Seminars and Workshops for Waldorf School Groups
Workshops on Developmental Movement
16 Keys to Developmental Movement Needs
What are the developmental steps and goals that must be addressed through a
school’s program? How can all teachers participate?
EVENT TYPE Seminar/workshop
AUDIENCE Teachers
TIME 3 hours
When a grade-school child struggles with reading, or math, or focus; when a
child is nervous about school, acts out, or has begun self-defining as “not good at” academic areas, very often there are developmental steps to be filled in (and
that can be filled in). These interrelated areas of development create a
child's capacities or readiness for learning. Even though every child has a
unique spectrum of strengths and needs, there are 16 basic categories that
every teacher can use as a lens, and a guide to further support. For more
information,
—> see 16keys.pdf
Rough and tumble play
From first grade through eighth - curriculum and approaches
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop with lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, parents
TIME 1.5 hours
Rough-and-tumble play, a form of social engagement consisting of activities such
as play fighting, hitting, wrestling, and chasing with the intent of fighting,
is believed to constitute approximately 15% of all the vigorous physical play
observed in children. While it is not known why immature organisms engage in
such play, its primary function might be to allow children, and particularly
boys, to establish their status within a dominance hierarchy. This appears to
be the function of rough and tumble in other mammals, such as chimpanzees; it
is a relatively safe way to establish one’s status within the group without the risk of injury that may occur during
genuine aggressive acts. There is a correlation between the appearance of this
activity and the maturity of the frontal lobes of the brain. For more
information,
—> see values of play.pdf
“Zoo-Robics” Exercises and Postural Control
From first grade through eighth - curriculum and approaches
EVENT TYPE Lecture/seminar with audience discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, parents
TIME 1.5 to 2 hours
How much creeping and crawling does it take to prepare a child for school and
life? Many child development specialists believe that tens of thousands
(perhaps as many as 50,000) crawling type steps are needed to properly
myelinate the brain for academic readiness. Given today’s popularity of strollers, walkers, baby bouncers, backpacks, etc. it is
unlikely a modern infant/toddler will take that many crawling steps.
Audrey McAllen, a Waldorf school remedial teacher for many years, has suggested
many creeping and crawling exercises, based on her deep experience with the
early movement patterns and primitive reflexes of children from birth to age 3.
She describes these in her book The Extra Lesson and other publications on
child development. I will add to these, dozens of agilities, animal
imaginations and tumbling activities. For more information, —> see zoorobics.pdf
Games and movement for Grades 1-2-3
“Raiders of the Lost Art” (of play)
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop with lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, parents
TIME 1.5 hours
We will explore the foundations of healthy development that occur through
movement over time, and experience how these foundations can be joyfully built
through ‘old time’ schoolyard and backyard games once played by children all over the world. Many
of these activities are in books for teachers and recreation directors
published between 1910 and 1950. (Come prepared to have fun!) Workshop includes
techniques for sensory integration, specific academic goals.
Ball & Balance Activities
Activities to promote learning readiness and interpersonal connection
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop with lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, parents
TIME 1.5 hours
Individual tossing/catching activities strengthen fine motor control for vision,
spatial orientation, balance, sequencing, laterality, rhythm, and speech. Group
tossing activities additionally strengthen interpersonal attention. By adding a
balance component, deeper remedial issues (including contact disturbances) can
be helped.
Shaded Drawing
Strengthening the will, working with anticipation
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop
AUDIENCE Teachers
TIME 1.5 hours
In her description of the “Shaded Drawing Exercise”, Audrey McAllen points to the connection between the diagonal line and the
will, and notes that shaded drawing calls on attention and patience.
Participants will experience how to build up this skill progressively through
the grades, so that shaded drawing can be both a regular whole-class remedial
activity, a beautiful addition to Main Lesson Books, and an added tool for
recapitulating the introduction of the alphabet. For more information,
—> see shadeddrawing.pdf and diagonalshading.pdf
Painting Handwriting
A method of adding beauty and flow to writing
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop
AUDIENCE Teachers
TIME 1.5 hours
In June of 1921, Rudolf Steiner spoke to the teachers of the Waldorf School in
Stuttgart, as they were about to establish the first Waldorf tenth grade.
During the fourth lecture, Rudolf Steiner stated: "We really ought to get
people to write in a way that is akin to painting. Writing in that way is far
more hygienic." By this, I believe he was indicating a “painterly” style of handwriting (i.e. with a pen or pencil, not the use of a brush per
se.) However, in my opinion, the painting handwriting exercises in this
workshop are consistent with Steiner's advice. And in my experience, the effort
to provide students throughout the elementary grades with them, will be well
rewarded! For more information,
—> see writing.pdf
Copper Rod Exercises
Copper rod exercises serve the academic/developmental needs of grade school
children
EVENT TYPE Hands-on/experiential workshop with lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers
TIME 1.5 hours
Copper rod exercises enhance the physiologic development needed for writing and
reading: fine motor control through the radius and ulna
• Direction, rhythm and sequencing - related to math
• Proprioception and balance - one of the “Multiple Intelligences”
• Working with anticipation; social skills
© 2102 Jeff Tunkey • Revised 1/22/2012