A Waldorf book list…

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I seem to take an immersion approach to new things that interest me. I read articles, critiques, blogs and of course as many books as I can get my hands on

And this has been the way of it with Waldorf too.

There are so many lovely and inspiring books about Waldorf. Ones about parenting, child development, Waldorf teaching and Waldorf crafts.

{Mmmm, the craft books… I will have to write a whole post devoted to those…}

But for now, here are my 5 favourite Waldorf books

#1 Beyond the Rainbow Bridge

By Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley

A wonderful starting place for learning about Waldorf. This book explains the gentle parenting approach that Waldorf inspires, by using rhythm, simple toys, less haste and respectful discipline.

Patterson also includes questions from the parent-child classes (playgroups) she has ran, with helpful suggestions for parents to try.


#2 You Are Your Child’s First Teacher

By Rahima Baldwin Dancy
For a deeper exploration of Waldorf and how it may be placed within our culture as a way to parent, Rahima Dancy provides a thoughtful and helpful resource.

You Are Your Child’s First Teacher includes useful discussion about academic vs play based learning, school readiness, and parenting challenges like returning to work.


#3 School as a Journey
By Torin M. Finser

This book brings us the story of Waldorf teacher, Torin M. Finser and the journey he took with his class. It is an inspiring story showing the dedication, creativity and warmth of Waldorf teachers.

As a parent considering Waldorf education, this book gave me a great deal of comfort. Finser also illustrated the wonderful relationship between teacher, student, family and school community.


#4 Heaven on Earth
By Sharifa Oppenheimer

For a handbook of Waldorf inspired ideas to incorporating into your home, Heaven on Earth is a valuable resource. From how to develop a rhythm that works for your family to how to celebrate festivals as a family.

This is a beautiful book that I like to return to for inspiration often.


#5 Simplicity Parenting
By Kim John Payne
Although not marketed as a ‘Waldorf’ book, Simplicity Parenting shares many of the same ideas about parenting and healthy, happy children (and is recommended reading for many new parents to Waldorf schools).

This is a book I revisit and with increasing lightness, continuously try to simplify our home, toys, books and lives.

Have you read these books? Did you like them?
What are your favourite Waldorf books?

Warmly, Kelly


This post was part of the series
β€˜How to bring Waldorf into your home…’
by Kelly of Happy Whimsical Hearts

You can see more from this series here.

 

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20 Comments

  • Reply Carrie September 20, 2013 at 5:44 am

    The only one I haven’t at least flipped through is Heaven on Earth. I loved the others though. They give a great view of Waldorf Education philosophy.

  • Reply Janet Maddox September 20, 2013 at 9:34 am

    Thank you for sharing your list of books. I am interested in learning about Waldorf education and putting a few ideas into practice where I work.

  • Reply Be A Fun Mum September 23, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    I haven’t heard of these before. Thanks for sharing.

  • Reply Rachel Brown September 23, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    I really need to read Simplicity Parenting. So many inspirational bloggers (including you now) have suggested it. Thank you for this great list πŸ™‚

  • Reply Rez P September 23, 2013 at 11:38 pm

    Thanks for this list, I want to read ‘you are your child’s first teacher’ but haven’t heard of the others

  • Reply katef September 24, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    I really want to read Simplicity Parenting too… I wish my library had it.

  • Reply Eva - The Multitasking Mummy September 24, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    Thanks for sharing. I wish I had more time to read!

  • Reply Danya atDanyaBanya September 25, 2013 at 4:22 pm

    I haven’t read any of these so thanks for the suggestions. πŸ™‚

  • Reply Bekka Joy September 25, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    Looking forward to looking into these books more.. Thanks so much for this series! Such a valuable resource to have all this information in one happy place! x

  • Reply Kate Gribble September 25, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    I tend to take an immersion approach to learning too πŸ™‚ I haven’t read them but I’ve heard good things about the first two. I would be interested to know what You are Your Child’s First Teacher says about academic vs play-based learning.

  • Reply Kate Grono September 25, 2013 at 11:41 pm

    That looks like a great list, I immediately want to read a few of them. I love reading but rarely find the time πŸ™‚

  • Reply Chelsea September 26, 2013 at 10:03 am

    I have a few of these but would love to check out the others – thanks for sharing!

  • Reply Penny Whitehouse September 27, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    A beautiful little book list. I love books, so I’ll be looking at the library this week for a couple of them!

  • Reply pauline@lessonslearntjournal.com September 27, 2013 at 6:35 pm

    Thanks for the recommendation. Look forward to adding some to my wish list πŸ™‚ xo P

  • Reply Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky September 28, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Thanks for these great resources. Ill add them to my reading list.

  • Reply Deborah Alter-Rasche September 29, 2013 at 11:11 am

    Thanks for compiling this list and your thoughts on the books. Very useful indeed πŸ™‚

  • Reply Kate Lloyd September 29, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    I’m learning so much for your series. Thank you Kelly. I’ve pinned this a few times. πŸ™‚

  • Reply Caz September 29, 2013 at 8:02 pm

    I have only read #2, writing down the names of the others so I can check them out too! Very helpful list, thank you.

  • Reply Jodie Clarke September 30, 2013 at 8:43 am

    What a great list Kelly! Pinning and wishing I had the time to read some of them right now!!

  • Reply Waldorf books for inner work ~ Happy Whimsical Hearts June 20, 2016 at 12:41 pm

    […] more inspiration, you can see my Waldorf book list here and some of my favourite Waldorf craft books […]

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