yucabird Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I am planning to HS, but my older daughter (almost 5) is a social creature…and we live an in area w/o with few extracurricular activities/opportunities. She is also bilingual, and we do not speak Spanish at home (She currently attends half-day (Spanish) pre-school; continuing school would allow her to remain fluent.). I spend a lot of time reading to my two, and this daughter is at the stage where she is sounding out words. Nothing is forced; she is genuinely interested in learning to read. I visited a Waldorf school last year, spoke to the director, and felt fairly confident the program on a P/T basis could complement our future studies. I returned today, and the school rep (different person) seemed appalled that my daughter was near-reading. She asked, “She is asking you to read at four. What are you going to do when she is 15 and she wants to drink or do drugs?†I was flabbergasted, told her there was no way to equate reading and drugs, and cut our conversation short. Before her question, the woman said teachers at the school do not read to young children and picture books aren’t available (stories are told). Furthermore, parents are also cautioned not to read to their children. I certainly do not remember being told this last year. I know Waldorf doesn’t endorse the teaching of reading at an early age…but no reading period? No looking at picture books? Early reading compared to drug use? Is this really Waldorf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBG580 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 No, there is no reading at all. We were very heavily Waldorf inspired for the first 4 years of my daughter's life and we have largely abandoned formal Waldorf or the possibility of sending her to a Waldorf school because we have such serious disagreements with the underpinnings of Waldorf education, anthroposophy. Rudolph Steiner basically created an offbeat and esoteric spirituality that has some commonalities with Christianity. Anthroposophy espouses very specific developmental periods in childhood and it is considered "bad" to rush through the periods or to introduce children to things that they are not considered ready developmentally for. Because of this philosophy that directs the education, children who are outliers, either ahead or behind or have some sort of disorder (like an Autism spectrum disorder) are not well served by Waldorf. My daughter's teacher determined she was Choleric and she didn't seem excited about that, to be frank because that meant that she was intense, energetic, passionate and lively. :) The soft colors associated with early childhood, no media influences, natural toys and so on fit into the anthroposophy paradigm and those external things seem to attract a lot of people to Waldorf without them realizing how extreme some of the beliefs are. To be frank, the more I read Steiner and the more time I spent at her Waldorf school (this was just PreK!) I realized that there were some people involved in Waldorf that could be considered to be a part of a cult. I'm sure I am stepping on toes, but it is the truth. Blind allegiance to any belief system is asking for trouble and if you are not allowing your children to listen to recorded music (classical!!), not allowing them to do any artwork other than felting and wet on wet painting, dressing children so warmly that they are constantly sweating, not allowing children to advance academically and developmentally at their own pace based on some archaic childhood developmental philosophy, well then the shoe fits. I know some families associated with Waldorf who take what they like and they leave the rest and that works for them. We have just moved pretty far away from Waldorf at this point because my second child is very ahead for his age and there is no way I would choose to slow him down in the name of an educational philosophy. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 (edited) Yes it helps! A couple friends who were thinking about enrollment for their littles were surprised when I relayed this exchange. The people I have met who have children enrolled at the school have glowing things to say about program, but I have never asked about reading at home. It makes me wonder what occurs outside of school…or if parents understand the philosophy. BBG580, my daughter sounds much like your oldest, and the posts from you and fairytalemomma confirm that Waldorf is not something which will fit the needs of my family. Thank you both for the responses. All the best, Donna Edited February 12, 2011 by yucabird formatting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 No, there is no reading at all. We were very heavily Waldorf inspired for the first 4 years of my daughter's life and we have largely abandoned formal Waldorf or the possibility of sending her to a Waldorf school because we have such serious disagreements with the underpinnings of Waldorf education, anthroposophy. Rudolph Steiner basically created an offbeat and esoteric spirituality that has some commonalities with Christianity. Anthroposophy espouses very specific developmental periods in childhood and it is considered "bad" to rush through the periods or to introduce children to things that they are not considered ready developmentally for. Because of this philosophy that directs the education, children who are outliers, either ahead or behind or have some sort of disorder (like an Autism spectrum disorder) are not well served by Waldorf. My daughter's teacher determined she was Choleric and she didn't seem excited about that, to be frank because that meant that she was intense, energetic, passionate and lively. :) The soft colors associated with early childhood, no media influences, natural toys and so on fit into the anthroposophy paradigm and those external things seem to attract a lot of people to Waldorf without them realizing how extreme some of the beliefs are. To be frank, the more I read Steiner and the more time I spent at her Waldorf school (this was just PreK!) I realized that there were some people involved in Waldorf that could be considered to be a part of a cult. I'm sure I am stepping on toes, but it is the truth. Blind allegiance to any belief system is asking for trouble and if you are not allowing your children to listen to recorded music (classical!!), not allowing them to do any artwork other than felting and wet on wet painting, dressing children so warmly that they are constantly sweating, not allowing children to advance academically and developmentally at their own pace based on some archaic childhood developmental philosophy, well then the shoe fits. I know some families associated with Waldorf who take what they like and they leave the rest and that works for them. We have just moved pretty far away from Waldorf at this point because my second child is very ahead for his age and there is no way I would choose to slow him down in the name of an educational philosophy. HTH! I was also very heavily involved in Waldorf...I did the beginning stage of teacher training, which is an extensive study of Anthroposophy...I taught at a Waldorf inspired preschool for about a year...My son went to a Waldorf school for 1st grade and I was very involved at the school there... I will totally admit that the environment of the school really attracted me...We were a family that didn't watch television at all, tried to eat healthy, and bought toys and clothes that were made of natural materials...When I came across Waldorf, those things were heavily emphasized and I finally felt like I had a place where people were like minded... I did some reading and saw how Rudolf Steiner broke childhood down into stages and it made sense to me...I figured that he was right about the different stages of childhood and the emphasis on natural things so he must be right about other things as well...Anyone who has even read the logic stage chapter of WTM will see the fallacy in that line of thinking... After years of trying to make sense of Anthroposophy and how it could possibly relate to Christianity, I came to the conclusion that it is not a form of Christianity, but something entirely different...I just could not accept that worldview... That being said, I have to agree with what is written above...I know PLENTY of people who are very involved in Waldorf education...Many of them know the views of Rudolf Steiner and agree with them...Many don't really understand, but just figure that he must be right about everything since he was right about whatever attracted them to Waldorf in the first place... There is nothing wrong with a person choosing a Waldorf education for her child if she is an Anthroposophist...If you are not an Anthroposophist, I would research it and think long and hard about it...Waldorf is TOTALLY based on Anthroposophy, and ALL of the recommendations stem from that worldview and nothing else... To answer the questions I remember being raised in your post, no, children are not read to in Kindergarten...Teachers are required to tell stories from memory...This continues into the grade level ages as well, though some books will be read to the class once you reach elementary school age...Early learning (esp. reading) is viewed very negatively and is seen as something that will cause your child problems later in life...Many health problems later in life are associated with early learning according to Anthroposophy...Many children don't learn to read until they are 9 or 10 at the school...Rudolf Steiner believed that the early years are best spent working on your physical body, not on "head" knowledge...Rudolf Steiner felt that if you could delay learning to 12 years old that would be best, but no school would let you do that, so they delay until at least 7...First grade starts for most when you are 7, and then it is very relaxed with a lot of emphasis on handwork, playing recorder, singing, and eurythmy (a form of non verbal language created by Rudolf Steiner and his wife that looks like dancing)...Only the alphabet, counting, and the beginnings of the four processes in math are taught... We raised my oldest son this way...He now knows how to read, but is struggling in many areas because I delayed his learning believing it was the best thing to do...Everyone will form their own opinion about these things and my intention is not to offend anyone... We made the decision that we can still not watch tv, use natural things, and use another form of education not created out of Anthroposophy...One doesn't neccesarily lead to another... This was probably way more information than you wanted :tongue_smilie:...Good luck with whatever you choose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holiztic Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 AutumnOak--I don't think that was too much info at all, I am very happy to read it! My husband comes from two heavily Anthroposophic/Waldorf teacher parents and he did Waldorf schooling the whole way. We love so many of the lifestyle recommendations of Waldorf and even some of the aspects of Anthroposophy. We even had an astrosophical star chart done for DS when he was born and now at nearly 4 we can see how very valid it is! But nonetheless Waldorf is seriously failing us. DS has been raised by most of the Waldorf early years principles, EXCEPT for reading to him. Heck, my SO Waldorf MIL gave us half of our kid's books (ones from Floris) that are oh so Waldorfy. We do tell him stories at least as foten as reading, though. Well, between print being all around him, both at home and out in the world, and him being something in the realm of gifted, he's learned all his letters, sounds, and is starting to spell and sound out words. He'll be 4 in April. All this and we've really tried to slow him down, short of saying "i can't tell you that" to his questions about letters, sounds, etc. But we haven't ditched the approach altogether to run out and by him a leapster, start phonics lessons, and let him play on starfall (he'd be reading fluently now if I had, I am sure). We just let him play with his one and only letter resource (a chunky wood alphabet puzzle) however he wants. Sometimes he stacks the letters up to make towers and knocks them down, this morning he spelled his friend Alex's name. So be it. I did want to add something. I have read some Waldorf articles about delaying reading instruction to 7 due to left/right brain integration. The idea being that the left brain handles phonics rules and the right brain handles memorizing sight words. Makes sense. Then they say that in order to learn to read properly a child needs both and needs them to work together. The say this happens around 7, and that a good test for bilateral integration (not sure if that's the right term) is to see if the child can skip with arms swinging in opposition to legs, and this should be easy and natural. Well, the funny thing is, just a week after I read that my son started skipping, out of nowhere--I am not even sure he's seen anyone skip before--he surely wasn't taught! He was barely 3.5, and though his arms aren't alternating yet, I am quite sure that won't be 3.5 more years! (He can alternate, it's just not what he does naturally). This kid also started doing mental sums at 2.5, and we never worked on that in any way. He potty-trained in 2 days before he was 2 (night dry at 2.5---no accidents, period). He has spoken like a child much older than he is since 14 months, and has never said 'pasghetti' or anything even close. I could go on, not to brag, but to show that even a kid raised at home, with a Waldorf cycle, pentatonic music, absolutely no screens, no electronic toys, no books about letters or numbers, no 'instruction' and lots of outdoor time, creative play with open-ended toys, cooking and baking together, etc. can simply be naturally able/gifted and not "hardened" or rushed. This kid is so not at all hardened! He's just really bright! So we'll homeschool with some Waldorf elements and some not so Waldorf. I'd like to use Oak Meadow but don't know how that will work in terms of his language and math abilities. His current skills in these areas (except writing, which he can't do at all) are at OM's early 1st grade level, but he knows nothing of science, social studies, etc. As a matter of fact, his skills FAR outweigh his knowledge due to our Waldorf ways. At this age his cousin did not tap out syllables, preplan rhymes and rhythms when making up songs/poems, sound out words, etc, BUT he had everything one could know about every dinosaur memorized (from an encyclopedia kind of book). So Waldorfers might say we're "allowing" his skills to go too far and others would say we're holding back his knowledge of the world. I just say we're doing what we find natural and holistic. I still kinda wish he was on Steiner's 'schedule', though I am trying to stop thinking like that. I have heard the term "Waldorf guilt" and I think it is such a shame. Yes, many (many) kids are rushed, and over-exposed at an early age, many are 'hardened', but assuming that any advanced kid is is poor logic (as said above) and injurious to a number of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 The soft colors associated with early childhood, no media influences, natural toys and so on fit into the anthroposophy paradigm and those external things seem to attract a lot of people to Waldorf without them realizing how extreme some of the beliefs are. To be frank, the more I read Steiner and the more time I spent at her Waldorf school (this was just PreK!) I realized that there were some people involved in Waldorf that could be considered to be a part of a cult. ' That describes my attraction to and movement away from Waldorf education. There are many beautiful, sensible things that I agree with - I especially love the concept of rhythms of the day, season, year, etc. But as I read Steiner's philosophy all the warm fuzzies left. There was so much that just sounded like *bunk* to me, and made no sense. I actually got bad vibes from it. However, I have friends whose children were Waldorf educated and they are beautiful people (I mean the persona, not just their faces). But I agree that for some it becomes cult-like. My friend went to volunteer with her kids' class (they are in a charter Waldorf school), bringing all the supplies and materials for the kids to make applesauce. She worked with the kids to explain everything and they began slicing and cooking the apples when a teacher came in and stopped the activity because one of the pans had teflon on it ("do don't believe in cooking with poisonous materials"). She reprimanded my friend in front of the kids - they didn't finish, and she was stuck with half made applesauce and clean-up, and a real wound from the teacher's gruffness. They could have said "let's find another pan" or mentioned it afterwords and asked her to be mindful of it in the future. At this same school during circle they go around saying what each child had for breakfast, and then the other kids give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down (Millet and organic fruit=thumbs up, cheerios and OJ=thumbs down). There was one boy who felt so horrible about what others would think of his breakfast that before his turn he decided to lie, and told a big whopper about going down to the hen house to get his fresh eggs which he cooked along with home-grown organic veggies (I know the boy - they don't garden or have chickens). It breaks your heart that there is this pressure to conform. How is this any worse than pressure to conform with the latest fashion trend at your run-of-the-mill public school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Suzy Jackson Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I had just moved to New York City when our daughter was at the age to attend kindergarten. I wanted her to receive an education with some type of spiritual underpinning, but I was completely against Catholic schools (which I had attended) and so we checked out Waldorf as a possibility. Both my husband and I were over-achiever types in school and in our careers, so maybe we were overcompensating to want to have a safe and nurturing kindergarten for our daughter. While we were also concerned about some of Steiner's educational beliefs, others we fully embraced -- especially the focus on viewing the child as a "whole person" with needs on many different, and changing, levels as they grew. That idea of holding off on reading really threw us for a loop. Our daughter ended up attending 12 years of Waldorf education, encompassing 3 different locations -- and the attention to our daughter's growth as a full human being was evident and wonderful at each school. Not to say there were no bumps along the way. She did have a teacher who didn't seem to particularly like our daughter for whatever reason, but even that didn't seem to hinder her education progress.. Our daughter was part of a graduating class of only 26. Our concerns that her Waldorf education might prevent her from being accepted to a good college was evaporated when her acceptances started to come in, including one from Mount Holyoke - where she eventually graduated from. Furthermore, Waldorf's well justified reputation of turning all of their students into writers, artists and dancers made us skeptical about how our daughter's education would provide her with the critical thinking skills needed to be competitive and successful in the real world. Weren't we surprised when, after entering MH with the idea of becoming an environmental attorney, she got the science bug from one of her college professors and abruptly changed her major to biology. So our "head in sky" angel also seemed to have her feet firmly planted on the ground after all. The final nail in the coffin of any question about whether Waldorf education can provide a positive and valuable education to meet the challenges of today's society came when she was accepted into UC Berkeley's Molecular Biology doctorate program, which she completed just a few years ago and is happily involved in her post-doc work now. While I am not saying everyone will have this same experience with Waldorf, I saw 12 years of happy, glowing, wonder-filled eyes from not just my daughter but her friends as well. Waldorf nurtures independent, creative, artistic free thinking. While the Waldorf teachers are Anthropologists themselves, not a word of proselytizing was ever heard from any of her teachers. All beliefs and traditions are taught and appreciated. So maybe the one caveat about Waldorf education I would give is that, even though Steiner is considered a Christian mystic of sorts, a "born again Christian" parent might have his/her world rocked by the full exposure each child receives to the philosophies and religious beliefs found around the world which each student learns about along the way. If you want to know about Waldorf talk to real Waldorf parents or graduates.. not to those who think they "know" about Waldorf. You can talk about the wetness of water all day long -- but jump in the pool before you say you really know the full experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I've been learning some good tips from a Waldorf homeschooling email list lately. It definately is not true that Waldorf is not pursued by parents with children on the autism spectrum. In fact many of them actually seek out Waldorf because of their child's sensory issues. Homeschooling allows parents to eclectically pick and choose pieces from each method. It would be a shame for parents to be frightened into not investigating some of the Waldorf arts and crafts and seasonal resources, that are truly wonderful and unlike anything I've seen elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 It really isn't my intention to talk anyone into or out of a Waldorf education...I am just encouraging people to know what they are getting into and make that decision based on knowlegde...I honestly believe that people have different wants and goals for their children and because of that, nothing will apply to everyone...I can't say that Waldorf is "good" or "bad" because I don't know what it is each particular person wants from an education for their child... The fact remains that Waldorf (like so many other forms of education) is based on a worldview...Before you make serious decisions about your child's education, at least know why you are making that decision and agree to the reasoning behind it...Before you decide to teach your child to read at 3, or wait until they are 8, know why you are making that decision...Don't just do it because you like a certain person, book, or place and that is what they do...Before you decide to use classical methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...Before you decide to use Waldorf methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...This is especially true if you are getting ready to do something that you wouldn't normally do... There are people on both sides of the coin...Those who started learning early, and regret it...Those who delayed learning, and regret it...Those who sent their kids to whatever school and regret it...Those who kept their kids out of whatever school and regret it...Just know why you do what you do...Don't get caught up in blindly following something if you don't know or agree with the force that is driving it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Wise words no matter your viewpoint. :) It really isn't my intention to talk anyone into or out of a Waldorf education...I am just encouraging people to know what they are getting into and make that decision based on knowlegde...I honestly believe that people have different wants and goals for their children and because of that, nothing will apply to everyone...I can't say that Waldorf is "good" or "bad" because I don't know what it is each particular person wants from an education for their child... The fact remains that Waldorf (like so many other forms of education) is based on a worldview...Before you make serious decisions about your child's education, at least know why you are making that decision and agree to the reasoning behind it...Before you decide to teach your child to read at 3, or wait until they are 8, know why you are making that decision...Don't just do it because you like a certain person, book, or place and that is what they do...Before you decide to use classical methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...Before you decide to use Waldorf methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...This is especially true if you are getting ready to do something that you wouldn't normally do... There are people on both sides of the coin...Those who started learning early, and regret it...Those who delayed learning, and regret it...Those who sent their kids to whatever school and regret it...Those who kept their kids out of whatever school and regret it...Just know why you do what you do...Don't get caught up in blindly following something if you don't know or agree with the force that is driving it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 It really isn't my intention to talk anyone into or out of a Waldorf education...I am just encouraging people to know what they are getting into and make that decision based on knowlegde...I honestly believe that people have different wants and goals for their children and because of that, nothing will apply to everyone...I can't say that Waldorf is "good" or "bad" because I don't know what it is each particular person wants from an education for their child... The fact remains that Waldorf (like so many other forms of education) is based on a worldview...Before you make serious decisions about your child's education, at least know why you are making that decision and agree to the reasoning behind it...Before you decide to teach your child to read at 3, or wait until they are 8, know why you are making that decision...Don't just do it because you like a certain person, book, or place and that is what they do...Before you decide to use classical methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...Before you decide to use Waldorf methods, make sure you agree with why you are doing what you are doing...This is especially true if you are getting ready to do something that you wouldn't normally do... There are people on both sides of the coin...Those who started learning early, and regret it...Those who delayed learning, and regret it...Those who sent their kids to whatever school and regret it...Those who kept their kids out of whatever school and regret it...Just know why you do what you do...Don't get caught up in blindly following something if you don't know or agree with the force that is driving it... :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 I agree too. Well said, AutumnOak! The school I visited appears quite nice, but my husband and I are avid readers, and both our girls show signs of following in our footsteps. I can’t imagine saying, “Sorry, Mommy made a mistake….I’m putting your books in the top of the closet until you are seven.†Waldorf may be a good fit for many families, but “no reading†is a deal-breaker for us. I’m planning to classically educate at home…so I am looking for a part time school that would be interesting and would allow for Spanish practice. My intention in posting was not to turn anyone away from Waldorf — I was just taken aback at a conversation and felt the need for some answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I agree with much of what has been said. We had a similar experience. We had our children enrolled to attend a Waldorf school because we loved the whole vibe of it: the homely classrooms, the wholistic curriculum, the emphasis on all things gentle and natural, the non competitiveness, etc etc. However the more we read and researched, the less we liked it. I still think it could be a wonderful option for average kids, but how many kids are average? Hardly any. So, like many parents, we've basically taken our favorite aspects of the Waldorf style for home use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 My boys are grown, but I wouldn't have placed in them in a Waldorf school. But I sure do wish I had known about, and could have included, some Waldorf ideas into our eclectic homeschool, though. And I'm so thankful to include the methods into my own self-education and PTSD recovery process. But a Waldorf school, not...and anyway :-) How many of us would put our children in ANY school! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 A couple friends who were thinking about enrollment for their littles were surprised when I relayed this exchange. The people I have met who have children enrolled at the school have glowing things to say about program, but I have never asked about reading at home. It makes me wonder what occurs outside of school…or if parents understand the philosophy. Most people don't question how a school teaches. They see the school staff as experts who know what is best for educating their dc. If you are exhausted, working parents who attend an open house at a Waldorf School and you see the beautiful classroom and all the beautiful artwork and you see happy children, it looks like a great learning environment! And then you are told it is not necessary to read to your dc at home (whooo....I don't feel guilty any more for skipping a story at bedtime). Then you enroll your dc and they don't have homework (thank you for letting home be home time). You dc gets good evaluations at school. Why would even think twice as to what and when they are taught what? If their dc was in public school, the parent would have no control over what is taught either. I think this is how most parents view education. Then when their dc reaches 3 grade and they find out they can't read they start to get worried. This happened to my dh who attended a public school. My MIL thought teachers were professional and it was their job to make sure dc were taught. Dh was a quiet, obedient dc who didn't get into trouble, so the teachers didn't have to "deal" with him. In 3rd grade my MIL found out that dh couldn't read then she put him in private school and hired a tutor to get him up to speed. My MIL loved my dh very much and cared deeply about his education, but TRUSTED the school that they were doing their jobs. After all they are the "professionals" and we are conditioned to not worry, that the professionals know best for your dc, not you! Because most school don't give actual grades until 3rd grade, my dh coming home with S's (satisfactory) meant that he was doing ok. Your friends probably think that by enrolling their dc in a private or Waldorf charter school they are being good parents and are being active in their dc education. I believe they want what is best, bout don't know what they need to look for in a school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I love this short story: How I Trumped Rudolf Steiner and Overcame the Tribulations of Illiteracy, One Snickers Bar at a Time http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/mtitledetail.cfm?textType=excerpt&titleNumber=694293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBG580 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Homeschooling allows parents to eclectically pick and choose pieces from each method. It would be a shame for parents to be frightened into not investigating some of the Waldorf arts and crafts and seasonal resources, that are truly wonderful and unlike anything I've seen elsewhere. Our experience at the Waldorf school and our experience with public school this year have led us to homeschooling because I do want my children to have an eclectic educational experience and neither school was the right longterm fit for us. I do incorporate a lot of Waldorf into our day, I love the daily and seasonal rhythms, how gentle the early years are, how children's imagination blossom without a barrage of media influences and so on. There is a lot to like about Waldorf on the surface and I've kept many of those aspects. I just don't want my children taught by anthroposophists so they aren't going to a Waldorf school. SuzyJackson- I know people who have their children in Waldorf schools and are happy. I am friends with a man who was K-12 Waldorf and now he is a computer programmer. I am not saying every single Waldorf experience is poor, I was simply stating that upon my own personal interaction with a school and after reading Steiner extensively I decided that Waldorf was not a good fit for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onaclairadeluna Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 "I love this short story: How I Trumped Rudolf Steiner and Overcame the Tribulations of Illiteracy, One Snickers Bar at a Time http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/...eNumber=694293" :lol: I taught in a Waldorf school for a couple of years but I didn't send my kids there (I think homeschooling is better:)). There is some variation between schools on how dogmatic the faculty are. My experience was that the teachers believed their system was the best and tried to educate and convince parents to adapt their home life to Waldorf but there was a range of parenting styles in the schools. The families were not all pure Waldorf. The teachers would have loved to be teaching kids who went home to felt toys without faces and chunky beeswax crayons with a lit candle at bedtime and a song and a verse but that didn't always happen. I don't remember teachers being overtly hostile to parents. Sounds like you were dealing with a difficult individual. I worked with an incredible class teacher who taught 2 autism spectrum kids in her class. She was absolutely amazing and if I had a child on the autism spectrum I would consider Waldorf as a placement because of this. My child is a gifted dyslexic. I don't think Waldorf is a good fit for this type of student. But for some kids the Waldorf experience is magical. The most important thing about a Waldorf school is finding a good class teacher. Your child will have that teacher for 8 years so when it's good it's very, very good and when it's bad.... But of course I still think homeschooling is better most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holiztic Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I am friends with a man who was K-12 Waldorf and now he is a computer programmer. My DH is a K-12 Waldorf grad and is a computer programmer! (So either you know him or there are 2!) ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We were heavily waldorf-influenced in DDs baby/toddler years. Then we became Christians, compared anthroposophy to the Bible, and WOW. The scriptural Jesus was SO much different than Steiner's version! We owned and operated a small internet-based waldorf-inspired toy/bookstore and shut it down pretty soon after our conversion. I even wrote a post about it a couple of years back: http://quiverfullfamily.com/2008/04/15/waldorf-education-is-it-christian/ There's my two cents :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is fascinating. I was drawn to Oak Meadow the first time before we ever started homeschooling. My first son ended up going to a special private school for kids with learning language disorders and my second started reading on his own at 2.5 yrs old. Neither was going to fit then. So time passed and I have tried it off and on over the years. It never works out. (OM is Waldorf inspired, not pure Waldorf.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jnlwriter Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 (edited) My kids go to Waldorf and I just got a big catalog and order form for books today. The catalog is called "Steiner books," but they are simply "Waldorf-y" books by many different authors, pre-school picture books through chapter novels for kids of all ages, along with crafts books, parenting, health, etc. I can't speak for every Waldorf school, but at ours, teachers use the oral tradition in class, but everyone gets read to at home, and this seems to be regarded in a positive way. My daughter is in second grade, but can read at adult level, really, and the teacher mixed hard words in with the easy ones on the board (in sentences) "to accommodate the four advanced readers in class." Although Steiner's beliefs about education often arose from his own spiritual beliefs, the uncanny thing is that he is right in many cases. For me, it doesn't matter so much WHY he's right, or whether his basis for his decisions were correct. What matters is that science supports his methods today. Research has shown since the 90's that painting, handwork, drama, song, dance, and playing musical instruments enhance brain development, to the point where kids who study a lot in the arts do better on standardized tests than kids who study more for the same tests. One study revealed that 66 percent of those who were accepted to med school had been undergrad music majors. If you watch the documentary "Race to Nowhere," you see that students did better in AP chemistry when homework was cut in 1/2. It might seem counter intuitive, but sometimes less is more. Neurons need to connect. Imagination leads to innovation. Einstein, whom everyone loves to quote, studied art and played violin. He himself said "imagination is more important than knowledge." Believe me, it's tough sometimes for me to let go of the "facts-facts-facts" approach to education and trust the creative process, but I've read the research and I'm happy with what we're doing. Plus, I teach my kids a lot at home, through stories, games, science fun... I'm not worried. (And actually, I'm more of an intellectual and I stink at all the arts, so for us, it works well this way.) Research also supports a delay in access to media, and restricting media. That said, it's more that I believe in what Waldorf Does teach than believing that abstinence is essential in certain subject areas.* I believe in the calmer, more laid back approach to education (memories form more easily in a calm, pleasurable environment), and the critical importance of the arts in education. I don't think any academic skills or information are bad per se. For me, if my kids want to learn more at their leisure, without pressure of tests, etc., that's fine too. But I'm happy with what Waldorf focuses on. *I use this approach with eating too--just eat lots of veggies, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, and don't worry too much about what *not* to eat with my kids, because what's most important is that the get the nutrients they need. Edited October 13, 2011 by jnlwriter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 We looked into Waldorf inspired schools. We have some friends who absolutely love it and some who don't. I also agree that chosing Waldorf can be a good thing if one unerstands what you are going into. There are lots of positive reviews online and some websites of detractors (http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/FAQ.html). I was looking for an education without cult elements, so we didn't pursue the choice. We weren't pleased with Waldorf's educational philosophies either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 We were heavily waldorf-influenced in DDs baby/toddler years. Then we became Christians, compared anthroposophy to the Bible, and WOW. The scriptural Jesus was SO much different than Steiner's version! We owned and operated a small internet-based waldorf-inspired toy/bookstore and shut it down pretty soon after our conversion. I even wrote a post about it a couple of years back: http://quiverfullfamily.com/2008/04/15/waldorf-education-is-it-christian/ There's my two cents :). I appreciate your article. It articulated many of the ideas I've had surrounding Waldorf from a Christian perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 My younger son is now at a Waldorf school and we are very happy. I think there can be a fair amount of variation but I did want to share my story. I too was put off by the "no early reading" aspect -- both my kids are bright, but my older son was an early self-taught reader and so I dismissed the whole fit for us. In hindsight, I think he would have been well-served by it. It definitely is a wonderful fit for my second son, who is bright, high-energy, and not an early reader. I wish I had gotten him there earlier. Our school is definitely one where the parents are fairly moderate and haven't all drunk the kool-aid. I'm agnostic about what I think about the philosophy taken to the extreme, but in our situation I don't have to confront that. Things I love about it -- very artistic and musical teachers, wonderful emphasis on child development, emphasis on reading and studying the classics of fairy tales, mythology, etc., strong math program (this school uses Singapore), exposure to 2 foreign langauges, substantial populations of teachers and families from other countries, and all the extras -- handwork, art, strings, choir, woodworking, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 ...strong math program (this school uses Singapore)... Is this a Waldorf school or a Waldorf-inspired school (perhaps a public charter)? Singapore math wouldn't typically fit into Waldorf philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Is this a Waldorf school or a Waldorf-inspired school (perhaps a public charter)? Singapore math wouldn't typically fit into Waldorf philosophy. It is a private Waldorf school accredited with developing school status under AWSNA. My son's teacher said that although his background is in European methods of teaching, he understood Singapore math was catching on in Waldorf schools (paraphrase; not his exact words). The math seems a mix of traditional algorithmic-type work and working through Singapore books and methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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