on Earth - Food, Clothing, and Shelter. (Yes, that's quite close to the title of a book by Live Ed!) We will be studying Old Testament stories this year, and this ties in as well - human beings must leave the garden, produce their own food, clothe and shelter themselves, and develop a relationship to authority and to others. All of the studies, stories, and projects are designed to meet the developmental needs of nine-year-olds, to nurture their growing sense of independence, to build self-confidence, to satisfy their need for doing. Many people have written far more eloquently than I can about the underlying philosophy of the Third Grade curriculum - I just thought I'd share how the year is shaping up for our family, while I am in the throes of planning - not the least of which reason is, so I can wrap my head around it all! So far I have put the most thought into the Farming/Gardening and the Fiber/Clothing blocks, because these require the most advanced planning for me. FARMING/GARDENING Basically this is to do with producing food, with a focus on practical experience wherever possible. I have my book-learning resources lined up, and I'm working on the practical side of things. Here are the things I'd like to cover: A general look at farming Grains - wheat, rice, barley, corn (to include baking bread & a visit to the grist mill) Chickens & eggs Cows (milk and butter - we'll probably include goats in this experience, too!) Fruits & berries (we have lovely orchards here, and we can make jams & maybe cider) Vegetables & herbs (plant our own garden, and continue herbal preparations) Bees (honey & beeswax, and their importance to plants and crops) If we will indeed be staying in our current location, we'll build a raised bed garden in the backyard. I've done this before - I look at it as fun, and the children can help so much with this. They miss our garden so! My favorite resources for seeds are Seed Savers Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - both great resources that I've loved for years. (We'll even get to visit Baker Creek when we go to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home up in Mansfield, Missouri!) We'll grow a few vegetables and herbs - we won't be doing anything on too grand a scale here. I'm planning on getting the garden in this spring, so we will have this summer with it. I'm very interested in making it a biodynamic garden - I was so thrilled to find the book in the picture above in our local library! Keeping chickens is perhaps a wistful dream at this time - if we stay here, then it won't be possible. But we'd all like to do this (well, everyone except Iain - he says he would like the eggs, but will leave the poultry to us!) Nonetheless, we looked into keeping chickens anyway, just in case. I have my eye on Buff Orpingtons and Blue Red Laced Wyandottes. Elizabeth wants a white silkie bantam. Jack likes the New Hampshire breed. And we all like the look of Rhode Island Reds... I have friends who keep chickens, so if all else fails, perhaps they will let the children help out a bit. I'm determined to do a little home butter-making, complete with these cute little butter paddles. And I'm sure another visit to the goat creamery will be in order, where they can learn about cheese-making. We won't be keeping bees ourselves anytime soon (though Jack is keen to do so! He doesn't know why we don't just go ahead and get a hive, Mommy.) I understand. I'm keen, too. But we have a local bee school, and beekeepers association, and I know where a fantastic observation hive is. FIBER/CLOTHING For the fiber/clothing block we'll be covering wool, cotton, linen, and silk, and our resource is The Story Book of Things We Wear by Maud and Miska Petersham (you can see the spinning illustration in the photo above, along with Fiona's drop spindle with her handspun yarn). Wool will obviously our fiber of choice for the practical aspects and handwork. We don't have a lot of flax growing or silkworms around here. : ) However, I'd love to grow a few cotton plants if possible, just to let the children see it. Maybe our local history museum will grow some again. This isn't exactly cotton country, either, but it will grow with care. I understand that the ideal process in Waldorf schools is to start with a whole sheep fleece, and to go through the stages of washing it, carding it, and spinning some yarn on a drop spindle. I hope we can do this - though they have quite a bit of experience in this area already. I would love to get my hands on some carders. We have two drop spindles to our name right now, and last year a friend gave me a niddy noddy! I believe it is this one, the Ashford unfinished. My friend never used it, and I got it sanded and polished with beeswax polish this week. I would like weaving to be a part of our Third Grade handwork. My grand plan is to do a lot of natural dyeing this year - not large batches, but with the aim of experimentation and creating mini-skeins. I want to use our naturally dyed yarn in our weaving projects. My greatest inspiration here is the book Spinning & Dyeing the Natural Way by Ruth A. Castino. I can't recommend this book enough - I think it needs its own post. Fiona has a lap loom that she got for a birthday some years ago, and it is this one. If I decide to get a second loom, I'm considering this one by Harrisville Designs. Just to see if we like it better, I guess. Happily for us, we have a local handspinners guild and a local handweavers guild - how lucky is that? We've never met with the weavers, but the handspinners have monthly meetings that are open to the public, and we attended one (for Fiona's and my sake) a few years back. They were so friendly and welcoming and willing to share tips. I also want to try our hands at rug hooking. I've never done it before myself, but it looks like such fun for cozy winter evenings. To wrap all of this up, here are a few past posts on the children's work with sheep and wool: Sheep October Sheep Work Sheep to Shawl Sheep Shearing Washing Wool
With everything being said to teens that are mostly negative, it can be difficult finding encouraging words for a teenage girl. Being a teenage girl is one of the hardest stages of life for a woman. It’s no wonder why so many are losing their lives and dealing with so much at such a young age.
Anyone can have a happy relationship if they put in the work. Sometimes the small things like what you say to your partner on a day to day basis really matters. Because according to experts and research, couples in happier relationships tend to say…
One of my favourite ways to enjoy dumplings is by either steaming or boiling these and finishing it off with what I like to call the best dumpling sauce - with the perfect balance of savoury, heat, bit of sweetness and acidity. Let’s not forget the aromatics that really take it up a notch!
This is a semi home-made recipe, made with a few store bought ingredients, and put together, for a delicious easy meal! It is uber delicious, and makes for a very filling meal!
Resentment in relationships can be subtle or obvious, but it all stems from one kind of dynamic. Experts explain the signs you resent your partner.
When it comes to how long you should wait to get married, there's no perfect answer. Just because you see your friends getting married all around you isn't a reason to rush. And if you feel like you're ready before your friends are, then there's a…
A high-protein, high-fiber pasta salad with a rich Romesco sauce, perfect for meal prep.
A woman can have a million reasons to decide to give a hard pass to marriage, and it's not fair to question her choice. When you come across a woman who doesn't believe in marriage, there are certain things that you should probably avoiding saying…
