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,…

Not School at Home

Posted by Donna Simmons

I wrote the following article for Lucie Smoker’s  eclectic and Waldorf-inspired homeschooling website, Wonder Homeschool, which unfortunately no longer exists. Many people are completely bowled over when they first encounter Waldorf education. The truly holistic and spiritual acknowledgement of the…

Working Together

Posted by Donna Simmons

My son Gabriel and I have been busy these past few weeks creating a new unit study publication for sale – this one is on the Middle Ages and follows on from the Roman History unit study we already have….

Maturation of Thought

Posted by Donna Simmons

One of the exciting things about teaching at the Waldorf high school here in town is the opportunity to work with mixed age classes and to observe the differences between the students not only as individuals, but as young people…

A Lovely Day of Nothing

Posted by Donna Simmons

My 12 year came down the stairs this morning at around 10 am, hunted around for cereal and then joined me in the living room where I was sprawled on the couch. “What are we doing today, Mama?” he asked….

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,…

Christmas with Older Children

Posted by Donna Simmons

Well, the holidays are over – today is Three Kings’ or Epiphany. It is the day that we take down our decorations and officially bring the Christmas season to a close in our family.   My sons are now 12…

“Working with Anxious, Nervous and Depressed Children”

Posted by Donna Simmons

(yet another article gleaned from my yahoo group Waldorf_At_Home – again, it has been slightly edited) I have been reading a wonderful book recently which deals with issues around the senses, movement, balance etc.  It is called "Working with Anxious,…

Discipline Questions

Posted by Donna Simmons

(this entry has been adapted from my Waldorf_At_Home yahoo group) The topic of discipline in Waldorf circles can seem elusive – this is mainly because discipline as such is rarely talked about. Rather, discipline is understood as something which arises…

Little Ones Who Chatter

Posted by Donna Simmons

(the following is adapted from a message I posted on my yahoo group “Waldorf-At_Home”) Fundamental to a Waldorf understanding of young children is therecognition that they are in  the imitative phase of their lives. Everything that goes on around them…