Customer Reviews

Waldorf Education: A Family Guide

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I can still remember my delight upon unwrapping the package containing "Waldorf Education: A Family Guide" edited by Pamela Fenner and Karen Rivers. It's a beautiful book, filled with wonderful illustrations, and a wealth of helpful text. In this day, when so many books are typeset but never designed, it's refreshing to encounter a book whose visual appearance and form is itself a statement about the need for rhythm and reverence in our lives.

"Waldorf Education: A Family Guide" has its origins as a parent handbook for the Marin Waldorf School. It is a compendium of articles on the history and practice of Waldorf education, content of the curriculum, meaning of the festivals, ways to complement the Waldorf school experience at home, understanding of the temperaments, and other topics that should interest current or prospective parents.

While this format doesn't permit in-depth consideration of any of these topics, this is more than compensated by the wealth of material on the temperaments, multi-culturalism, rhythm and balance, and the role of spirit and religion.

Some of the articles deserve particular mention. Henry Barnes' introduction to Waldorf education ("Learning That Grows with the Learner") is an excellent short summary of how Steiner's observations and theory find expression in the Waldorf School, and John Davy's biographical sketch of Rudolf Steiner will help any newcomer understand how one man could be the source of so much wonderful creative ferment.

René Querido's essay on "The Role of Temperament in Understanding the Child" provides vivid examples of how an understanding of temperament can help parents as well as teachers respond to our child's needs:

'One Friday [during watercolor painting] there was an accident, and a huge bucket of water got kicked over. What did the melancholics do? They got up and stood in it. The sanguines were immediately standing on their chairs and shouting, 'Ooh -- what is that?' The cholerics rushed out after mops and buckets. What did the phlegmatics do? You may not believe it, but they sat in their chairs and lifted their legs above the water. I got the best lesson in my life.'

The book is filled with wonderful gems -- and an excellent bibliography and directory of Anthroposophical resources that will help the eager reader go further. For me, this appendix alone was worth the price of the book -- and will certainly keep me engaged for years to come.

In addition to listing books and lectures about Waldorf education by Rudolf Steiner, and other books on Anthroposophy, education, parenting, festivals, music, and crafts there is a comprehensive list of Waldorf teacher training programs, Anthroposophical Society publications and addresses, and references to endeavors working with biodynamic agriculture ("healing the earth", curative work ("soul care for those in need"), medical practice ("treating patients, not symptoms"), health and hygiene ("products for sound living"), eurythmy, speech and drama, music, painting, architecture, sculpture, finance and consultancy, religious renewal -- all from an Anthroposophical perspective.

This book belongs on the bedside table of any parents who treasure the childhood of their young children, and of anybody else seeking a vivid introduction to Waldorf Education. It also should be in our public libraries, in the waiting rooms of our local pediatricians, on the book tables at seasonal fairs, and in any other places where prospective Waldorf parents might have a chance to leaf through this delightful volume.

It's a very good book to start with if you want to know what Waldorf education is all about.It's also very inspiring so you can get good ideas about things to do with your kids.I like that chapters are written by different authors so that you get a broader picture.I'm very interested in Waldorf education for my kids now!

I thought this book was a great intro to homeschooling Waldorf style. It also gave a look at Waldorf eduaction in the school. Easy to read. Set up well. Covers most of the questions I had.

Heather mama of 5

When considering a Waldorf school for your family, this book has some great guidelines and is a tool for keeping families on track. If you're considering a Waldorf school, this may be something for you if you are unable to peruse the websites or do multiple visits to a school. You can also use this if you "Waldorf at Home" to see what items happen in a Waldorf school environment

I would not be surprised to find this book in every Waldorf families (home school or private) library. Gives you information on the foundations of Waldorf and gives you an overall idea how to implement it at home. A must have in gaining solid, true, information on Waldorf Education to pass on to others. Also has a small section in the back explaining celebrated holidays with lots of detail and back story.

I am trying to seperate my opinion of the methods described in the book from the book itself. That is not as easy as it sounds!

I look forward to a time when I can write a more in depth review but for now I felt it was important to advise potential buyers to look into the Waldorf educational methods and more importantly their philisopical foundations before pursuing more information or purchasing books on the subject.

I recommend even a brief web search on Rudolf Steiner, the Waldorf founder, on Theosophists, the movement from which Steiner emerged, and into Steiner's very own movement/philosophy, Anthroposophy.

If the ideas put forth in articles concerning these three topics are compatible with your own ideas then I would recommend pursuing information concerning the Waldorf educational methods. This book will be helpful in that search.

I received this book at about the same time as a number of other books on edcation, homeschooling, home education and various popular educational methods. We are in the process of learning as it is time to begin our child's education and we must decide whether to teach him exclusively at home or send him to school or some combination. We must also decide by what methods we will teach him or want him to be taught. After a quick look through I concluded that Waldorf methods had some great ideas from which he would benifit but that should a school be our choice I would choose a Waldorf school only with extreme caution. How could I tell without an actual reading? Even the most cursory examination of the various essays in this book told me that this educational method was not based on tradtional Christian beliefs (although many similar values) and seemed libral and New Age. It seemed like a wishy washy version of Christianity.

I have come to discover that the origiinal was not based on Christianity at all. Now that I have given a more thorough reading I discover that my impression was based on exact fact! The founder was part of the original New Age philosophy and founded his own philosophy that is absolutely New Age. It is accepting of Christianity but is not Christianity.

Now this review is not meant to critize that philosophy or dispute its tenets. I am simply letting potential buyers understand the foundations on which this educational system was developed and if they are agreeable to the potential buyer then I say again that this will be a fine book. Well writen, easy and pleasant to read.

I will pull certain ideas and methods from the Waldrof school of thought and will find this book useful in describing what they look like in practice and the idea behind them. I even agree with many of the ideas. I already have another Waldorf based book which I will read and from which I am sure to learn more that I will later use. However, I am finding that much of what I like about Waldorf can be found in other methods of edcation with which I am more comfortable with their foundational philosophy.

So, when I seperate my opinion of the book from the foundational philosophy the book rates well and I will use some of what I read as inspiration in educating our son.

Review addition, 3/8/09:
The more I read the more alarmed I become at the Waldorf methods as typically implimented in schools. Now I know that the root of my vague uneasiness of the content of this book upon initial browsing was spot on. I now am in full disagreement with its foundations and with a detailed reading and further research can confirm that this "teaching method" is foundationally and philosophically opposed to the Christain spirtual foundation that we are providing for our son.

I had initially chalked up my first impressions to the heavy emphasis on the arts and the fact that the book came across with a strong "granola" Berkley feel. While we are into gardening, nature, hiking, organic foods, etc., the granola feel is not us. I now realize that what I had chalked up to artsy, CA or NYC libralism (sterotype I know but trying to conveythe idea, as CA was also the birth place of the Reagan Revolution) was actually true New Age philosophy that informs the educational materials, subject choices and academic "standards".

While the emphasis arts (music, art, literature, dance), classical history, world history and geography, nature studies, natural play materials, organic foods, practical skills (although the practicality of some these skills is debatable) and encouraging a tv free, creative childhood are all things to be admired in the Waldorf program they are aspects shared by other programs. One can agree with and expose one's children to these subjects/methods and have them as part of their education/childrhood without sending them to a Waldorf school and exposing them to New Age philosophy and occult teachings.

If you are in agreement with New Age philosophy, if you would prefer your child be grounded in a European Curlture vs. American Culture, if academic excellence is not your priority