Christopherus Geography

Posted by Donna Simmons

Geography is a wonderful homeschooling topic and at Christopherus, we follow the Waldorf path of gradually unfolding from home in fourth grade out to encompassing the world by eighth grade. Here is a grade by grade description of how we…

From Form Drawing to Geometry

Posted by Donna Simmons

As I now (summer 2025)  head toward completing our Christopherus curriculum (parts of 8th grade are available here) I am in the wonderful and privileged position of being able to look back over the grades and seeing how they connect…

Child Development

Posted by Donna Simmons

In order to make the Christopherus curriculum one’s own and to work with its healing depths, one needs to have more than a passing familiarity with child development.

Introduction to Anthroposophy

Posted by Donna Simmons

Although teachers in Waldorf schools should be working out of anthroposophy, no homeschooler is, of course obliged to walk this path. However, if one wants to understand the depths of this uniquely universal education, one which is, at heart a…

Christopherus math through the grades

Posted by Donna Simmons

A holistic math curriculum At Christopherus we are proud to provide a math curriculum  based on the holistic reality of numbers and operations, grounded in the child’s own experience and deepened from grade to grade. From collecting nuts to memorizing…

Your Child and Tests

Posted by Donna Simmons

The Christopherus curriculum definitely includes tests–but the right tests, given in the right way at the right time. Listen here for a discussion of this topic plus what to do if tests are required where you live. Here is the…

My Story is Your Story, Your Story is My Story

Posted by Donna Simmons

Perhaps the most important aspects of anthroposophy, the foundation of Waldorf education, are its universalism on the one hand, and its utter respect for the individual on the other. The weaving between these two can seem like a paradox–but therein…

A Goethean ‘Sense-Walk’

Posted by Donna Simmons

Our new self-study course is all about looking at the world from new perspectives; nurturing one’s senses and observations; delving into one’s ‘stuckness’ so one can become the homeschooling parent one wants to be. Through self development exercises, artistic work…

A Plea to Waldorf Teachers

Posted by Donna Simmons

a Michael imagination by David Newbatt Dear Waldorf Teachers, I am writing to you as a colleague and friend, a former Waldorf student, teacher and parent, and present Waldorf educator mainly focused on homeschoolers. I write because I am shocked…

Homeschoolers First and Foremost!

Posted by Donna Simmons

I am coming to the end of creating our new (summer 2019) sixth grade curriculum and a few things have happened recently which have helped me recommit to homeschooling as homeschooling–as opposed to trying to create Waldorf school at home….

Geometry in 6th Grade

Posted by Donna Simmons

I am presently (late February 2019) working on the geometry section of our sixth grade syllabus. Thought folks might be interested in a peek…Here is an excerpt from its opening: In a Waldorf school, geometry holds a special place in…

The Wholeness of Waldorf Education

Posted by Donna Simmons

I am currently working on our Christopherus sixth grade syllabus (available mid-July 2019). This is the first new syllabus I have written in years. There are a number of reasons for this and one reason is that the Waldorf middle…

The Beauty of Astronomy

Posted by Donna Simmons

The following is the introduction to the Teacher’s Guide for our new publication, A Year of Astronomy, available to purchase mid January 2019. On the one hand, astronomy is such an obvious and simple subject to study—all one needs to…

The Christopherus Geography Curriculum

Posted by Donna Simmons

by Donna Simmons   From one point of view, you could say that a study of geography is the heart of the Waldorf curriculum—it is the discipline that connects and enlivens much of the rest of the curriculum. History, science…

Art and Crafts as a Foundation to the Healing of the Human Being

Posted by Donna Simmons

An excerpt from our Second Grade Syllabus new second edition by Donna Simmons.    He who works with his hands is a laborer; He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman; He who works with his…

The Tyranny of the Main Lesson Book

Posted by Donna Simmons

by Donna Simmons One characteristic of Waldorf education is its focus on the creation of main lesson books throughout all 12 grades. Every day, in every grade, during the first 2 hours of the morning, each class is focused on…

The Goal of Waldorf Education

Posted by Donna Simmons

By Donna Simmons   Greetings All, One of the most important and attractive elements of the Waldorf curriculum is the way children are led through an exploration of subject matter in an ever-deepening way. In accordance with her stage of…

Rhythms of Learning

Posted by Donna Simmons

In Waldorf inspired homeschooling we talk about establishing a good daily weekly, monthly and seasonal rhythm. What do we really mean when we say rhythm? In Donna’s Waldorf Curriculum Overview, Chapter 7, she discusses the daily rhythm of ” active…

What is a Trained Waldorf Teacher?

Posted by Donna Simmons

For the first time in 12 years of business, my lack of having a certificate from a Waldorf teacher training institute has been queried. How interesting this whole question is to me! First, thank you to the homeschooling mother who…

Knitting Project – Cabled Headband

Posted by Donna Simmons

Here is a sweet little knitting project from Lisa Ashley of Ewetopia Fiber Shop, which she co-owns with her daughter Kathryn, here in Viroqua, Wisconsin. The warm and lovely Ewetopia shop has become quite the social hub for knitters of…

Keynotes for Each Grade

Posted by Donna Simmons

One thing that I have noticed over the years of working with parents interested in Waldorf education is that often people forget to look much beyond the grade/age that their children are currently at. This causes much confusion and sometimes…

Second Grade Speech and Poetry

Posted by Donna Simmons

The following is an excerpt from our Christopherus Second Grade Syllabus, from the language arts section. I am very proud of our curriculum materials but I have to say that I am especially proud of the language arts section of all our…

Musings on School Readiness and Older Children

Posted by Donna Simmons

It’s that time of year again…parents agonizing about whether their six year old should start first grade or stay in kindergarten….Such a big decision. Steiner’s entire picture of the development of the human being rests on an understanding of the seven…

Painting in Peace

Posted by Donna Simmons

I have a love-hate relationship with wet-on-wet painting. As a child in my Waldorf school, I can clearly remember the quiet excitement of Painting Day – getting the jars of water ready, passing out the board, putting on aprons, squeezing…

Help with Painting

Posted by Donna Simmons

At the bottom of this post you can see that I wrote it more than 10 years ago. At that time the Third Grade Syllabus was new—it has since been joined by grades 4, 5 and, summer 2019, 6. In…

Understanding the Temperaments

Posted by Donna Simmons

 I am full of the temperaments at the moment because in writing our Christopherus second and third grade curriculum, I decided to include several sections on the temperaments. So in the second grade curriculum people will find an essay by Steiner…

Reading and Telling Stories

Posted by Donna Simmons

One of the hallmarks of Waldorf education is the practice that teachers have of telling stories to their class. Lessons are not a series of points from the teacher’s notes, or passages from a text book. There are no power…

Planning For Next Year

Posted by Donna Simmons

So…. I thought I’d give you all a few tips on planning for the next year (and all you Southern Hemisphere readers you’ll just have to come back to this blog entry later in the year!). One of my main…

Is She Ready to Read or Not?

Posted by Donna Simmons

Something that is very important to ponder is the difference between teaching a child who is not ready for something and allowing a strong impulse in a child to unfold. I would hope that no parent who is interested in…

Handwork and Crafts with Older Children

Posted by Donna Simmons

It seems that everywhere one looks there are wonderful on-line stores and home businesses selling all manner of lovely craft items for children – young children. I can’t think why, but there is a distinct lack of craft kits and…

Original or Copied Work?

Posted by Donna Simmons

One of the perennial questions asked to teachers at Waldorf schools is “Why do the children all paint the same pictures? Why don’t you leave them free to draw or paint whatever they want?” Such questions usually arise after a…

Form Drawing

Posted by Donna Simmons

(the following are two posts from our old Yahoo group, Waldorf At Home on the topic of form drawing). by Donna Simmons   Form drawing is like water, it is like the movement of plants as they grow, it is…

What is Waldorf?

Posted by Donna Simmons

Several people have contacted me recently, in private, expressing their concern that a number of individuals are setting themselves up as “Waldorf consultants” or sellers of Waldorf curriculum and that the relationship of these people to Waldorf is unclear. How…

Playing with Language

Posted by Donna Simmons

(This article first appeared in The Homeschool Journey, December 2003) I’d like to share a poem with you. I’d like you to read aloud the following poem (which many of you will probably know) and just relax into the words. For…

Speaking and Reading to Little Ones

Posted by Donna Simmons

(Here’s another reworked post of mine from my yahoo group, Waldorf_At_Home) In this thread I have not been saying that we shouldn’t talk to our children!! What I am saying is that there is balance needed – that parents who…

To Correct or Not to Correct

Posted by Donna Simmons

This is a post I wrote on my yahoo discussion group, Waldorf_At_Home in response to a question a list member had about how to get her reluctant and somewhat perfectionist daughter to do form drawing. She also was interested in…

Form Drawing with Older Children

Posted by Donna Simmons

Form drawing is a therapeutic art unique to Waldorf education. Often misunderstood to be solely to do with improving or preparing for handwriting, its use goes much deeper. It is a way for the child to orientate himself in space,…

Fantasy and Imagination

Posted by Donna Simmons

(the following was written in response to a question I received many years ago on my old yahoo group…)   When working with questions around the existence of fairies, I guess it all depends on how one views the world,…

But Is It Waldorf?

Posted by Donna Simmons

Here’s my one week progress report on the journey back home by my younger son, Gabriel. A couple of entries ago (eeecchh – sounds like items on a menu) – er, a couple of blogs ago? – no that’s worse…

Religion Lessons

Posted by Donna Simmons

Religion lessons do not figure in the Main Lessons curriculum (there is a specific religion lessons curriculum – but to my knowledge, only a handful of schools in this country or in the UK use it) and the Old Testament,…

Reading Readiness

Posted by Donna Simmons

The following is from my yahoo discussion group – it is obviously part of a thread but I thought there is enough that might be of interest here to warrant re-printing it. My experience tells me to be even more…

A Visit to the Science Museum

Posted by Donna Simmons

This article first appeared in the Homeschool Journey newsletter, February 2005   Just a little note to warn people that the following has been issued from Donna’s extensive Waldorf Curmudgeon files… I promise that March’s newsletter will not contain any…

Multiculturalism

Posted by Donna Simmons

This article taken from the Homeschool Journey newsletter, April 2004 Occasionally, one reads or hears someone say something along the lines that Waldorf is not multicultural or not multicultural enough. This always puzzles me, and sometimes seriously irritates me. If…

Creating Good Readers

Posted by Donna Simmons

Another oldie but goodie which I have recently updated. Much of what follows forms the basis for how I approach language arts throughout our curriculum…so if you relate to what follows, you’ll love our curriculum! One of the most rewarding…