Sale at A Little Garden Flower ends November 30!

I really enjoyed our Grade 1 year with them last year.  If you are waiting for a deal on their curriculum please stop by before the end of November.  The guides are awesome.  They give you something to do everyday.  You get all the stories and instructions you need in a very easy to use format.  I love their curriculum!  Their prices are amazing for all that you get.  With a few simple supplies you can be up and running or um...homeschooling for a new year in no time flat.  Plus, you will find more time in your day for reading library books, playing outside, crafting or homeschooling the older children.

The sale is 15% off everything in the store.

Watercolor Painting

I recently went through all the photos. It looks like we have quite the back up of downloads =). What can I say? It was a fun school year.


These are the painting supplies we purchased. Paints are from Paper Scissors Stone. Paper and brushes from Dick Blick. We mixed the paint about half and half with water in baby food jars.


I used some ideas from A Little Garden Flower You Tube videos.


On my list for the upcoming year, is Painting with Children. I hope this might give me some help in actually planning some painting lessons. I'm not looking at being too formal. But, I do need a little help in that area.

Waldorf Homeschooling

I've had several people ask to see samples of A Little Garden Flower.  I just found out they are offering a sample pdf so you can see what they have to offer.

Teaching the Alphabet Waldorf Inspired

So, I've read about Waldorf for many years.  I wanted to try Oak Meadow with my oldest in Grade 1.  That is actually in one of my first posts way back when.  But, I never did.

So without regrets and perfectionism we are will work through the alphabet equipped with stories from A Journey through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade 1, crayons, paper, and our imaginations.  He has already a half a years practice with letter, writing, and some reading instruction.  So, what you will see here isn't typical or wonderfully artistic.  But, it's inspired...and remember it's our journey.

Here are some more resources I dug up about Waldorf Inspired Alphabet learning and teaching.  If you have anything to share let me know and I'll add it.

Here is Elisabeth working on her main lesson book.
Artemis Moon shares how to make your own Waldorf inspired wall cards.
Road to Joy shares how she made the Alphabet hers.
Sara @ Teaching from the heart.

Form Drawing

I've been interested in form drawing for awhile.  I have been hesitant because I felt like there was some secret knowledge.  I'm just starting with my Grade 1 son. We are doing forms as they introduced in A Journey through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade 1. I think it will be some good practice.  He has already been doing some basic letter writing.  So, he played with some of the ones we did.  But, honestly I will not stop because I can't do it "right".  We enjoyed the process and I think that is what matters to us.

Here is a slideshow from Millennialchild.
Curriculum and more information from Barbara Dewey and Christopherus.
Some lovely examples at Nature Nest.
A Youtube video from A Little Garden Flower. And, the DVD set.
A form drawing lesson on a chalkboard at Flickr.  (Check out the entire set of chalkboard drawings.  They are gorgeous and I'm not quite there yet=))

Monday

Monday
Originally uploaded by OakBlossoms

From top to bottom. A Journey to Waldorf Homeschooling Grade 1.  This is just the outline for the first month.  We are just going to start at the beginning of the curriculum.  I figure some of it will be review even if it's in a different form.  It shouldn't last us a year, but I didn't want to jump up to Grade 2 yet.  A few books to read aloud including Gail Gibbons From Seed to Plant.  We love Gail Gibbons!  Spelling Power book for Spelling Tests.  Math U See for the two older boys.