Search results for ""waldorf early childhood association north america""

'Please, can we play games now?' is a frequent plea in the early childhood classroom. Children explore and relate to their world through play, and something magical happens when a caring adult dons the cloak of playful lightheartedness. A regular offering of appropriate games in the early childhood curriculum can create a powerful atmosphere for healthy development. Between teacher and children a safe harbor springs up -- a place where trust, interest, joy, and an enthusiasm for learning are kindled. Rudolf Steiner expressed many times that children thrive in an atmosphere of joy, warmth, and love. He also stressed the importance of imitation in early childhood. The Waldorf early childhood classroom strives to be a place where children want to follow their teacher’s worthy example. This book is a wonderful collection of traditional and original verses, songs and games from the author's forty years of experience in early childhood education. Perfect for circle time or home play, these games will nourish children's body, soul and spirit.

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Simple singing and gesture games have long been a core element of Steiner-Waldorf early years education. This thought-provoking book explores such games in depth, considering their nature and significance.The deep esoteric meaning of these seemingly simple games is brought to light, and the author argues convincingly for the importance of a gradual and healthy awakening from the 'childhood dream'. The book includes delightful examples from the author's Dutch heritage, many newly translated into English.

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The change in children between roughly six and seven years old is significant, and can be challenging for parents, teachers and educators.This comprehensive book offers a multitude of resources and insights to help with the transformation. It is packed with research, anecdotes, study material, ideas for working in the classroom, examples of age-appropriate stories, verses, games, and much more. Parents, teachers, and therapists -- anyone who lives or works with children who are going through the change of teeth -- will find inspiration, encouragement and insight in this volume.

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Experienced Waldorf educator Nancy Blanning offers practical suggestions and support to help parents and carers of young children bring Waldorf ideas and practices into their home. Revised and expanded edition.

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For a child to feel at home in the world and to experience the oneness of the universe, there is no better way than through nature and the arts. This book is a treasure trove of timeless songs, crafts, verses and recipes for seasonal treats, to bring joy to the process of learning, both for young children and the adults who care for them.A revised and expanded edition.

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In this beautifully illustrated journal, author and photographer Margaret Loescher chronicles the year she spent leading an outdoor parent-and-child group in Lincolnshire, England. Reflections on the changing seasons and the relationship between human beings and the natural world are accompanied by crafts, poems, and songs appropriate to each time of year. Her creative and joyful explorations can inspire each of us to find a way to experience nature with children in our own environment.

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What do infants and toddlers need from us?It is said that human beings learn more in the first three years than in the next thirty. With the utmost reverence for this amazing period of life, a firm grounding in anthroposophy, and many practical examples, an experienced Waldorf kindergarten teacher and mentor here offers the fruits of her many years of living and working with the youngest children.This concise, accessible book is written out of the author's experience with integrating children under three into a Waldorf kindergarten in Norway. Perfect for a parent/child group study, or for schools considering how to integrate infants and toddlers in their program, it includes sections on the fourfold human being as a basis for Waldorf education; stages of child development in the first three years; the importance of imitation; the development of the foundational senses; creating a good daily routine; play and play materials; and much more.

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This is a book of gentle, loving games and songs that incorporate the healing, enlivening qualities of gesture, touch, and movement.It will be an invaluable resource for parents, kindergarten and nursery teachers, homeschoolers, or anyone with an interest in keeping in touch with the kingdom of childhood. These games and lullabies are imbued with the idea that loving contact with children helps them to establish a careful, nurturing relation with plants, animals, people and things in their surroundings, and movement leads them to a keen awareness of their important place in all of it.A companion CD, also called Giving Love, Bringing Joy, is available (sold separately).

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In kindergartens all over the world, storytime is often one of the favourite parts of the day. Stories connect us to each other, give a sense of who we are, and guide us into the future. Stories are vital for healthy child development.This new collection of over eighty stories from the members and friends of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America is a treasure-trove for preschool children. In this book you'll find stories for special occasions as well as everyday enjoyment, which will nourish and inspire.

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This treasury of stories, songs, verses, and games is intended for use in the kindergarten circle time as well as the eurythmy lesson, to bring the joy and healing power of movement to life. Estelle Bryer shares the insights of 43 years as a eurythmist and Waldorf kindergarten teacher: the development of the child, the importance of movement and gesture, and suggestions on discipline, music and structuring a lesson. Whether done with eurythmy gestures or with richly imaginative descriptive gestures, the many sample lessons provide plenty of opportunities in these stories and verses for clapping, stamping; walking on tip-toe, walking on heels; skipping, hopping; and finger-play, as well as contrasts between loud and soft, vigorous and quiet, contraction and expansion, tension and relaxation.Formerly available as Eurythmy for the Young Child, this new edition has been been thoroughly revised and corrected, and the music newly edited by Sally Schweizer.

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"All folktales have in common that they are the remains of a faith going back to the earliest times, a faith, a religion, that speaks of supersensible things in pictures. These pictures are like fragments of a shattered jewel that lie strewn on the ground overgrown with grass and flowers. Only the sharpest eye can discover them. Their meaning is long lost but can still be felt and gives the folktales their substance." -- Wilhelm Grimm In The Picture Language of Folktales, Friedel Lenz explores the meaning of twenty-five of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, originally collected and retold between 1812 to 1857. Lenz's interpretation draws on the ideas of anthroposophy and considers the stories in relation to the development of human consciousness. The tales considered range from the familiar, including Cinderella and Snow White, to the less well-known, including The Three Feathers, The Goose Girl and The Seven Ravens. Lenz's commentary illuminates the significance of these texts, making this a useful resource for Steiner-Waldorf teachers sharing these stories in the kindergarten and lower school, as well as for interested readers who want to understand these classic stories in a new way.

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Children love these games for the pure joy of movement. In their dancing rhythms adults, also, will find that the active involvement of the hands with the tongue revives the whole human being.In a series of happy games for the dancing, playing hand the movements of hands, fists, thumbs and pointers fit to the spoken word in poetry and song. They stimulate the speech center in the child's brain and promote speech development.A second group of games portrays animal games. These are magical, as they transform us into snail, bunny, pony and many other creatures. They lead us to the wellspring of the joy of existence and active participation in the world around us.

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A collection of illuminating writings on early childhood education, with contributions from Susan Weber, Jane Swain, Deborah Laurin, Magdalena Taurim and other early childhood professionals. The essays draw on the wisdom of Rudolf Steiner and Emmi Pikler and their profound insights into early years development. The Pikler approach is based on a kind and respectful relationship between an adult and infant, through tender care moments, a naturally paced motor development, free movement and uninterrupted play. This book offers useful insights on caregiver interactions with infants and toddlers as well as exploring the ways in which Waldorf early childhood educators combine the practical Pikler approach with Steiner theories about development.

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'The fairy tale is unique in its capacity…to be a wise and tender guide for us all, in both childhood and adulthood.' – from the Introduction This collection of twenty-six fairy tales from around the world has been carefully compiled with a special focus on inclusivity, sharing stories that nourish families from many different cultures. It includes fairy tales from Africa, Asia, Europe, Russia and the Americas. These Waldorf favourites are perfect for teachers to use in kindergartens or for parents to share at home.

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This collection of keynote lectures from the WECAN Annual East Coast Conference 2014-2016 offers keenly observed and researched insights on how to assist the development of children's comfortable orientation in the world. It also explores how educators and caregivers can support and strengthen their own sense of well-being.

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For fourteen remarkable years, the Sophia Project in California served over one hundred mothers and children, all of whom were at risk of or had experienced homelessness and abuse.Drawing on the principles of Camphill and a Waldorf approach to child development, staff worked intensively with families, introducing them to daily rhythms and routines, assisting with job applications, shopping and tax forms, and even tutoring to pass tests and exams. Over a period of five years, the families regained confidence and independence. None returned to homelessness or abuse.Same Light, Many Candles is a definitive account of the Sophia Project: its origins, the journey, the families and its eventual end. Both moving and inspiring, it powerfully demonstrates the effect on real lives of structured, caring intervention based on Waldorf principles.

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Music is a vital part of the healthy development of young children and yet many teachers can struggle with this key area.This book collects together different perspectives on the theme of music in the mood of the fifth (that is, using a pentatonic scale of five notes), to help teachers, parents and carers understand and work with music at kindergarten level.The book includes classic articles by Jennifer Aulie, Wilma Ellersiek and Rita Jacobs, along with new contributions by Michael Deason-Barrow, Jana Hawley, Renate Long-Breipohl, Sally Schweizer, Estelle Bryer, Eleanor Winship, Jill Taplin and many others.A key resource book for Steiner-Waldorf teachers.

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Have you heard about the little possum who wanted a peach? Why did a princess wish for speaking grapes, smiling apples and ringing peaches? Do you know how the robin got his red breast, or what happened when Taijin went to live with the Seven Thunders? This little book gathers 24 delightful stories from all corners of the globe, along with 10 delicious recipes, all suitable for young children.The stories and recipes were sent by representatives of the 29 Member Associations that are part of IASWECE, the International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education, and all proceeds from the sale of this book will support IASWECE’s work on behalf of Waldorf early childhood education around the world.

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This collection of articles, stories, songs, circles, and puppet plays provides thoughtful reflections on the cycle of the year and on the nature of each season, along with many practical ideas and materials to bring into the classroom.Many of the beautiful festival celebrations we may think of as 'Waldorf' originated not in the first Waldorf schools, but in the European cultural and religious tradition in which they were embedded. This presents a challenge for us today as we both strive to renew our celebration of the seasons of the year, bringing the healing forces of a rhythmic life to the children, and work to welcome and include fully every child and their family, whatever their background.This book has contributions from many experienced Waldorf educators, including Freya Jaffke, Joan Almon, Holly Koteen-Soulé, Steve Spitalny, Helle Heckmann, Nancy Foster, Barbara Klocek, Cecilia Karpoff, and Marjorie Thatcher.

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This wonderful collection of seasonal tales is the second volume drawn from Waldorf early childhood teachers around the USA. Many are original tales which spring from a teacher's imagination or are inspired by nature or a festival. Others are classic favourites which change over the years in the retelling but retain all the core elements.It is in the telling of a story that a story comes alive, and this anthology will be an inspiration for teachers and parents. Stories are organised into sections for spring and summer, autumn, winter and times when special care is needed.

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A unique and urgently needed anthology of lectures aimed at improving awareness of diversity, empathy and inclusion in Waldorf early childhood programs. Featuring contributions from authors from a wealth of Black, Brown, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ experience, the writings encourage teachers to understand the importance of understanding not only the developmental needs of children, but also the context of the society and structures that influence them. Towards a Kinder, More Compassionate Society encourages Waldorf early childhood practitioners to develop humility, curiosity, interest, wonder and integrity, and urges readers to recognise the ways in which they can be influenced.This is a powerful call to early childhood practitioners to embrace and encourage change.

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This useful volume presents a selection of Rudolf Steiner's writings on childhood, alongside supplemental essays on sensory development and imitation, suggestions for how to study Steiner's work, and a discussion of the future of childhood.This is the first time these texts have been collected together in English and the commentaries draw on the many years of experience as educators and teacher trainers of the editors.

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This is a comprehensive and in-depth collection of twenty articles from the 2006 Kolisko conferences.Named for Waldorf educator and anthroposophic physician Eugen Kolisko, the Kolisko conferences bring together pedagogical and therapeutic tools found in Waldorf education. In 2006, there were nine such Kolisko conferences held worldwide, and this book brings together the key lectures into a single volume, newly revised. Topics include healthy timetabling, development of physiology, professional ethics, meditations for teachers, medical diagnostics and therapies, spirituality in science, art and religion, children and drugs, children and computer games, parent collaboration, the college of teachers and many more.

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The transition, at the age of six or seven, from kindergarten to school is an important stage of child development.This little book offers valuable insights into understanding and discerning school readiness, and includes colour illustrations of children's drawings which illustrate this developmental stage in an insightful, and concrete, way.Based on research presented at the International Association for Steiner-Waldorf Early Childhood Education conference at the Goetheanum, this book will be helpful for both teachers and parents.

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A study of Saint Martin, his life, legend, historical and esoteric significance, and suggestions for new directions for festival celebrations.The legend of Saint Martin, the fourth-century Roman soldier who divided his cloak in half and gave it to a beggar, then went on to lay down his weapons forever, has deep significance for us today - when the necessary process of "dividing" into self-conscious individuals threatens to lead only to egotistical strife, if not permeated with love. This original study offers an overview of the saint's life, legend, historical and esoteric significance, and suggestions for new directions for festival celebrations.

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Self-directed play is the cornerstone of the Waldorf early childhood work, one that is threatened from many sides in our time. This important book asks, what is the true nature of such play? How can we learn to observe and understand it? Drawing on research originally conducted in Australia, Renate Long-Breipohl indicates a path that all early childhood educators can travel in their journey towards a deeper understanding of children's play. At the heart of her study is the section on 'Types of self-directed play', extensively illustrated with photographs and narrative examples from Waldorf early childhood settings.

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A second volume of Wilma Ellersiek's wonderful seasonal gesture games, fingerplays, and songs in the mood of the fifth.This collection completes the cycle of games for the course of the year, following on from 'Gesture Games for Spring and Summer'. Dramatic changes in nature take place in the fall, as the summer's fruit matures and is ready for harvest, the trees change their color and the first frost touches plants and flowers around us. In the moving and touching games of this book we can experience the blowing of the autumn wind, the fog hanging in the air and the earth getting ready for winter. The companion CD (sold separately) also includes songs from the Spring and Summer book.

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This book is a rich compilation of verses, finger games, stories and plays for puppets and marionettes, collected by a longtime teacher at the Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten in Vienna, Austria.This is a wonderful resource for all kindergarten teachers and parents.This is a much-expanded edition of Plays for Puppets and Marionettes.

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This audio CD is a companion to the two song books 'Gesture Games for Spring and Summer' and 'Gesture Games for Autumn and Winter'.It includes 37 songs, and is intended as a learning CD for teachers and parents rather than a 'listening' CD for children.

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This book collects lectures given in 2015 at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. 550 people from 46 countries, including Waldorf educators, scholars, and professionals in a wide range of fields, came together to work on current educational questions with the goal of deepening our understanding of child and human development.Claus-Peter Röh of the Pedagogical Section at the Goetheanum summarised the mood at the end of the conference: 'We have tried, with great intensity and candour, to create a community of awareness around various areas of education. The desire to always keep the idea of a whole in mind while discerning the individual was clearly apparent . . . Now we stand before the challenge of further developing our collective work and newly gained insights into the future.'Contributors include Florian Osswald, Ursula Flatters, Susan Weber, Elizabeth Hall, Clara Aerts, Reinoud Engelsman and Claus-Peter Röh.These texts will serve as a basis for further study activity and can contribute to a greater collaborative activity in the Waldorf kindergarten and school movement.

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Whole-grain sourdough is a wonderful way of making delicious, nutritious bread at home, but there are a lot of different methods and advice out there. How do you know what will give you the best results?This booklet aims to keep it simple and give you the essential information you need to create your own rye starter, with no added commercial yeast, and bake a great whole-grain loaf with it. There are also recipes for other baked goods using the same starter, including English muffins, pizza dough, pancakes, muffins and crackers. This book will demystify the process of making sourdough and help you to be able to say with confidence, ‘Sourdough is simple!’.

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Young children usually love to draw. Their work multiplies on scraps of paper, on walls, and on refrigerator doors. In this book Christhilde Blume, an experienced paediatrician, explores what parents and educators can learn about children's development through the pictures they create.Rudolf Steiner described children's development in detail, and showed how development is universal, irrespective of location and culture. Inspired by the work of Michaela Strauss in the 1940s who discovered that certain drawn shapes were linked to specific stages of development, Dr Blume confirms this to be true from her study of hundreds of drawings and paintings collected through her medical clinic.Children's drawings change as their soul and spirit gradually incarnate in their physical body, and alongside the growth of consciousness. Adults can learn to 'read' from the pictures what is happening in a child's inner self, physically, psychologically and spiritually.Dr Blume used these insights in her medical work, helping children who were experiencing difficulties or challenges in their lives. This little book is a wonderful insight into this unique approach to understanding the development of individual children.

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Along with our human hands and their loving touch, we welcome babies into the world with the sound of a human voice. Our speech and song is a creative force which helps form a child, weaving a warm nest of protection around him or her.This book, by three experienced early years educators, is full of songs, verses and games for use with very young children. Parents will find a wealth of wonderful resources to help their babies and toddlers develop healthily during this critical period.

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There are seven life processes identified in anthroposophical human physiology which affect physical organ function and life forces: breathing, producing warmth, nourishment, secretion, preservation, growth and production/reproduction. They form the foundation for healthy development, understanding one's own capacities, and age-appropriate learning.This book considers these seven processes in relation to the developing child. It examines how play and learning are connected to the life processes and how adults can support children's physical organ functions so that they can develop in a healthy way and learn with ease.The book is full of important educational considerations and will be of significant value to teachers, educators, parents and caregivers.

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This comprehensive collection of essays addresses all the key aspects of Waldorf early years education: its history, the developing child, the rhythm of the day, activities, language, storytelling and puppetry and the young child and the spiritual world.There are contributions from many experienced educators, including: Susan Howard, Joan Almon, Helmut von Kügelgen, Freya Jaffke, Ingeborg Schöttner, Kimberly Lewis, Stephan Spitalny, Nancy Foster, Susan Weber, Daniel Udo de Haes and Bronja Zahlingen.This is a revised, newly edited edition of two previously available publications, 'An Overview of the Waldorf Kindergarten', and 'A Deeper Understanding of the Waldorf Kindergarten', with the addition of other relevant contributions.

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Helle Heckmann describes a delightful Danish Waldorf childcare facility for children ages 1-7.Nøkken is a wonderful example of a healthy child-care facility which accepts children from the age of one. This extended case study explores what places like Nøkken can offer for children and their families.It is very practical, covering issues of staff relations, number of children, the rhythm of the day, parent relations, seasonal celebrations and birthdays, and financing the centre. Throughout, the Steiner-Waldorf principles underpinning the kindergarten shine through.This edition has been fully updated and expanded, including a new Foreword by Patricia Lambert and selections from Heckmann's other book about Nøkken, A Garden for Kids.

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Forty-two original songs in the mood of the fifth, created for a range of activities in the kindergarten day.Karen Lonsky offers forty-two original songs in the mood of the fifth created for a range of activities in the kindergarten day, from grinding grain and raking leaves, to washing hands and cleaning, to story time and birthday celebrations. They form a delightful and healing way to carry children through the day. Charmingly illustrated with pencil drawings by Victoria Sander.A companion CD, with vocal and instrumental versions of all the songs, is available separately.

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As toddlers make the great transition from wordless communion with the world, to encountering people and objects through human language, they need the support and understanding of parents and educators.This little book offers guidance and wisdom on how to do that gently and sensitively. Dutch educator Daniel Udo de Haes takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the consciousness of very young children, which will be of benefit to anyone living or working with toddlers.

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The first volume of Wilma Ellersiek's wonderful seasonal gesture games, fingerplays, and songs in the mood of the fifth. A companion to Giving Love, Bringing Joy.This book includes 32 songs and gesture games, inspired by nature and the children themselves, designed to lead teachers, parents and children into joyful participation with nature. Margret Costanini's introduction outlines the educational basis of example and imitation behind this work. Craft directions and a biography of Wilma Ellersiek are also included.There is a companion CD (sold separately) which also includes the songs for the Autumn and Winter book.

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A collection of hand gesture and movement games focused around gnomes and pixies, to help connect young children to nature. With easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations, this is a practical resource for parents and teachers.

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