Here are random thoughts about Letter Order; compiled from previous conversations between me and Deb.

I received a package from the Steiner Library today in response to my request for books regarding making a connection to both the letters of the Alphabet and handwriting in specific.

Here is what they sent...I'll give a 'book report' later! :)

"Rudolf Steiner: Teaching Language Arts in the Waldorf School: A Compendium of Excerpts from the Foundations of Waldorf Education Series" Compiled by Roberto Trostli (big, thick book over 300pgs)

"Learning to Write and Read" by Roy Wilkinson (a very small 7 page pamplet)

"The Alphabet: An Expression of the Mystery of Man" by Rudolf Steiner (a small booklet containing this lecture 16 pages)

"Teaching Children Handwriting" by Audrey McAllen (just flipping through..this looks very intriguing...about 145 pgs; available through ASWANA on their website)

I'll let you know what I think!

Hi All,

I finished H. Potter and am now about half-way through with Audrey McAllen's book, "Teaching Children Handwriting"; which I just noticed yesterday is sold on Bob and Nancy's site.

This book is GREAT!! It is written for beginning Waldorf teachers, and is intended to pull together the bulk of information from Steiner's lectures on the subject for teachers to have in one place; in addition to McAllen's personal experiences on the topic.

It is pulling together how handwriting and form drawing support each other; it also goes in-depth into the 'hows' and 'whys' of a 2-3week form-drawing block at the beginning of Grade One. (a short digression) I would love to hear more about Barbara Dewey's thoughts about Form Drawing being a spiritual practice more suitable for once a week practice (thanks for mentioning this Lea!), and I may buy her book.
Also...McAllen's book talks at length about the orientation of the movement onto to the paper...and how the different orientations appeal to different qualities (i.e. Thinking, Feeling, Willing). An interesting thing for me...is that the way that Beth shows to write the straight line and the circle for the 'Little Falcon' story is (according to McAllen) putting the orientation in the 'Thinking'
realm...I'm considering that I may want to skip this with Nathan and just make up a different story that uses the shapes in a feeling or willing realm?

In an earlier conversation...Deb and I had mentioned that Steiner has a specific order in which he recommends the letters be introduced. I just read this sentence in McAllen, "Steiner has given a sequence of the consonants which work as forming, creative powers into the life-forces of the human being. If we contemplate the single sounds of the alphabet in this way; we ourselves can come to an idea of how the soul-spirit of the child works on herself as an embryo, each consonant sounding within the mother's organism and working from there as growth/construction powers in the fetus." I'm finding this fascinating...and will see if I find more about this.

McAllen makes very clear why Steiner believed the consonants should be introduced before the vowels (the consonants are inspired by the outside world...whereas the vowels are inspired by the human being's inner experience of the world). Take care everyone!

Kimberly

I am not (after a great deal of thought, e-mails with Blake Sutton and scouring the Enki website) using the Enki curriculum. Mainly because I had to essensially order $900 of materials, some of which I know (based on last year's experience in a Waldorf school) won't work for Stephania. That said, I really, really want to incorporate form drawing into our day.

Does anyone have recommendations (besides Enki which I cannot buy separately) for form drawing books? I would be very grateful.

Natalia

I have Form Drawing Grades 1 - 4 by Laura someone (at Bob and Nancy's) and Donna Simmons Intro to form drawing at the same place.

(And totally understand your decision to not buy... I sure hope that you find current Enki users open and helpful no matter what you are doing ...)

The Form Drawing by Niederhauser and Frohlich appears to the tomb of Form Drawing pedagogy; I haven’t done more than flip through it yet.

The Form Drawing: Grades One through Four appears to be simpler in content than the above, but more in-depth than Donna’s book...additionally, it has wonderful clear drawings of the forms.

Creative Form Drawing Workbook 1 by Rudolf Kutzli is (comparatively) the largest book, and appears to have alot of pedagogical information including using Form Drawing to work with the temperaments. I’ve had this book for years, and haven’t done more than flip through until now (when I started to read it 3yrs ago...it made my eyes roll back in my head because I wasn’t prepared!). There are many, many drawings...but my one criticism is that the drawings are not very clear.

I still keep going back to ‘Teaching Children Handwriting’ by McAllen. I just love how clearly she brings together all of the elements...neurological, pedagogical, esoteric.

As I work my way through these books, I’ll keep everyone informed about what I find. :)

Peace,