Trialling Block Lessons

We have been trialling something a little different lately. After a long discussion with a friend we have been inspired to look at a block lesson approach. This is a very common concept in Steiner/Waldorf schools, their main lessons generally cover writing and reading, arithmetic and studies of their environment. These are done in blocks lasting three to four weeks focusing on a specific subject.

I have been feeling for a while that our learning has become too ‘schooly’ it was missing a natural rhythm and in fact I was becoming a clock watcher, racing to fit everything into our day. I didn’t like this at all, Charlotte Mason had believed and taught that we are “educated by our intimacies” and frankly we didn’t have enough time to stop and become “intimate” with any of our subject matter.

Therefore my quest to re-discover our joy of learning. On a practical note I adapted the block lesson approach(I have accepted that I always have to adapt) to look like this during our pre-morning tea seatwork time: Mondays and Tuesdays, maths. Wednesday- Fridays Language Arts. We now have one and a half to two hours per day to focus on subject matter. It is going really well, well the maths days in particular are. In those two days we accomplish a week’s work, but more importantly one son in particular who hated maths, procrastinated and distracted everyone, who would only do his work if his mother held his hand, way past an an understood age has had a complete turn around. He will now work independently, confidently and diligently!!! He is even doing extra work beyond what I require! This is absolutely incredible, it is in fact a miracle.

Our trial is indeed a success:) Our Language Arts days still need fine tuning but I am confident of succeeding.