Kytka’s Reviews: Spiritual Syllabus & Golden Beetle Books: Geneii of Language

Geneii of Language (was curriculum/math stories)

From the Prologue, “The miracle of words calls on the ego forces of the writer, speaker/listener, and reader – it calls on the Self. The potential in children for self-expression is enhanced by a comprehensive, consistent, and creative language education – this small manual is directed to these high ends.”

Like most of the Golden Beetles, the Geneii of Language is a small booklet, about 90 pages and about 5″ x 7′. It focuses on the language arts main lessons and middle lessons for the first and second grades. (more…)

How do I introduce the Letters of the Alphabet, Waldorf style?
Ask Kytka Archives: January 1, 2003

“I have come up with images, stories and activities for only about half of the alphabet. Is there an established Waldorf curriculum for this?”

Letter writing is presented in a lively pictorial way with the help of fairy stories. “S” may be a fairytale snake sinuously slithering through the grass on some secret errand. The teacher draws on the chalkboard, showing how the letter is embedded in the picture, how perhaps the W is hiding in the drawing of the waves. The children draw the letter in the air with their hands and on the floor with their feet; their whole being participates in the writing experience. Then the children make their own pictures of waves, and then W’s, creating an illustrated book as each letter is presented and experienced.

In Waldorf education, the letters are presented as pictures which appeal to the child’s imagination. In reality the letter is clothes in the picture…the picture is the key. All letters of the alphabet were once pictures themselves. Are pictures ever drawn on rigid lined paper? (And coloring books are NOT pictures!) Additionally, lower case letters came much later – so we ALWAYS begin with…

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Alan Whitehead of Spiritual Syllabus & Golden Beetle Books Speaks on Mains, Blocks and Middle Lessons

QUESTION: I just recently purchase 3 of Alan Whitehead’s SSS: Genii of Lanugage & Numeria (both for class 1&2) and A Steiner Homeschool? My question is this, Mr. Whitehead speaks of 3 lesson streams: mains, middles & blocks. I think most of us are familiar with the idea of a “main lesson” that lasts 3-5 weeks. It seems that at our local schools, other ongoing subjects are then organized for the late morning & afternoon hours (handwork, music, eurthymy, games, etc.) But Mr. Whitehead’s book seems to organize all the other subjects into the ‘middle’ or ‘block’ lesson (late a.m. and afternoon); and they rotate in their emphasis (such as numeracy, literacy, etc.) similarly to the main lessons. Do you know where I can get more info on this method? Is this method specific to Australia? Any feedback on pros/cons of organizing lessons in this manner?

ANSWER: Rudolf Steiner originally intended the sequential ‘main lesson’ system, as opposed to ‘period’ teaching, for all lessons…

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We are preparing to paint, do you have any painting or color verses or stories?
Ask Kytka Archives: November 11, 2001

I am happy you asked that – I have several as you can see…

There’s a bridge of wondrous light
Filled with colors shining bright
Red and orange, yellow, green,
The fairest colors ever seen,
Blue and violet, magic rose;
Down from heaven to earth it goes

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The Spiritual Syllabus Series is by far the most comprehensive catalogue of the Rudolf Steiner teaching program ever produced. There are approximately 50 teaching units detailed in each year – each usually taught in the 3-week ‘block’ system (as opposed to ‘period’ teaching) of from 23 to 30 hours. For instance, in the Class 3 and 4 Language book below, Logios, the ‘12 Points of Punctuation’ refers to a whole 30-hour unit, as does every other annotation. The books cover the four main academic strands of modern schooling. In the spirit of balance, so important in Steiner Education; these are Language; Maths; Social Studies; Science there are 24 books, 6 in each of 4 subject streams. These provide a full Steiner academic curriculum from Class 1 to 12.

Plus TWENTY SIX OTHER TITLES by Golden Beetle Books including (more…)