 The Inner Work of the Homeschooling ParentIn Waldorf education, the "inner work" of the teacher is considered as essential as the curriculum itself. This same principle very much applies to homeschooling parents, who in many ways become not just educators but also the soul guides of their children's daily rhythm and development.
What Is "Inner Work"?In the Waldorf tradition, "inner work" refers to conscious self-development, a deepening of the adult's inner life to become a more attuned, grounded, and nurturing presence for the child. This is inspired by Rudolf Steiner's view that the educator's inner attitude, thoughts, and emotions directly influence the soul life of the child. For homeschooling parents, this may include:
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 June Field TripsAre your children getting antsy for summer? Are you?
June field trips offer children engaging, real-world learning experiences that go beyond the classroom. They foster curiosity, improve social skills, and can even lead to increased academic success. Here are some of our favourite, simple field trip ideas to bring joy to the last weeks of the school year.  Summer Reading ListsDo you remember long summer days as a kid, reading for hours in a tent as the breeze blew through the screen? Do you remember swinging in a hammock with that novel you just couldn't put down? How about reading that comic book on the couch to the family dog?
Waldorf Opening & Closing Verses
The first step of the Daily Wonder morning lesson incorporates verses, poetry, songs and intentional movement. It is recommended that you begin the day standing with your child and allow each component to flow together, much like a circle time would.
The opening verse acknowledges that the morning lesson is officially beginning. Instead of simply calling your kids to the learning space to begin the day, we build the experience of reverence by using verses, poetry, and songs to signal the start of your lessons. Singing each day enhances connection and offers a lovely balance to individual recitation. By including poems connected to the seasons, your child becomes connected to the cycle of nature through their feelings. Poems and songs connected to the unit theme enliven the topic of study and support our artistically integrated method. Encourage your child to memorize the poems. Recitation builds memory, vocabulary, the strength of individuality, and opportunities to practice oral language features such as intonation, pace, and volume. The goal is that by the end of the unit, your child will share the poem by heart. The experience of a Daily Wonder lesson is creative and reverent. Just as your opening verse creates a special moment to acknowledge that the morning lesson is beginning, your closing verse marks the closing of this part of the homeschool day. Participating in a closing verse, poem, or song is a meaningful and beautiful way to honour all the work and learning that has just taken place.
All Daily Wonder units include suggested opening and closing verses, unit-themed songs, poetry and intentional movement. As always, Daily Wonder encourages you to teach the child in front of you and change anything that doesn't suit your child's frame of reference. Below are some opening and closing verses to get you started or to use in place of what's suggested.
 Creating space and time for free play and teaching classic childhood games we played as kids is one way we fulfill Daily Wonder's mission to Reclaim Childhood to Transform the World. Play is an essential part of the healthy development of physical, social and cognitive skills. Classic childhood games help to connect us to traditional values and culture, but they also are super fun to play. No matter your age or physical prowess, there's a classic game for everyone. Here's What We Love About Classic Childhood Games Waldorf May FestivalCelebrate the halfway point between Spring and Summer with a May Festival.
We encourage families to recognize the passage of time and the seasonal rhythms through festival celebrations. Festivals provide an opportunity for your community to unite and share wonder, reverence and gratitude. May Festival celebrates the awakening of the earth, the lengthening of days, and the rebirth of nature around us. We celebrate this time of growth with joyous song and dance, playful games and a community picnic. Traditionally May Festivals are celebrated on May 1st, but we have always found that using the early weeks of May to prepare and then holding the festival later in the month works too. And if you're homeschooling, you can be as flexible as you like. |
Tips & tools to support your homeschool program.BlogExplore schedules, rhythms & routines, songs, music, festivals, free play, meals, projects & more to support your homeschooling program.Categories
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