Now that the internet has put a vast library at our fingertips, homeschooling high school students may be easier than ever. But taking in information is only one part of learning. The importance of continually inspiring teenagers and engaging them to work with and transform ideas is overlooked in many schools, which is why some parents choose to homeschool. And with all of the "newness" that has flooded the web, students need help to find those age-old treasures that have guided humanity through its gradual awakening.

One of these treasures is a 2500 year old book, “The History of the Peloponnesian War.” It was written by a Greek man named Thucydides, who wrote it as a lesson to future generations. He saw that war was inevitable and set out to document it before it started! He foresaw that the forces in play would continue to work far into the future, and he wanted people to have “an exact knowledge of the past as an aid to the understanding of the future.”

When I used this book as a text with a class of 10th grade students at Austin Waldorf School, they were amazed at how the dynamics between various powers and the perspectives presented in speeches, could, with a few changes, have been taken from current events. (I have turned my notes from this class into a homeschooling course.)

Or how many students have studied geometry without learning how to use a compass and straight-edge to accurately divide a circle into four, five, six and seven equal parts? This is a skill that cannot be learned at the computer screen. Even if the instructions are read online, the hands must take up these other tools and practice. And why is this relevant? Because every healthy teenager is aware that she or he is a mystery, and to learn about other mysteries both honors the mystery of their individuality and provides assurance that they can, with study and practice, master the mysteries of their own existence.

These and many other treasures are available to students today, either to supplement traditional education or to replace it with a homeschooling option. I invite adults and students to contact me to learn about other inspiring resources or to inform me of resources that you have found valuable.

An Overview of the Elementary Math Curriculum

Please note: This is my own interpretation of the Waldorf math curriculum, based on my training at Rudolf Steiner College and my work with students. Some variation from other representations of the Waldorf curriculum is to be expected. It is just an overview, and many details have not been included. Also, some aspects have been listed in one year, but they could begin sooner and continue after.

1st Grade: Introduce the qualities of the numbers 1 to 12. Introduce the four arithmetical processes by working from the whole to the parts. (Work with multiple addends (e.g. 3+5+2+4+6) to prepare for multiplication, which is a “code” way of writing statements such as 3+3+3+3+3.) Act out number stories using stones or other manipulatives to explore numbers less than 20. Write and read simple number statements. Introduce number families (e.g. 8=6+2, 8=2+6, 2=8-6, 6=8-2). Practice counting by ones, twos, tens, hundreds and fives. Practice counting backwards by ones from ten (and later from 20). Explore the ways we can make 10 by adding two numbers together. Practice math facts using dice.

2nd Grade: Rhythmic counting, artistic representations of the multiplication tables (such as number stars), place value, writing and reading numbers into the millions, carrying in addition (introduced as “bundling” groups of ten, or I use bagging groups of ten apples), borrowing in subtraction (“unbundling” or emptying bags as needed), the long division way of writing division, more number families, expanding numbers (e.g. 347= 300+40+7), counting by tens from any number, mental math, square numbers (introduced showing how 4, 9, and 16 objects naturally form a square when pushed together).

3rd Grade: Solidify previous work, addition and subtraction facts for sums less than 20, the first 12 multiplication tables up to 12 times each number. Learn how we measure time, weight, distance and volume. Introduce and work with division with remainders, carrying in multiplication and simple long division. More mental math.

4th Grade: Expand and solidify previous work. Introduce and work with fractions, including adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. More long division and mental math.

5th Grade: Expand and solidify previous work. Decimals, formulas for area and perimeter of squares, rectangles and triangles, charts and graphs and negative numbers.

6th Grade: Algebra, business math, geometric formulas for perimeter, area, circumference, and volume.

7th Grade: Exponents, powers and roots, linear equations, the geometry of angles, the Pythagorean Theorem, prime factoring.

8th Grade: Expand and solidify all previous work. Number bases and quadratic equations.

If you read the letters from the Founding Fathers, or journals such as those of Lewis and Clark, you will see that at that time spelling was still rather free. In many ways, the development of individual consciousness follows the same progression as the development of human consciousness, which means that many students will be in 7th or 8th grade before they really are ready to focus on spelling. Because spelling is easy to test, teachers love to “teach” it, often beginning in first grade. Is it any wonder that many children at this age are simply not interested, or don’t have the memory forces to retrieve this information at will? Rather than making these students feel inadequate, we can make the search for unusual spellings an exciting journey, an exploration into the labyrinth of English spelling.

I have found that one good way to work with the apparent lawlessness of our spelling is to encourage students to keep a book of “treasure words” that show how intriguing spelling can be. In the same way that children will find many interesting shells at a beach, or stones in a riverbed, they will find many words that, when they look and listen closely, are treasures because they are unusual.

Some words are interesting in themselves. Examples that come to mind are “iron,” “skein” and “choir.” However, in many cases, the unusual qualities of a word only become apparent in contrast to another word with a similar sound but different spelling, or similar spelling but different sound. One of my favorite examples is the combination “you” and “ewe.” Look at the word “most” and compare it to “cost” and “toast.” Look at “many” and compare it to “zany” and “penny.” Look at way, weigh and whey, and at father, lather and bather, and at eat, grate and great. If we present words like these as exciting treasure rather than as dangerous villains waiting to trip us up, children are more likely to become curious and to look at words more closely.

In addition to writing treasure words in a special book, students should have regular times when they review these words, reading them, using them in speech and writing them. Some students enjoy using these words in poems since they may have already found words that rhyme with them. A delightful poem based on unusual spellings can be found if you type “Poem: I take it you already know…” into a search engine.

When we take this approach to spelling, we may also relax our demands for correct spelling from children, so that they can enjoy the activity of writing and the quirkiness of our spelling. I can assure you that any ways that you can increase your child’s enjoyment of writing will be of far more lasting value than a high score on a third grade spelling test.

My end-of-year conversations with some Live Education members have reminded me of the importance of year-end celebrations. There are so many possibilities! These provide opportunities for you to mark the end of a phase of your child's learning, to treasure certain experiences, and to acknowledge your child's maturity, skills and accomplishments.

Before going any further, I want to emphasize that a celebration to mark the end of a cycle of learning can be done days or even weeks after the end of your "school year." So don't feel like you have "missed the boat."

You may want to make a little book for your child, with some favorite songs or poems if these have not been written by your child into a book. You can write brief memories of field trips, art projects or other high points of the year. This book is a true gift from your heart to your child. In ten years your child will look back on it and have memories reawakened that will shine light into their lives.

Another important aspect of a year-end celebration is to acknowledge what you see budding, but not yet fully manifest, in your child. To do this is to stimulate the growth of those capacities. For example, you may have seen glimpses of greater helpfulness, patience or care in your child. When you let your child know that you have noticed their efforts, they take pride in these qualities and inwardly resolve to develop them further.

A third aspect of the celebration could be a presentation of the child's work for people outside of your family. This might include songs and recitations, a display of books the child made, drawings and paintings, or even a brief retelling by the child of a favorite story or science experience or a demonstration of math games.

You may also want to keep this idea of a year-end celebration in mind as you homeschool next year. You can be working on the book that will be your gift to your child, and making notes of stories that your child could retell for others, and, of course, keeping a list of those admirable qualities that are gradually awakening in your child.

And one final note: remember that this homeschool journey is a gift to you as well. Take time to voice your gratitude for those special learning experiences that you most treasure. Let your child know that you value the opportunity to share this time of discovery with them. They grow so quickly and truly "these are the good old days."

The following is intended to help you decide if my book will be a helpful resource for you. Please contact me if you have further questions.

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………….…………………1

Origins of the Curriculum……………………………….………………..3

I. The Vision
1. Guiding Ideals…………………………………..…………...7
2. Additional Tips for Teachers…………………..……………9
3. What Children Need……………………………..…………11
4. Stimulating Brain Development………………..…………..13
5. Imagine Letting Children Be Children…………..…………15

II. Background for the Curriculum
5. Character Development……………………….……….…...21
6. Forming an Educational Environment……….………….…24
7. Sequence For Success………………………..…………….26
8. Planning and Improvisation…………….……....………….29
9. Process and Product……………………..…………………32
10. Positive Discipline…………………………..……………..35

III. The Curriculum
11. Aspects of the Curriculum………………………...………..43
12. Storytelling and Reading to Children…………………....…46
13. About Recitation: Blessings, Verses, Poems and Riddles.....49
14. Singing……………………………………………………...55
15. Number Challenges…………………...……………………59
16. Movement Math….……………………………………...…66
17. Artistic Math Activities………………….………………....71
18. Wet-On-Wet Watercolor Painting………………………….73
19. The Painting Curriculum ………………………………..…79
20. About Drawing…………………………………….……….83
21. About Form Drawing ………………………………………87
22. Forms For Beginners ………………………………………92
23. Intermediate Forms ……………………………………….101
24. Advanced Forms ……………………………………….108
25. About Clay Modeling……………………………………...117
26. The Clay Curriculum………………….……………….…..120
27. Handwork ………………………………………………....127
28. Handwork Activities………………………………………130
29. Movement Activities………………………………………134
30. Balance Beam Activities…………………………………..135
31. Bean Bag Activities………………………………………..137
32. Jump Rope Activities………………………...……………140
33. Indoor Physical Activities…………………………………143
34. Park and Ball Activities …………………………………..151
35. Indoor Games ……………………………………………..155
36. Experiential Science……………………………………….160

IV. Appendix……………………………………………………….167

V. Compact Disk: Photos of Clay Projects, Paintings and Drawings