What is Waldorf Education? Waldorf education is a distinctive approach to learning that emphasizes holistic development, creativity, and the integration of arts and academics. Founded by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1919, this educational philosophy is rooted in anthroposophy, a spiritual science that seeks to understand the human being in relation to the universe. Steiner […]
Storytelling
Rudolf Steiner’s Vision for Education and Its Relevance Today
The Foundations of Rudolf Steiner’s Educational Philosophy Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and founder of Anthroposophy, envisioned education as a transformative process that nurtures the whole human being—body, soul, and spirit. His approach to education was deeply rooted in the belief that learning should go beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge and skills. Steiner emphasized […]
How to Use Storytelling to Teach Science and History
The Power of Storytelling in Education How to Use Storytelling to Teach Science and History: Storytelling has been a cornerstone of human communication for centuries, transcending cultures and generations. In education, it serves as a powerful tool to engage students emotionally and intellectually, making complex concepts more relatable and memorable. Unlike traditional teaching methods that […]
Why Storytelling is Important, in Education and in Life
Waldorf Skill: Storytelling One reason the parent/teacher tells the story is so (s)he can adapt it to his/her class. If you are telling a fairy-tale from Germany and all the kids have names like “Hansel” and “Gretel” but you live in a culture where everyone is named “Serjito” or “Maria” you might consider changing the […]
Ava’s Gift – An Easter/Eostre Story
Last week a friend who helps rehab injured or abandoned wildlife posted a beautiful story on her Facebook page about some small rabbits she found and how she helped them find a new mama when their mother was killed. It was a story filled with the kindness of humans, the magic of serendipity, and the […]
Celebrate Earth Day with Worms!
Storytelling in the Waldorf Inspired Classroom
Introduction One of my favorite memories from a parent-child class we attended in the Chicago area at a Waldorf School was the first time I saw storytelling come to life with the figures on a table colored with silk scarves. It was magical. The teacher told a fable to the two to five year-old class […]
A Winter Nature Story for Everyone
This is a wonderful secular seasonal story because it teaches the values of giving and kindness without talking about any particular holiday. Additonally, it can be told in countries where there are not fir trees because other kinds of trees are mentioned in the story as well and all children would be familiar with those […]
Michaelmas Inspirations
If you are celebrating Michaelmas with children you may enjoy some of these inspirations from our classroom albums. The following ideas are from our classrooms and Earthschooling member classrooms. Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29. Our featured picture this week is of two puppets. One is a dragon and one is a horse. They can […]
Three Apple Harvest Activities
Today* for our EarthSchooling Enrichment class we made apple-pickers, told the apple star story and made apple crisp! All the fruit on the lower branches has been snacked away by Sofi and her friends so we had to reach a little farther into the tree 🙂 Making the apple pickers and using them was everyone’s favorite! […]
A Question is a Gem: Free Story
Enjoy our free story this week. Stories are not just for kids. I use stories with my children, my students, my friends, family and my clients. We can all find wisdom in stories and share that wisdom with others. One thing I have learned in 19 years of Earthschooling my children is that a question […]
Finger Knitting Story for Boys & Girls
Today we planted herb gardens, tasted herbal tea, did a flower form-drawing, made some “story gardens” and enjoyed many stories. During free time the boys all decided to finger-knit so I decided to make up a story for them. They were doing that project that boys often do where they want to finger-knit the entire […]
Earthschooling – an Award Winning Curriculum
