Fourth Grade
updated January 1, 2023
Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!
This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.
Class Four in Waldorf Education
Mission Statement - Consulting Services - Lending Library
Notes on Schedule of Main Lesson Blocks
Everyone does it differently, and you don't have to think of the main lesson topics as "subjects" because many of them are interdisciplinary.
I labeled them to the left but it is a bit arbitrary.
However,
I find it helpful to give them rough categories so that I can be sure we are balanced in the kinds of thinking we practice throughout the school year.
Each discipline has different habits of mind, and I like to rotate between them. Alan Whitehead suggests this, although he suggests using three-week long blocks. We do a nine month school
year with month-long blocks: two blocks of each subject plus a class play each year.
Tall Tales are optional but nice (if you're teaching in the U.S.). I found when doing a block on Tall Tales
that they really go well with the Local History & Geography theme of this school year, as each
larger-than-life figure symbolizes the main Industry of his region. It could be combined with that block or given its own time. To make
room for Tall Tales, you
could also combine Grammar & Sentence Analysis with the Composition block of Personal Narratives. I mainly used the Personal
Narratives block to focus on advanced punctuation.
I added in a specialized block on Landforms & Water Features because I didn't feel I had covered this adequately
in the Local History & Geography block. That could be saved for grade 6 Geology.
You can choose to do one block or two of Zoology, and one block or two of Norse Mythology.
Perhaps you might consider an order like this...
Fractions; Landforms & Water Features; Norse Mythology I; Composition (Grammar & Sentence Analysis, Personal Narratives); Zoology I;
Norse Mythology II; Tall Tales; Zoology II; Local History & Geography
A Peek into the Classroom
Morning Verse for Lower Grades
Gallery of Chalkboard Drawings in the Waldorf Classroom grades 1 - 8
Waldorf/Steiner Main Lessons and Main Lesson Blocks VERY helpful article
from the Sophia Institute Online Waldorf Teacher Training program
- The Main Lesson - Principles and Features
- The Main Lesson - Structure
- The Main Lesson - Rhythm
- The Main Lesson - Planning a Main Lesson Block
- Sample Template for Waldorf/Steiner Main Lesson Block
samples from the Fourth Grade Curriculum by Live Education!
Ruzuku Stand-Alone Courses
Why Ruzuku Courses?
My Professional Background
General Waldorf Resources
The Education of the Child in the Light of
Anthroposophy
article by Rudolf Steiner
How To Create, Tell, and Recall a Story
Four Ways to Connect with Storytelling
blog post - Simplicity Parenting
Overview of Childhood Characteristics - includes the four temperaments
article by David Mitchell
Blackboard Sketching book
by
Frederick Whitney (1908)
available online for free - with step by step directions and illustrations
How to Bind a Main Lesson Book
Main Lesson Book
pages shared by Christopherus Homeschool Resources
browse through my collection of Pinterest Boards
with chalkboard drawings and main lesson book pages for many main lesson blocks
Movement for Childhood - wonderful site!
Waldorf Today Newsletter
very interesting & free weekly newsletter sent via email each Monday
Block Rotations Grades 1 - 8 (PDF)
by Jamie York
Summary of Math Skills for Grades 1 through 8 (PDF)
by Jamie York
A Grades 1 through 8 Math Curriculum Overview (PDF)
by Jamie York
Word Problems in Grades 1 through 8 (PDF)
by Jamie York
Jamie York has a BUNCH of free resources on his site including sample math MLB pages for grades 1-11,
and lesson plans and assessments for grades 1-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Waldorf Science Newsletter - issues available in PDF format
page 13 of Vol.1 has a Science Curriculum in the Waldorf School Grades 1-8 overview / one page handout, and
page 14 has
the same for the Waldorf High School Grades 9-12
World Geography and Waldorf Education
blog post - Switzerite
When Should My Child Begin Music Lessons?
article by Sarah Baldwin
The Spiritual Gifts of Handwork
blog post - Knitting with Children
"Foundations of Waldorf Education" Series Notes
FREE links to all 25 volumes in this series of educational writings by Rudolf Steiner
DO NOT MISS The Online Waldorf Library's tremendous selection of Waldorf education books
converted into PDFs and available for FREE download! You can literally save $1000's of dollars!
Curriculum Planning
Little Bluestem Homeschool Co-op
2018-2019
This was the main lesson block plan for our combined 3rd/4th grades:
September - Local History & Geography
October - Spelling & Grammar (Structured Word Inquiry, Montessori Grammar symbols)
November - Maths of Practical Life (Time, Temperature, Mass & Volume)
December - Class Play (Great Artists: "The Fantastic Art Show")
January - Zoology I
February - Tall Tales (Local Industry)
March - Fibers & Clothing
April - Maths of Practical Life (Currency)
May - Zoology II
Little Bluestem Homeschool Co-op
2019-2020
This was the main lesson block plan for our combined 3rd/4th grades:
September - Landforms & Water Features
October - Grammar (Structured Word Inquiry, advanced Montessori Grammar symbols)
November - Fractions
December - Class Play (Hawaiian Mythology: "Legends of Hawai'i")
January - Norse Mythology I
February - Farming & Gardening
March - Personal Narratives
April - Linear Measurement & Coordinate Graphing
May - Norse Mythology II
Resources & Recommendations Specific to Fourth Grade
Literature & Composition
Mathematics
Form Drawing
Norse Mythology
Local History & Geography
Man and Animal
General Resouces
Handwork
The classic Handwork theme for this year is counted cross-stitch. There are lots of kits and
sources of patterns. I love these FREE alphabets (PDF) from Yarn Tree.
A nice first project is to do initials (my favorite alphabet is on pages 5-7). Have the children transfer the desired letter patterns to graph paper first
so they can get a sense of how the whole is made up of the parts. I like decorating these sturdy white burlap shopping bags with the child's initials.
 
Drawing, Painting, Modeling
Class Plays
Handwork: Embroidery & Cross-Stitch
These were the books Natalie used:
Is there a subject you're having a hard time finding resources for? Please
contact the Yahoo Group for suggestions from our members or consider
hiring a consultant.
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