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Resources
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Welcome to the
Christopherus Resources page. Our aim here is to provide useful information for
homeschoolers interested in exploring the Waldorf approach to education and the
philosophy that underlies it, anthroposophy.
A further aim is to
give some practical assistance to homeschoolers. To this end, we have lots of
lists of books and resources which we hope will give parents helpful advice in
different areas of their homeschooling lives. These are very personal lists -
other folks will surely have their favorite books.
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Happy explorations!
For a list of great family
read-aloud books click here
For resources in Australia
Please
note: we have begun to create an Amazon store for books that we recommend (by
category) which can be used for ideas-browsing as well as for buying books:
http://astore.amazon.com/christopherus-20
We receive frequent
requests, particularly from small Waldorf-inspired crafts and toy
businesses, to be added to this page. All of the businesses on this page are
ones that we feel we can recommend through personal experience.
Unfortunately we do not have the time to fully assess all the requests that
come our way so we have started a second page
of internet links: remember, these are not recommended by Christopherus
Homeschool Resources but just because we haven't recommended them doesn't
mean they aren't great resources!
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Internet Resources for Waldorf-inspired
Homeschooling
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www.waldorf-at-home.com
Christopherus Homeschool Resources' online discussion
forum. A small subscription is required to participate. Donna Simmons of
Christopherus devotes much time to participants' questions and also
leads regular book studies on the forum. She is very ably assisted by a
wonderful team of moderators. The next best thing to
individual consulting!
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christopherushs
In September 2008 a Christopherus user set up a Yahoo
group specifically for other homeschoolers using our materials. We
enthusiastically gave our blessing to this new venture though we should
make clear that it is completely independent of us.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Waldorf_at_Home
Donna's former Yahoo group no longer accepts new posts (having been
replaced by the Waldorf at Home forum) but the archives are a rich
treasure trove for anyone exploring Waldorf and homeschooling.
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www.waldorffamilynetwork.com
"Waldorf Family Network is a grassroots community service project
serving individuals, families, and groups inspired by Waldorf Education.
We work out of a deep respect and a profound sense of gratitude for the
gift of Waldorf Education and for the work and indications of Rudolf
Steiner. "
They have another useful
resource directory.
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www.waldorfinthehome.org
"Waldorf in the Home is written by Rahima Baldwin Dancy and Cynthia
Aldinger (along with guest writers) for Waldorf parents, home schooling
families and anyone interested in the LifeWays approach to parenting and
childcare."
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www.waldorfworld.net
A links directory of Waldorf-related websites and services.
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www.live-education.com
A beautifully-produced Waldorf curriculum package that comes with a
consultation service. Be aware that it is not a complete curriculum and
that one must purchase a whole year's package.
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www.waldorfwithoutwalls.com
Barbara Dewey provides a consultation service, to assist parents in
putting
together their own Waldorf curriculum, as well as a number of useful
booklets.
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http://www.therapeutichomeschooling.org/
Support, encouragement and resources from Karen Petz, a Waldorf
homeschooling mom, for parents of children with behavioral and learning
challenges.
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www.waldorfanswers.com
Got questions about Waldorf education or Rudolf Steiner? Heard some
nasty rumors? This is the site to go to for clear and honest answers.
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Waldorf Supplies
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Crafts, Toys and Natural Living
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www.achildsdream.com
"Nurturing the child's sense for life and imagination with
a complete selection of natural craft & toy making supplies including 5
different varieties of wool felt, craft kits, homeschool supplies, books,
games, natural toys, personal customer service and fast turnaround. "
(800) 359-2906,
info@achildsdream.com
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www.truebotanica.com
True Botanica is a supplement company founded by
three MDs working out of anthroposophy.
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www.bellalunatoys.com
"Bella Luna Toys is a family-owned business offering a
unique selection of hand picked Waldorf toys, homeschool supplies and
natural craft kits. We offer exclusive products, great prices & friendly
customer service!"
1-888-50-BELLA,
info@bellalunatoys.com
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www.hestiaglobal.com
Waldorf-inspired baby and children's woolen/cashmere
clothing and wooden toys.
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www.warmthreads.com
"Knitting, Spinning and Felting supply. Featuring Natural and Specialty
yarns and unspun fibers, luxury Spinning Fibers and supplies, Kromski
Spinning Wheels and Looms, Felting needles, tools and supplies, knitting
patterns and kits, Bamboo and exotic wood knitting needles and crochet
hooks, plus assorted fiber arts accessories."
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www.earthsongfibers.com
From our friends, Mary Kay and Roger Hagon: "Your Mail order Source for
Spinning, Weaving, Carding, Knitting, Felting & Dyeing Supplies &
Equipment, Essential Oils & Natural Insect Control."
715-268-5298,
esf@earthsongfibers.com
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www.greentaramama.com
"The Green Tara Eco Boutique - Natural and Organic Family Living
Products"
(877) 327 3091
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www.threesisterstoys.com/
"Three Sisters specializes in Waldorf toys,
dolls, books, and crafts. Flat rate shipping everyday just $5.95. We are
also pleased to offer information on the importance of natural, creative
play and tips on how to create a nurturing play space for children. Be
sure to visit our playroom picture gallery for inspiration!"
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www.playstandplans.com
Easy to follow instructions for making your own beautiful playstands.
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http://www.naturalkidstoys.com/
"Natural Kids offers a great selection of unique,
open-ended, natural, wooden toys that allow children to use their
creativity and imagination while playing. We are a small family-owned
business. We provide toys that we truly believe in and either have or
would have in our own home."
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www.naturalearthfarm.com
Unique, hand crafted natural fiber toys and home goods made by a home
based family in Vermont.
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www.novanatural.com
"We offer finely crafted toys that inspire imaginative play, beautifully
illustrated children's books, a wide range of parenting and craft books,
non-competitive games which successfully combine action and challenge
with co-operation and compassion and natural craft and art supplies to
create your own works of beauty."
(877) 668-2111, ted@novanatural.com
See here for further Crafts, Toys and
Natural Living links
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Sources of Waldorf/anthroposophical books
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www.waldorfbooks.org
Specializing in books for the Waldorf market, Bob and
Nancy have oodles of experience with Waldorf homeschoolers and their
needs.
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www.awsna.org
This is the Association of Waldorf Schools of North
America. They have materials, including journals and research
papers, not readily available elsewhere. Parents of older children will
find useful resources here.
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www.steinerbooks.org
A wide selection of books by Rudolf Steiner and other
authors. They have an education catalog. Also worth checking out is the
SteinerBooks 'Spiritual Research Center', the archive of which contains
free PDF copies of all of Rudolf Steiner's basic books as well as the
foundational texts of Waldorf education.
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www.steinercollege.edu/newbookstore/bookstore.htm
Check out Rudolf Steiner College Bookstore's specialist
catalogs
Early Childhood Waldorf Resources and Curriculum Materials. Call (916)
864-4858 for copies.
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http://rslibrary.elib.com
The Rudolf Steiner Library, (518) 672-7690, is free to members of the
Anthroposophical Society. There is a very reasonable lending fee for
everyone else. The librarians are extremely helpful and their books by
mail service is very efficient. Aside from just about every Waldorf and
anthroposophical publication you could possibly want, the library has a
wealth of books useful to home educators. Be aware, though, that there
can be waiting lists for popular titles - so do plan ahead.
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www.rsarchive.org
The Rudolf Steiner archive is an ever-growing online collection of the
works of Rudolf Steiner.
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www.waldorflibrary.org
A project of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. A must for
those wanting to research Waldorf education - articles, periodicals,
books - everything you'll need!
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Books on Waldorf Education
- We recommend that every homeschooler wishing to work with Waldorf buy
Eric Fairman's inexpensive and invaluable series of books that cover
Grades One through Eight. Available from
www.waldorfbooks.com
- Millennial Child: Transforming Education in the
Twenty-first Century, Eugene Schwartz
How the healing pedagogy of Waldorf education speaks to the needs of
modern children. See also
www.millennialchild.com
(where there is also an especially helpful section on form drawing).
- Waldorf Schools, Vols. I and II: Ruth Pusch
(ed.)
Thorough discussions of the curriculum. Volume I covers kindergarten and
the early grades. Volume II covers upper grades and high school.
- Kingdom of Childhood and Practical Advice
to Teachers, Rudolf Steiner
Two straightforward and easily readable books by the founder of Waldorf
education.
- The Recovery of Man in Childhood, A.C. Harwood
An excellent and in-depth discussion of the anthroposophical foundations
of Waldorf education. The book is fifty years old and sometimes reads
like it, but it is really very good.
- Waldorf Education: Rudolf Steiner's Ideas in
Practice, Christopher Clouder and Martyn Rawson
Probably the best short and thoroughly modern book on Waldorf education
in the English language.
- Creativity in Education, Rene Querido
A beautifully written, thoughtful and profound book by one of the
master teachers of Waldorf education.
- Take Time: Movement Exercises for Parents,
Teachers and Therapists of Children with Difficulties in
Speaking, Reading, Writing and Spelling, Mary Nash-Wortham
An invaluable resource full of practical exercises - not just theory!
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The Waldorf Home
- You Are Your Child's First Teacher, Rahima
Baldwin
A must-have for anyone with children under seven.
- Lifeways: Working with Family Questions,
Gudrun Davy and Bons Voors
A wonderful book about creating a strong family life set within the
rhythms of the Christian festivals.
- Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing our Children
from Birth to Seven, Barbara Patterson
A useful and practical guide to parenting the young child - including
sections on discipline and nurturing the senses.
- The Plug-in Drug: Television, Children and the
Family, Marie Winn
Just in case you or a family member needs persuading that television is
not good for children.
- Set Free Childhood: Parents Survival Guide for
Coping with Computers and TV, Martin Large
If the above wasn't enough...
- The Spiritual Tasks of the Homemaker, Manfred
Schmidt Brabant
A deeply moving and profound look at the task of the homemaker in the
light of modern spirituality.
- Homemaking as a Social Art, Veronica van Duin
Working with the spiritual and therapeutic basis of homemaking. We'd
recommend some basic familiarity with anthroposophy before tackling this
book.
- Between Form and Freedom: A Practical Guide to the
Teenage Years, Betty Staley
An empowering guide to understanding and working with teenagers.
- Navigating the Terrain of Childhood, Jack
Petrash
I haven't actually read this one yet but when I asked Rahima Baldwin if
it was the book for parenting middle years children, she
emphatically said "Yes"!
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Waldorf Early Years
- You Are Your Child's First Teacher, Rahima
Baldwin
Yes, we want you to get this book!
- Seven Times the Sun, Shea Darian
A practical book full of ideas for parents wishing to create meaningful
and helpful rhythms and rituals in their family life. A companion CD is
also available.
- Nurturing Children and Families: One Model of a
Waldorf Parent-Child Program, Sarah Baldwin
This is the book to get if you are wishing to work with others to
create any kind of Waldorf-inspired playgroup or co-op for young children.
Warm, enabling and very, very practical, this book is a gem. Find out more
from
www.farawaymaine.com
- Free to Learn: Introducing Steiner Waldorf Early
Childhood Education, Lynne Oldfield
Written for parents intending to send their children to Waldorf
kindergartens, this book will be of great interest to anybody
wishing to understand what is done in a Waldorf kindergarten and why.
- Anything by Mary Thiennes-Schunemann
Various CDs and books to help you learn songs, lullabies and rhymes to
sing with your young children.
- A Child's Seasonal Treasury, Betty Jones
This book is a real treat - a beautiful collection of verses, craft ideas,
songs and stories for kindergarten-aged children. It even includes a few
seasonal ideas for our friends Down Under!
- Kindergarten with your Three to Six Year Old,
Donna Simmons
Don't forget this one...! (You'll find it
here)
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Craft and Festival Books
- Crafts through the Year, Thomas and Petra
Berger
A compilation of their three previous titles, the Christmas, Easter and
Harvest Crafts books.
- The Nature Corner, M. van Leeuwen and J.
Moeskops
Lovely - just don't get discouraged if your nature corner doesn't look
like these!
- All Year Round, Druitt, Rowling and Fynes-Clinton
A lovely guide to an anthroposophical understanding of the Christian
festivals. Crafts, recipes, songs, and activities. One of my favorites.
- The Islamic Year: Surahs, Stories and Celebrations,
Noorah Al-Gailani and Chris Smith
A welcome addition to a broadening of the Waldorf experience. The Five
Pillars of Islam are taken as the focal points for a wealth of stories,
recipes, and crafts.
- Festivals, Families and Food, Diana Carey and
Judy Large
My copy of this book is almost worn out! A treasure trove of songs,
recipes, and stories written from a British perspective.
- Stories for the Festivals of the Year, Irene
Johanson
A lovely collection of stories from events in the life of Christ retold
for children. A very special book for families to deepen their
experience of the Christian festivals.
- Festivals Together: A Guide to Multi-Cultural
Celebration, Fitzjohn, Weston and Large
Stories, recipes, songs, and activities for Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim,
Christian, and Hindu celebrations from around the world.
- Muslim Child: Understanding Islam through Stories
and Poems, Rukshana Khan
Not a Waldorf book but very nicely done.
- Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for
Young Children, Carol Petrash
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! A must-have.
- Lights Along the Path: Jewish Folklore Through the
Grades, Rebecca Shacht
A collection of stories compiled by a Waldorf teacher.
- The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays, Malka
Drucker
Not a Waldorf book but a very nice collection of stories, recipes and
crafts.
- Waldorf Handwork for Homeschoolers: Grades K-4,
Barbara Dewey
A slim but very clear and useful book. Order directly from Barbara's
website:
www.waldorfwithoutwalls.com
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Books by and about Rudolf Steiner
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Parent Self-Education
- Tapestries, Betty Staley
The 7-year periods that characterize Waldorf education continue throughout
adult life - here's a book explaining how to understand and work with
these life periods.
- Phases: The Spiritual Rhythms in Adult Life,
Bernard Lievegoed
Another wonderful anthroposophical book focused on working with
adult biography.
- Awakening the Will: Principles and Processes in
Adult Learning, Coenraad van Houten
The basis for adult learning from an anthroposophical perspective.
His follow-up book on working consciously with destiny/karma,
Practising Destiny, is also recommended.
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Anthroposophical Links
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