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July 25th, 2017 · Uncategorized

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L.4 4 A-C: Love of Language = Proficiency (#298)

September 13th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 298

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

LANGUAGE
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.A
Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.B
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.C
Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Vocabulary.  It’s an essential ingredient for proficiency in reading and writing, and there are many options for increasing it.  But the best, the very best, option is reading and more reading.  And growing a love of language through lots of language use, including the spoken word.

Playing with language, with the sounds, syllables, juxtapositions, and downright fun of it, is always important, but especially so for the fourth grader.  The Waldorf fourth grader is inundated with intricate, complex trickster literature.  Traditionally, the Norse Myths are the preponderant source, but cross-cultural tales offer a wealth of material as well.

The Math By Hand trickster tales center around the North American Indian’s Coyote. Raven, and Rabbit, the African Ijapa the Tortoise, and the Middle Eastern Nasrudin tales, among many others.  As the fourth grader moves further and further from the innocence of the garden of childhood, it becomes imperative to build a foundation of strong values and discernment.

The trickster tales, like the fables for the second grader, provide the means to recognize good and evil as they exist side by side in the world, and to discern the rewards and consequences of both.  Thus, a dimensional moral life is built through experience, and language becomes the vehicle for so much more than technical knowledge or expertise.

Of course, more pedantic tools can be used during the language skills period that takes place after the main lessons in other subjects.  Because subjects are taught in blocks, it’s necessary to keep up skills in language arts and math during these intensives.  So imaginative exercises for discovering word roots and meanings, or how to use tools like the dictionary or thesaurus, can be devised.

But these practical endeavors should never be allowed to take up time in the main lesson.  It should be apparent that only meaningful content is given the focus and depth that the main lesson provides.  Recitation and memorization of classic (and often humorous) verses, limericks, poetry, songs, etc. afford another valuable opportunity to grow and foster a vibrant love of language.

Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in next blog post as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.   Here is a poem from the collection of verses found in the Math By Hand Grade 4 Binder, the classic, “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll:

Jabberwocky

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

COYOTE

 

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L.4 3: Life Learning As A Priority (#297)

May 28th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 297

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

LANGUAGE
Knowledge of Language:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.A
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.B
Choose punctuation for effect.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.C
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).

“In context” is the overall catch phrase of Waldorf Education.  All of the above are well and good, worthy additions to any language arts curriculum.  But when concepts like these are taken out of context and isolated in a worksheet format or an online “fun” drill, the child’s world is fragmented, scattered.  And as such, the microcosm reflects the macrocosm, again.

All of the above can and should be taught secondarily, in the context of the broader curriculum.  So as the student begins to write more independently now, s/he naturally reflects the structure of the classic stories and poems that have been offered all along.  A rich panorama unfolds through stories and literature, and their structure and integrity find a way, naturally, into the student’s fledgling, independent writing.

The stages of childhood can be seen as a series of deaths, as more and more of the child’s native innocence is left behind.  The Norse Myths effectively carry this concept as goodness and innocence is “killed” in the person of Baldur, the God of Light.  Evil often wins in the world, and the fourth grader learns the integral weaving of dark and light through these stories.  Notice how the mood of grieving the loss of goodness is captured in this chalkboard drawing, “The Death of Baldur” by Tara DeNatale (from the website, Chalkboard Drawings in the Waldorf Classroom).

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These vital life lessons must take a back seat to any disconnected details of learning.  Each child knows this as true, and is strengthened by the teacher/parent’s recognition of this as an essential priority.  Trust is once again, key.  Immerse your children in the integrity of our cultural history, along with lots of complex recitation, drama, storytelling, and lively debate.  The details will surely follow.

Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in next blog post as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.   

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L.4 1-2: Hearing & Reading Great Stories & Literature = Excellent Writing Skills (#296)

April 26th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 296

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

LANGUAGE
Conventions of Standard English:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.A
Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.B
Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.C
Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.D
Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.E
Form and use prepositional phrases.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.F
Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.G
Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.A
Use correct capitalization.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.B
Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.C
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.D
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Learning to read and write may be thought of as topsy turvy compared to most public, private, and home school methods.  Here is an excellent overview from the website “Why Waldorf Works” as a rationale for the wisdom of listening to great literature from Kindergarten on, being the best lead in to acquiring excellent reading and writing skills.

Learning to read is an entire process with many contributory facets, and Waldorf Education undertakes reading instruction in almost the opposite way that it is introduced in most schools across the nation Indeed, the foundation for reading instruction is laid already in the kindergarten. 

In the United States, the mainstream approach to reading has been to introduce decoding skills as the first step in the reading process. This entails memorizing the alphabet and its corresponding sounds through repetitive drills and then linking these sounds together to read simple words and sentences. This is the approach that is built into early readers. You probably remember: “See Dick run. Run, Dick, run. Run, run, run.”, or some similar type of reading material when you were in school. Because the content of these early readers must be very simple to restrict words to those that can be easily sounded out, teachers are forced to wait until the middle and upper elementary years to work on more sophisticated texts. Then teachers must work hard to improve comprehension since the pupils at this age have already moved beyond the phase of where imaginative thinking is at its peak. 

There is a second concern about teaching reading skills in this sequence. This approach is difficult for many young children because, in many cases, their eye muscles have not matured to the point where they can track properly on a page. Thus, a number of children will be labeled as slow or remedial readers simply because their eyes may not have matured as early as other children. 

Waldorf Education approaches reading instruction from an almost opposite direction specifically so that instruction is synchronous with the development of children. Reading is much more than recognizing sound/symbol relationships. For true reading to occur, there must be a corresponding inner activity that takes place as the child decodes words: that is, the child must form an inner picture of what he or she is reading so that comprehension develops. The rich life of the imagination is most potent in a child during kindergarten and early elementary years and is present at the same time that the child’s sense for the sound and rhythm of language is at its peak. 

To capture these capacities at the time that they are most present in the child is the rationale for a foundation of reading that begins first with spoken language. The rich language of fairy tales, the pictorial imagery of songs and poems and the desire of the young child to listen to stories and repeat rhymes and sing songs all become the basis for a language arts curriculum through which a child may come to love “the word”. Imagine how much more complex and imaginative are the stories to which a child may be introduced if they are orally presented rather than through the simplistic language of a reader. Imagine how much a child’s vocabulary can develop from listening to the content that the teacher brings. Imagine also how much more sophisticated a child’s understanding (comprehension) of the world can become through hearing the rich and complex language in the teacher’s presentations and stories. 

For all of these reasons, Waldorf students will be given a strong foundation in comprehension, vocabulary and in the sounds and meanings of their native tongue. Then students will be introduced to writing and spelling the letters and words that are part of their stories. And, as a final step, the students will read from their own texts describing the stories that they have heard. In this way, students have the proper time to develop all of the skills that are part of the complex skill of reading at the time when it is most appropriate for them to do so. When reading is approached in this way, children become voracious readers who love and understand what they choose to read.

Main lesson books in the Waldorf upper grades reflect this excellence.  See below for a page from the Honolulu Waldorf School’s 12th Grade block on the history and significance of architecture.  As always, knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.
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SL .4 4-6: Slow Growth = Phenomenal Knowledge In Grade 8! (#295)

March 7th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 295

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

SPEAKING & LISTENING
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.6
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. 

By the fourth grade, Waldorf students have had more than ample opportunity to practice all aspects of standard 4.4.  Verses are learned and recited by heart from Kindergarten on, until at the end of seventh grade, a full Shakespearean play is learned and performed.  Stories that are progressively more complex are told and then retold in great detail by students.  Students’ clear, well-paced speech is the result of exposure to and practice with many and varied forms of verse and prose.

Technology and media enhancements can wait, while many opportunities for visual display abound!  The main lesson books created by students contain a wealth of accumulated wisdom and knowledge, with pages as beautifully and carefully illustrated as medieval illuminated manuscripts.  Although not made explicit or conscious until much later, structure in writing and literature is well established from the first, so the main idea or theme is clearly understood.

A careful appreciation and respect for language and communication is so deeply ingrained from the first that the distinctions delineated in standard 6 occur quite naturally.  A reverence for all that’s learned engenders the healthiest, most genuine form of respect.  And this forms the very heart of Waldorf education.  For a glimpse into where it’s all going, here is an eighth grade main lesson book illustration of the Pythagorean Theorem from the Whidbey island Waldorf School.

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Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

The post SL .4 4-6: Slow Growth = Phenomenal Knowledge In Grade 8! (#295) appeared first on Math By Hand.

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SL.4 1-3: Storytelling & Recitation Teach Speaking & Listening (#294)

March 1st, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 294

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

SPEAKING & LISTENING
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D
Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.2
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

Waldorf students learn to speak and listen effectively from Kindergarten on.  Kindergartners arrive ready for vigorous play.  It’s play that’s heartfelt, joyful, and extremely purposeful, with an element of cooperation that requires excellent speaking and listening skills.  Circle time consists of elaborate movement, complex verses learned by heart, singing, and much more. The story is saved till last, and is the most focused part of the day, with all raptly listening.

All grades up until sixth grade retain the story form with pictures, and continue to learn and recite progressively more complex verse.  The story retell happens every day and is an excellent exercise in the kinds of speaking and listening listed above.  Students carefully listen to the story and are able to retell it the next day with totally detailed recall and accuracy.  They respectfully take turns speaking, building on what others have said, while continually paraphrasing, since all details and information contained in the story is mentally retained with no need for note taking.

As usual, the Waldorf method is diffuse and broad, since the content is always paramount, and all the skills necessary to learn said content are secondary.  Listening and speaking well and effectively happens quite naturally, with no need to directly learn techniques and/or rules.  This intricate form drawing, pinned by Dolly Oberti on Pinterest, is a prime example of presenting an idea or the essence of a story using diverse media.

 

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As always, knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

 

 

The post SL.4 1-3: Storytelling & Recitation Teach Speaking & Listening (#294) appeared first on Math By Hand.

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W.4 7-10: Waldorf As Daily & In-Depth Research (#293)

February 26th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 293

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9.A
Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9.B
Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text”).

Research is the be-all, end-all of Waldorf Education!  Every main lesson in every subject spans a broad scope of inquiry into that subject.  In a classroom setting, the class as a whole embarks on this journey of discovery, and in a homeschool setting the family and community form this nexus of inquiry.

My daughter’s high school homeschool study of US History included a conventional textbook as well as the excellent 10-book set by Joy Hakim, A History of US.  Ms. Hakim states her purpose as, “This is what I am trying to do: create textbooks that can be held to the same high standards as the best fiction and nonfiction.  If we want our children to read and think and do both well we need to give them great ideas to think about and good writing to make those ideas clear.”  Find a detailed description of all ten books here.

Also from Ms. Hakim, “”History is full of stories–true stories–the best ever. Those stories have real heroes and real villains. When you read history, you are reading about real-life adventures.”  And so it goes with Waldorf education: getting to the story that informs every area of life is most important.  So I guess what I’m saying here is that as a Waldorf-inspired student (or teacher), the element of research imbues every lesson.  No need to artificially create a research project just yet.  Time enough for the index cards and organized, formal writing after reason and logic arrive!

The depth of literary detail listed in standard 9A is also present in every Waldorf lesson.  Interest and enthusiasm form a structure and base that is unmatched by any other means.  The Latin roots of the word “interest” demonstrate this concept: inter, “in between” and est, “it is,” meaning that the most effective approach to learning about anything involves just this sort of relationship.  Standing on the bridge between self and world as an astute observer is perhaps the only way to really learn anything, while giving each subject its due respect and recognition.

As for standard 9B, reasons and evidence per se are beyond the ken of the fourth grader.  S/he will consistently experience both on a deeper level, but will not bring them to the surface completely and consciously until reason and logic arrive at age 12.

Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

The teacher is still the lens through which the fourth grader sees the world.  Human childhood is the longest among mammals for good reason.  The human brain needs to grow at its most advantageous pace, and rushing this growth pattern does not yield any advantage, on the contrary it can be most detrimental.  Creative writing occurs regularly, from fourth grade on, but is not quite as independent as this standard would have it.  Time enough for independence later on.  As with all things Waldorf, there’s absolutely no rush!

The wonderful chalkboard drawing below from Catie Johnson’s page, illustrates the fairy tale The Six Swans as an embodiment of the letter “S.”  At the same time it’s a glimpse into the realm of animals, planting a seed for deeper animal studies in fourth grade.  So you see that research starts at the very beginning and continues life-long.

Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

 

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W.4 4-6: Written By Hand, Produced & Published! (#292)

February 24th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 292

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

Production and Distribution of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 4
here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Starting with the last, Waldorf fourth graders are not yet using technology.  It’s delayed until sixth grade, aligned with the theory that until the age of reason (at 12) there are not sufficient resources to fully understand the nature of the mind-boggling advances in computers and other technology.

In spite of the fact that today’s children seem to be born with a computer gene, and that they need almost no instruction to get off to a running start with technology, research has shown that early computer use is detrimental to both mental and physical health.  Simple observation of a child under the age of 12 after prolonged exposure to screen time tells the tale: irritability, pale complexion, lack of energy, shortened attention span (and more) are the end result.

The idea that an early start is needed to be able to absorb the copious skills demanded by today’s job market and culture is mistaken.  When there’s a readiness for it, these skills can be acquired very rapidly.  Research has also shown that hand written note taking stimulates an area of the brain that makes learning more effective.  Laptop note taking in contrast, does not.

Waldorf students produce and publish writing regularly and consistently, from Grade 1 on.  Though there is a reliance on the teacher at first (written text is copied from the board into the students’ books), by mid fourth grade students are summarizing what they’ve learned in their books, with teacher guidance.

A word on teacher guidance: the Common Core standards specify “some guidance and support from adults” throughout the lower grades, along with a focus on peer interaction and collaboration.  This may be a fallacy, virtually impossible without sufficient maturity.  I’ve seen many Common Core videos of just such peer collaboration, but up until age 11 or 12 the children seem to be at a loss to fulfill this requirement.

There is no down side to the teacher being an authority for students.  True discipline arises from this sort of authority.  Children are disciples in the truest sense of the word: from the Latin discere, learner.  Independence arises when there’s enough maturity and readiness for it.

Editing for conventions can happen as an aside, in a skills period.  As previously stated, writing should be subordinate to its content.  Similarly, the mechanics of reading should take a back seat to the content of what is being read.  The challenging complexity of the English language is best learned through exposure, by reading as much and as often as possible.  Drills and tests are a comparatively weak means of teaching spelling. 

Jumping ahead two years to sixth grade will find students learning formal geometry with instruments.  It’s now possible for them to embrace more abstract concepts, but always integrated with the arts, beauty, and even a touch of philosophy.  Here are several main lesson Geometry book pages from the website, A Waldorf Journey.

 

CIRCLE
THREE
ANGLE

 

Note that while illustrations and text are technically correct, they also display a loving attention to detail and a close look at the essence of each concept.  The geometric drawings below are taken from the blog Natural Suburbia and beautifully illustrate the variety of form that can be found within a circle of 6.  Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

6-1

6-2

6-3

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W.4 1-3: Writing With Purpose (#291)

February 22nd, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 291

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

Writing instruction should be basic and methodical, with all its elements clearly defined.  It should be made clear however that writing is the servant of the content or subject matter.  Nothing is more boring than learning about tools for the sake of themselves.  If the subject is compelling and exciting enough, it provides the incentive for learning how to write about it.

In the Waldorf approach, enthusiasm is all.  Deep interest is the best teacher, and if the student is passionate about communicating what’s been learned, the tools and the means to do so will be found and acquired.  The main lesson is always devoted to the subject at hand: local geography, Norse mythology, zoology, math.  Writing is an essential part of all of these, and the tools needed to effectively communicate their essence are willingly learned.  Here are local geography main lesson book excerpts from Erinn Warton’s Pinterest page.

 

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Writing per se is usually not the focus of a main lesson block, though it is consistently present in every other main lesson subject block.  Mechanics can be taught quickly and easily, and this can usually be reserved for the skills period following the main lesson.  Over the course of the Grade 4 year, the students’ writing gradually becomes more independent.  Because the main lesson books are the students’ self-created textbooks, all the material in them should be accurate and well-written.  To this end, students could write rough drafts to be reviewed by the teacher before writing the content of the lesson in their books.

WRITING
Text Types and Purposes:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.A
Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.B
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.C
Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.D
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Students learn the essence of good writing from exposure to good literature, which happens consistently from Kindergarten on as stories are heard from many classic sources.  Extensive vocabulary and good structure are built this way, serving as efficient tools for excellent, successful, and persuasive communication.  Writing opinion pieces however, should wait until reason and logic are fully formed, at around age 12.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.B
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.C
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.E
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Every one of these elements is present in every main lesson book entry: clearly conveyed ideas and information through explanatory text, copious illustrations of literally everything studied and learned (without multimedia which is reserved for a later grade), related facts, definitions, and details, precise language and domain-speicific vocabulary.  Good, basic structure such as the introduction, elaborative paragraphs, and conclusion, with proper headings and other formatting, is used throughout.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.A
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.B
Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.C
Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.D
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.E
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Narrative writing may happen toward the end of Grade 4, when enough experience and ability has been garnered to enable good creative writing.  As with all things Waldorf, there’s no rush for this.  Ripeness is all.  Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

 

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RF.4 3-4: Reading Is So Much More Than Decoding (#290)

February 20th, 2015 · Common Core

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A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 290

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”

And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times. Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful.

The next series of posts will focus on Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Math By Hand integrates language arts with math, and though the Waldorf curriculum is taught in blocks, none of the subjects are really taught in isolation. Integration is key, and the ambient standards posted here will reflect that. The Common Core language arts standards are listed here in blue, followed by ambient language arts suggestions.

READING: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
Phonics and Word Recognition:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.3.A
Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Fluency:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.A
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.B
Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.C
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

In Waldorf methodology, reading is an afterthought.  In today’s test-driven environment, such a statement might be anathema, but it does ring true in context.  In Waldorf Ed, English Language Arts is just that.  The arts aspect of the language begins in Kindergarten and remains in the forefront through the grades.  The children are steeped in the art of the story, its complex structure and word usage, and layers of meaning.

Because vocabulary and language mechanics are best increased and/or learned though exposure and usage, children who hear great literature before they can read it themselves are at a distinct advantage over those who may be bored with watered down, grade-level reading.  In the end, the whole to parts approach is most effective and successful.

That said, after the proverbial fires have been lit and an enthusiasm for learning is present, a focus on spelling and morphology (approached in a lively, pictorial way of course) could be beneficial as an add-on.  Such an add-on could nicely supplement the block lesson schedule with daily language arts (and math) skills practice.

Most Waldorf students are happily reading by now, with an enthusiasm for it that’s been built through the grades.  Complex, classic poems are memorized and recited, along with the sort of playful, whimsical verses that seem to suit the somewhat rambunctious fourth grader’s temperament.  The following two verses, the first by Lewis Carroll, and the second by Anonymous, are good examples of this genre.

 

JABBERSPELL

Lightheartedness has sadly been replaced in our schools by rigor.  We must bring back arts, fun, and movement.  One of the most successful ways of integrating language arts is the class play.  Pine Hill Waldorf School second grade teacher, Caitlin Kennedy shared these thoughts regarding the virtues and advantages of producing and performing a class play.  Read the full article here.

“As the second grade basks in the afterglow of our performance, I am reminded of why we perform a yearly class play throughout the grades at Pine Hill. Play-acting develops clear speech and improved spelling, the use of meaningful gestures develops careful listening, and learning to move with ease about the stage enhances spatial orientation. Beyond this, putting on a show brings the class together as a whole, solidifies their social bonds, and creates a sense of community among all the children in the class. I watched this happen right before my eyes last year in first grade as the class came together for the first time. Truly, they have been a unified class ever since!

“This year I witnessed yet another and perhaps more important aspect to putting on a class play, namely the development of the will. There is a point in every production when the children are tired of the play, they already know the story and are ready for something new. Admittedly, sometimes the teacher also feels a longing for some fresh material as well! But when we persevere through the “doldrums” as a class, the children begin to strengthen their will forces. They begin to learn that while life for the most part is fun, there are times that call for just plain hard work. And through the experience of putting on a play, the children reap the reward of their hard work when the audience comes and the performances soar!

“The class has a palpable sense of accomplishment and capability now. We have completed our second play together and this has carried us into our first true writing block. We don’t do art for art’s sake at Pine Hill, but through the arts we develop the children’s capacities to a much fuller extent than any amount of homework or testing could ever do. Though it is hard work, I would not give up the class play for anything!”

It’s so much more than decoding!  A good language arts curriculum might resemble this Grade 4 form drawing: integrated, colorful, and whole.  As always, knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow as we continue to explore ambient counterparts to the CCSS language arts standards.

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