WALDORF ESSENTIALS CURRICULUM REVIEW + COMPARISON WITH LIVE EDUCATION | 1ST GRADE
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- čas přidán 18. 10. 2017
- It's probably the biggest homeschooling decision you're going to make: Choosing a curriculum. When you've finally narrowed down you want to do a Waldorf approach, next you have to sort through the Waldorf curricula that are available. Today I'm walking you through the Waldorf Essentials curriculum for first grade with a comparison to the Live-Education curriculum also for grade one.
Send Linda some love for letting me borrow this curriculum to review it: / @thecottagehomemaker4223
Here are some additional thoughts:
-The Live-Education curriculum is written by Waldorf teachers who have gone through training to become teachers if Waldorf schools. They have taught for many years in a classroom setting and bring as close to a Waldorf education to your home in the form of their curriculum.
-The Waldorf Essentials curriculum has been written, tested and refined by homeschooling parent with years of experience teaching her own children and advising homeschooling families.
-Both curricula come with support in the form of consultations and/or mentorship.
-Waldorf Essentials comes with additional online resources (it used to be a dvd, but now all the media is online)
-The curriculum portion of Waldorf Essentials is minimal compared to Live-Education and may need additional resources to supplement the curriculum like artwork for each lesson which is a great portion of the first grade curriculum
-The Live-Education curriculum comes with everything you need including original color artwork by artist Bruce Bischop
-Waldorf Essentials has a running lesson plan with the first block being letters of the alphabet mixed with form drawing. Though main lesson blocks can be moved around, it is more difficult to do so. It is written and arranged for families living in the northern hemisphere.
-The Live-Education curriculum comes with distinct books for each main lesson, so moving blocks around is easy. It is advised that you begin with form drawing.
-Both curricula comes with general information about setting up the school day and school year, how to do a main lesson and the waldorf philosophy.
-The Live-Education curriculum comes with additional information at the introduction of each main lesson block as well as additional resources.
-The Waldorf Essentials curriculum comes with handwork patterns at the back of the back.
-Live-Education is only sold in color printed hardcopies
-Waldorf Essentials can be purchased as a digital curriculum as well as simply printed.
-Waldorf Essentials appears simple
-Live-Education appears professional
You can find more information on Waldorf Essentials here:
www.lulu.com/spotlight/lacmama...
You can find more information on Live-Education here:
www.live-education.com/first-...
Melisa also added the following in a comment:
"EVERY purchase comes with online content that is free and easily available on the site. We have videos there to help you as the homeschooler apply the curriculum, pictures from lessons, etc. (this replaced the DVD). Every curriculum also comes with a free hour of consulting on the phone."
Disclaimer and personal opinions: I use the Live-Education curriculum and find it to be a superior curriculum to Waldorf Essentials in every way, it is more authentic to the Waldorf philosophy and very professional. From what I've seen and experienced, art is as important to the content of the curriculum, and there are only very simple form drawings and computer generated stick drawings in the Waldorf Essentials curriculum. Considering that artwork accompanies each lesson in first grade and that watercoloring is done often in first grade, making up half the curriculum, I find the Waldorf Essentials curriculum very lacking in this area.
Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. If there have been updates to the curriculum, I will do my best to add them here. Since making and posting this video, there has been a price increase to the Waldorf Essentials curriculum
Find me here:
/ pepperandpine
/ pepperandpine
/ pepperandpine
www.pepperandpine.com
I think this is an incredibly positive and generous review of WE. My personal concern with it is the approach to Math and I recommend to all the homeschooler's I counsel (no charge) that they read Jamie York's writing on Mathematics. The avoidance of math until Winter is a concern I hear Waldorf teachers express every time we discuss WE. If you suffer from any math anxiety you need to be really brave and address it. LEARN WITH YOUR CHILD. Don't avoid it. Jamie York's presentation style is really worth it if you struggle with math instruction.
I have used WE for years, and I’m afraid you don’t understand how much comes with the program. The amount of support material is tremendous, including videos showing you how to do the form drawings, how to paint, how to draw with block crayons, etc. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The mom lessons go over all aspects of Waldorf education, from philosophy to music (a complete program), to inner work for mom. Melisa has an additional content library of videos that can be found on Facebook and CZcams. She is always there to answer questions and provide support, and not just academic support. What I appreciate most about WE is that it is practical for those of us who are schooling multiple ages. She has five children. She gets it because she lived and is still living it. I highly recommend it.
does it tell you what to do daily?
I use WE and I am a Thinking Feeling Willing member. I would like to add that while the artwork in Live Ed is beautiful it is beyond the ability of most moms and definitely beyond small children's abilities. I love that Melisa shows her own artwork and her children's. It gives me realistic perspective and eases frustration about not being good enough.
And to be really real for a minute, I am homeschooling on a limited budget like I'm sure many others are. WE may tighten the belt by making us get info online but it frees up funds for art supplies. I wish you would have talked about cost because that important to me.
Thank you for this video, I wanted to make sure to correct something. EVERY purchase comes with online content that is free and easily available on the site. We have videos there to help you as the homeschooler apply the curriculum, pictures from lessons, etc. (this replaced the DVD). Every curriculum also comes with a free hour of consulting on the phone.
It is helpful to know that I wrote the curriculum LONG before I started the TFW program, so it was written to stand alone :) You do not need to be a TFW member to teach from this curriculum. Blessings.
Thank you for the additional info Melisa, I've added it to the description box as well.
This was incredibly helpful!!
Great comparison, Hana - thanks for sharing!
Thanks Tanya ;)
Thanks for this! I've been milling over buying the digital lifetime option and printing it myself for my binder. This was nice to see the flip through.
Just wanted to comment here and let you know that you can get hard copies with that option of TFW for a huge discount :)
Awesome! Let me know what you end up going with.
Melisa, can you share more info on TFW?
Pepper and Pine yes!
www.waldorfessentials.com/can-tfw/
Thanks so much for providing a great outline on this philosophy and explaining about these curriculums...love the emotional & spiritual aspects of this book and how they talk to the parent care too. Thanks for explaining so throughly Hana!
Thanks for the feedback and support Lindsay :)
Would you be willing to do a video talking more about/demonstrating what the 3 day learning rhythm in Waldorf teaching looks like? Thanks
I loved this overview. You explained it so well. It took me 3 watches to understand it fully. They both sound like wonderful curriculum for different needs. Thanks for taking the time to be so detailed even though you are not using it.
Soon you'll be able to see them both! I'm really looking forward to your first impressions of both :)
Ha! I’m back for my 2nd viewing! Makes me feel good to know I’m in good company.
Oh my, is that because there needs to be more clarification when I'm explaining things? Or is there just so much info that a second or third time helps?
Pepper and Pine the latter. I need to digest it; and review. I’ve looked at most of your Waldorf in-depth curriculum reviews at least 2-3x. I was just rewatching 1st and 2nd grade LiveEd videos just last week.
@Hana, I usually run the videos as I do something like cooking or chores but these videos I like to pay detailed attention to everything you share and because everything is new I don’t want miss and sometimes i don’t get enough time in one try. In a nutshell it’s a good thing.
I would love to see a review of Lavender's Blue homeschool curriculum.
Brandi Deffendall I think Linda has that curriculum also. Maybe she’ll let me borrow it too 😄
Pepper and Pine Oh great. I have been curious about it but cannot find much about it online.
I'd loved to see a review also...I've been looking at that one also.
I'm going to asking Linda soon ;)
Me too! I think that Tanya over at Project Happy Home looked at that curriculum too. Hint hint Hana maybe you can ask her too
Could you please do an in-depth look inside just your first grade live education curriculum with examples of your child’s work like you’ve done for the other grades. I’d really appreciate that. Thanks for all your sharing x
We use Waldorf Essentials and LOVE it!!! I purchased the TFW program too and Melisa does not disappoint! She's amazing! She also has a CZcams channel that adds so much to the curriculum as well!
Oh I didn't know you used it! That's great.
Pepper and Pine you did a great review! There are not very many reviews on WE, so it was a pleasant surprise when I saw this video!!
+Catholic Convert Mama I know! I was so excited she did a review. .I've been looking at Wadorf Essentials along with some other Waldorf curricular.
Excellent! Let me know how you like it.
Just reviewing this book misses out on so much of the curriculum that's provided with WE. All the stuff you mention that's "missing" is in fact provided digitally or can be purchased as a physical copy as well. Music, art, form drawing, handwork, etc - all are provided with the curriculum purchase (as long as you purchase directly and not secondhand). I also appreciate the community that is present with WE - Melisa is always available to answer questions, to help with struggles children may be having, and her curriculum is based on years of experience teaching in the home. I think there is a big difference between teaching students in a school and children in the home - Waldorf Essentials is perfect for my family, because it meets us where we are and takes us where we need to be. There are also two years of kindergarten curriculum for moms who want to get started early or want to make younger children feel included. Reviewing just this book misses out on so much.
Good comparison video. Info in description is very detailed and good synopsis.
I love the monthly and yearly overview that WE had. I’ve looked at LiveEd and ENKI and while the content is marvelous I easily get overwhelmed with the “how pt” (how do I translate this and put it into real live lessons that make sense). I’ve got time for first grade so love looking at how others go about it.
There's definitely a learning curve with any new curriculum so I relate to the 'how to I actually make this work' part. I hope you settle on something speaks to you on all levels :)
This is the one i almost did a few years ago, but then didn't when i found out i'd need to do 5 curriculums ;p
Hi, this has been very helpful. I have purchased their curriculum and am excited to get started!
**I do have a question for you! We live in a state that requires that my daughter show her work and show her progress throughout the year to show various subjects for home school. Should I just download some worksheets and let her do them in addition to the curriculum? Do you have experience with this? Thanks!
XxDarkRaverxX that’s a good idea. When working through a unit, we sometimes do that too.
I really love how they do math with the multiple paths towards the one number.
It's a subtle difference that speaks volumes.
Can you explain more about the Nature Table?
Yeah, actually there's a lot more to the nature table than what I mentioned, and the curriculum gives more details as to what you can have on it weekly, as in rotating through the different 'kingdoms' like mineral, animal, plant and human. So you could have crystals and gems and rocks one week, then seashells and feathers another week and leaves and pinecones the third week. I think for the human week, maybe just things you make like pottery, baskets and peg dolls ;)
You give the best reviews, ever.
Awe, thank you!
I had looked at a sample from 1st grade Waldorf Essentials and 1 of the lessons involved this man getting his head chopped off (lesson for M I believe). Are there storys like that in Live Ed? Especially for the beginning grades?
I've looked at samples from Live Ed also, there was one on science (about a pencil I think) and I really enjoyed it.
Good question. I'll have to review the fairy tales that come in the first grade curriculum for Live Education, and get back to you. Of what I remember, no, but it's been years since I used the fairy tales in the curriculum; I've created my own 'curriculum' for first grade to reflect our culture and use different stories.
+Pepper and Pine Thank you! I'm definitely leaning towards Live education currently.
Pepper and Pine would you be willing to discuss this tailored curriculum on your other channel?
I just got the second grade of Waldorf ess., today can't wait to start
Excellent!
Do you know of any websites that sell used curriculum books individually?
Hi Rachel, I don't know of any one site, but I know there are Facebook groups that are just for reselling curriculum.
Pepper and Pine do you know the name of any of the Facebook groups? Sorry, .. I appreciate your help.
Sorry, no, since I'm not apart of them, I just see comments that direct others to those groups. I think the groups I'm apart of are mainly waldorf groups. I don't even know the names! One is Flexible Waldorf, and the other is Waldorf Charlotte Mason, I think. If you message me at Pepper and Pine on Facebook, I think I can invite you to those groups.
Pepper and Pine thanks 💙
Hi :) I am wondering if perhaps this is more of a " book walk" then a review of Waldorf Essentials. There is a TON that you are missing by looking at it in this way. The online content covers so much more then shown, and it would be impossible to show all of the support offered by Melisa.
Good point :)
We love WE I found the other mentioned did not respond back as well as Melissa did. If your thinking about making the investment I highly remcommed WE lifetime membership.
Yes, Live-Education needs to respond faster. I'm not sure if that's changed.
Lovely review.
I haven’t used either curriculum, but did see on Melissa’s channel that all of her artwork for the lessons/teacher is in the online format :-)
czcams.com/video/s15Y-e6oq9M/video.html