The author put her experiences together with those of Waldorf school teachers and schools, as well as anthroposophic doctors and psychiatrists. Although each Waldorf school teacher and school is different from every other in numerous ways, this guide offers an impressionistic collage that provides food for thought for all parents of existing and prospective Waldorf students.

6 lectures and an essay, 1919-1920 (CW 297) World War I destroyed the structures, values, and self-confidence that created the seeming greatness of the nineteenth century. In its place stood ruins and the shards of a civilization. In response to this, Emil Molt--the director of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory and a student of Rudolf Steiner--decided to establish a school to educate people who could create a new culture. Thus, the Waldorf school movement was begun. Rudolf Steiner agreed to act as the school's consultant, and his insights guided the school in accomplishing this ambitious task. The goal of this education was that, through living inner work guided by the insights of Rudolf Steiner, the teachers would develop in the children such power of thought, depth of feeling, and strength of will that they would emerge from their school years as full members of the human community, able to meet and transform the world. These lectures occurred around the opening of the first Waldorf school. They serve as an excellent, inspiring introduction to Waldorf education as a whole. Here Steiner outlines--with freshness, immediacy, and excitement--the goals and intentions of a new form of education and speaks to parents of prospective students. He explains the school's guiding principles and describes how parents must participate, with understanding and interest, in the awakening of their children's creative forces so that a healthier society can come about. German sources: Die Waldorfschule und ihr Geist (GA 297); "Die pädagogische Zielsetzung der Waldorfschule in Stuttgart," from Soziale Zukunft, Feb. 1920 (GA 24).

Regular contact with other families can be a vital lifeline for parents with young children - a chance to make friends, ask questions, learn new skills and gain confidence in their own abilities as a parent. Rudolf Steiner's insight into the spiritual, sensory and intellectual needs of early childhood has inspired a unique kind of parent and child group. Drawing on this approach, Dot Male's book shows parents how they can join together with others to create a supportive family community. Illustrated with case studies from around the world, her lively, accessible guide to running a thriving parent and child group explains how to: create a calm, harmonious space ; use rhythm and ritual to structure a session ; devise appropriate toys, crafts, games and outdoor play ; celebrate seasonal festivals and the cycle of the year ; fulfil key health, safety and legal requirements. Written with the needs of busy parents in mind, the handbook can be used as a quick read for inspiration and ideas or as a comprehensive reference. Each chapter includes an introductory overview, a summary of key points, and, for those who wish to explore the issues further, book lists and useful contacts.

Written by a teacher with more than 25 years of experience, this book offers a jargon-free view of Waldorf education and its 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 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.

Waldorf Games Handbook for the Early Years - Games to Play & Sing with Children aged 3 to 7 A offers a handy guide to playing games with young children. This classic games book offers a standby resource for parents, teachers, forest school educators and play leaders. The games are tried and tested. They draw on worldwide Steiner - Waldorf creative education, where a child's work is their play. Child growth is explored and how this is helped by a rich treasury of action, finger, circle, clapping, beanbag, chasing, water, tumbling, story and singing games. There are both traditional favourites and also new games created to engage with digitally challenging behaviour.

This is a lively, colorful, and absorbing account of a class teacher's journey with his class, from first grade through the eighth grade in a Waldorf school. Straightforward and humorous, School as a Journey provides an excellent introduction to the daily activities of a Waldorf school classroom. Torin Finser --who is now Director of Waldorf Teacher Training at Antioch New England Graduate School --wrote this book especially for parents, prospective parents, and educators who are new to Waldorf education. Filled with pedagogical gems, tips, and resources, School as a Journey will also prove an invaluable resource for those who are currently Waldorf class teachers. For those who wish to delve more deeply into this revolutionary form of education, the author has also included extensive documentation, with references to the works of Rudolf Steiner and of others experienced in Waldorf education. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this revolutionary form of education.

The first book in America to popularize the insights of Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools, regarding the developmental needs of young children, this revised and updated edition offers new ways for parents and educators to enrich the lives of children from birth to age six. Today’s society often pressures us into overstimulating young children with flashcards, workbooks, videos, and electronic gadgets in a well-meaning attempt to give them a head start. But children are not little adults—they learn and grow in radically different ways at different ages, and what we do to help could actually hurt instead. Some of the most important learning years happen before your child reaches school. In You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, respected Waldorf educator Rahima Baldwin Dancy explains the different stages of learning that children go through from birth to age six, giving you the wisdom and understanding to enrich your child’s natural development in the right way at the right time. A trusted classic for over twenty years, this newly revised edition contains updated resources and additional information on discipline, early childhood programs, toilet training, using home life as curriculum, and more. From language and cognitive development to appropriate toys and nourishing your child’s artistic abilities, Dancy speaks up for a rational approach to child-rearing, one that helps children be children while we fulfill our important role as parents and first teachers.

Today’s busier, faster society is waging an undeclared war on childhood. With too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time, children can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their attention to deepen and their individuality to flourish. Simplicity Parenting offers inspiration, ideas, and a blueprint for change: • Streamline your home environment. Reduce the amount of toys, books, and clutter—as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload. • Establish rhythms and rituals. Discover ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed. • Schedule a break in the schedule. Establish intervals of calm and connection in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing. • Scale back on media and parental involvement. Manage your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless deluge of information and stimulation. A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of raising children.

Imaginative play is more vital for a child's future than many parents and educators realize. The more they are allowed to be absorbed in their play, the more fully and effectively they will later take their place in the community of adults. Drawing on her experiences as a mother and as a proponent of Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf system of education, author Heidi Britz-Crecelius emphasizes the different qualities of play that may extend through more than one phase of childhood. She focuses on natural materials and recommends specific games, toys, and art supplies that further the mobility of the mind and the powers of expression without the burden that premature schooling can place on children. In Children at Play, the author also reminds us that the human being, though bound by laws of space and time and tied to the earth, stems from eternity and belongs to a much larger community; the child's innermost being is directly related to the all-embracing world of spirit.