LO is still too young for school, but I figure it's not too early to start researching what kind of education I'd like her to have.

Hi! Welcome to the board! We don't follow all of the Waldorf philosophies, but we do incorprate some of them. Handwork, verses, play with natural toys and time outdoors are great forms of fun and learning...

we are unschooly waldorfers :)

I am kinda still Waldorf. Actually, I'm surprised at how Waldorf I am still :D

I am a former Waldorf parent. I miss it. DD did 3.5 years at Waldorf.

We are!! We have an awesome school here in Portland,

I had a few questions for parents that sent their children to Waldorf schools. Would any of you be open to answering some ?'s based on your experiences?

Sure.

As a parent, how did you feel about no media/delayed reading? Do you have a religious background/are you a Christian family? If so, did you feel any creepy vibes? What do you think your child gained from Waldorf education? Do you think it's a great school for the early years or (if money is no barrier), would you send him/her to K-8 or even K-12?

I am a Waldorf parent to 4 kids.

Enjoy your journey!

Edited to add: I should amend that to let you know I am a Waldorf homeschooling mama, but can also answer any curriculum questions you might have.

Blessings!

As a parent, how did you feel about no media/delayed reading? Do you have a religious background/are you a Christian family? If so, did you feel any creepy vibes? What do you think your child gained from Waldorf education? Do you think it's a great school for the early years or (if money is no barrier), would you send him/her to K-8 or even K-12?

The delayed reading is one "rule" I really disagree with and that would not have worked with our girls. Kaya was reading just as she turned 4 and is 5 now and reading at a second grade level and is just about to lose a tooth.

Not sure what you mean by "creepy" vibes, do you care to elaborate?

at least read a little Steiner... it is really hard to impart some of the "whys" behind the method without understanding where he was coming from. There is a great free way to get Steiner if you like listening rather than reading rudolfsteineraudio dot com has many of his lectures on education that he put together for the teachers of the first school. They are very insightful with many of his reasoning behind why he believed some things like delayed reading, etc.

Also, it is important to note that while the method might seem really Christian from one stand point, if you look deep into the curriculum you will see that by grade three they are studying the Jewish faith and Native Americans, by grade four Norse, grade five opens up a whole new door with the Hindu faith and many others that pull many things together. It becomes easier to see similarities in the world's views rather than separations.

You'll have to excuse my spelling! I am in a rush.

As a parent, how did you feel about no media/delayed reading? Do you have a religious background/are you a Christian family? If so, did you feel any creepy vibes? What do you think your child gained from Waldorf education? Do you think it's a great school for the early years or (if money is no barrier), would you send him/her to K-8 or even K-12?

I was fine with the delayed reading because I understand the reasons behind it. I will admit it was hard sometimes to deal with the pressure from family members on why my daughter couldn't read yet in the 1st and 2nd grade. But by the time she was 7, she was reading well and now at 10, she is years ahead of her peers in reading comprehension and skill.

I don't have a religious background and felt that at the schools we attended, the religion aspects didn't come into play much (except in teaching about them).

I never got any creepy vibes from Waldorf. What do you mean by that?

If we were still living in Hawaii, my daughter would still be going to Waldorf. She's about to be in the 5th grade. The Waldorf there went up to grade 12 and I would have loved to see her graduate from that school.

If you are thinking about sending your child to Waldorf, visit the school. I have found that every school is different. The one in Hawaii was a perfect fit for us. The community was tight-knit, lots of parental involvement and just an all around loving atmosphere. When we moved to NC, the school was very different. While it was a nice school, I felt like the teacher didn't really click with us, nor did she make much of an effort to so I ended up pulling my daughter out of that school after 2 months and homeschooled her for the rest of the year.

The delayed reading is one "rule" I really disagree with and that would not have worked with our girls. Kaya was reading just as she turned 4 and is 5 now and reading at a second grade level and is just about to lose a tooth.

Not sure what you mean by "creepy" vibes, do you care to elaborate?

Our Waldorf school didn't discourage early reading, they just didn't teach it either. There were several kids in my DD's 1st and 2nd grade class who were already reading way before the others.