Waldorfish Homeschool Courses: Four Steps To Creating The Ideal Schedule for Your Child
Welcome! You’ve purchased a Waldorfish course, and now you’re ready to bring the curriculum into your student’s world.
You may be asking yourself “How do I fit these courses into our schedule? How often should they do the lessons, how much time will they take, what will work best for us?”
The good news is that whatever plan you decide to run with, you can always change your mind, adjust, and keep exploring what works best!
There is no wrong way to schedule our courses - it’s all about what works best for your family.
Our courses are designed to be flexible.
Nearly all of our programs deliver the full course and all the lessons at once, meaning you have all the material at your fingertips- no waiting for new lessons to be released. You can jump right into your planning and scheduling.
Lessons can be done each day, one per week, one every other week, or whatever rhythm works best for your family.
Homeschooling courses should work for you and your child’s schedule- not the other way around!
But how to decide what schedule is best?
We encourage you to observe how your child typically responds to their daily and weekly rhythm, and consider these four things:
Finding the right rhythm:
When starting something new, does your child jump right in and want to fully immerse themselves in the subject? Or do they prefer to ease in, and take their time bringing the new lessons into their rhythm? Your answer here will help you decide how to schedule things. Once a day, once a week, or somewhere in between? No matter what you decide, keep it consistent, and keep it on the calendar. (If it’s not on your calendar, it’s much less likely to get done!
How much support will your child need?
Take into account the material: Is this material in your child’s “wheelhouse,” something they generally enjoy, or is it something that they find more challenging? How involved will you need to be to make the most of the lessons?
What amount of prep time is required?
Consider the course at hand: what are the supplies needed? Is the student working with the lessons independently, or are you presenting the information to them? Make your prep time a part of the lesson- remember: preparation is key to a smooth lesson!
What works for you?
And don't forget about YOU! What feels doable to you? While the lessons are designed to be watched by the student, some children need more support from their adults than others. Is your child one to self-direct and able to do the lessons on their own (mostly)? Or, do they need you more on hand in a supportive role? If the latter feels more true, don't forget to take your own schedule and needs into consideration as well!
The outdoors are a wonderful place to learn and grow together!
You’ve got this.
With some experimentation, flexibility, and planning, we’re confident you’ll find the best way to incorporate our courses into your homeschool schedule!
About the Authors
Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and a course instructor for two of our courses - Waldorf Art for Beginners and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers! Robyn has been in the world of education for almost 30 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable to homeschoolers all over the world.
Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum!
