Home learning and the importance of rhythm

If you follow us on social media, you would have seen this beautiful excerpt from Freunde der Erziehungskunst (@freunde_waldorf) about “Learning Through Rhythm”.

“Human life is filled with rhythms. They play an essential role in all life processes and in processes of cognition as well. Every rhythmical exchange is at the same time a process of transformation. The air we breathe out is quite different from that which we breathe in. We can discover such moments of transformation in the child´s learning.

When writing, we no longer think of the struggles we had to learn the individual letters. All this has been forgotten and becomes the ability to write. This rhythm of remembering and forgetting can be used consciously by teachers to support the child´s learning. Waldorf education strives to support these processes not only through rhythm in movement, but also through teaching methods which take the rhythmical nature of learning into account.”

Rhythm has taken on a significance for us as we have transitioned our teachings to home learning during this uncertain time. In the Rainbow Class (Lower Primary), teacher Melissa Harvey, has encouraged establishing some comforting rhythms to ease children into this new way of learning.

In addition to the packs provided (including a new friend in Norman the Gnome) students are encouraged to start the day with a gentle three step process:

1. A morning audio circle, comprising of song, rhyme, gesture and movement;
2. Engaging in the class’s daily audio lesson to guide children through their daily activity;
3. Undertaking some basic book work.

This is a time when parents and children can connect and work through the learning package together. Past this, we are encouraging families to find their own daily rhythm, including creative endeavour and free play. This may take the form of cooking, working in the garden, gentle exercise or spending some quiet time with a book.

Despite the physical distance we are all experiencing, establishing these gentle rhythms can help us to remain connected, creative and together.