Episode 201
Are you homeschooling fifth grade in your homeschool this year? This episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast is all about teaching your fifth grader ~ books, resources, supplies, features of a holistic Waldorf curriculum, and insights from my experience teaching my own kiddos and working with hundreds of homeschooling families.
This is part of a series where we’re diving deep into the ages and stages of each grade. We’re building a wonderful library for you to refer back to, again and again, whenever you need inspiration and guidance about Waldorf-inspired homeschooling in the grades. If you have a child in kindergarten or grades one through four, you’ll find links to those episodes below. And if you have a child in grade six or up, stay tuned as we release a new podcast in this series every month.
The fifth grade child is ten, turning eleven. He or she is right in the middle of the feeling stage of development between ages 7 to 14.
Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, observed three stages of child development. His teaching and learning indications are focused on meeting the developmental needs of children in each of the three stages, often referred to as willing, feeling, and thinking. Or hands, heart, and head.
Children in the feeling stage of development, from ages 7-14, learn best through heart-centered teaching. This is teaching which engages their imaginations and builds their connections to people, places, the world, and themselves.
If these stages of development are new to you, you might like Episode #126 of the podcast, Thinking, Feeling, Willing: 3 Ways Children Learn. This episode is all about creating a meaningful learning process through intentional, purposeful activity that meets children right where they are developmentally.
Homeschooling Fifth Grade
The fifth grade young person is rapidly approaching middle school and this year is all about balancing imagination and academics.
In many circles, this year is referred to as “the golden year.” Children tend to be enthusiastic about learning and ready for challenges while experiencing a sense of inner and outer balance in their bodies.
Your kiddo’s emotional and intellectual capacities are growing and it’s a wonderful year to start to introduce some independent learning and projects which include more choice and freedom.
Around fifth grade, I started giving my children a specific “challenge” for some of our blocks. Challenges included independently researching a topic related to our block topic and then presenting what they discovered in writing or an art project. I’d also assign a book for independent reading, often historical fiction related to what we were learning about that month.
When I think of my children as fifth graders, I remember their grace and their goodness during this golden age of childhood.
One of my favorite memories from homeschooling fifth grade was hosting a Greek Pentathlon for our eclectic homeschooling group.
Initially, I’d thought we would miss out on this traditional fifth grade activity because we weren’t part of a Waldorf school community.
But then I decided to create this experience on a smaller scale with a group of homeschooled kiddos. We met at a local park to practice the five sporting activities included in a traditional Greek Pentathlon.
Then we held our special event complete with an opening ceremony, competitive events, and a beautiful closing ceremony. It was a huge success and a lasting memory for our family and homeschooling community.
If you want to try something similar, I highly recommend Kim John Payne’s book, Games Children Play, which includes a section on staging your own Greek Pentathlon. (That’s my referral link.)
Highlights from a Waldorf-Inspired Fifth Grade Homeschool
Here are some highlights of a fifth grade holistic, Waldorf-inspired curriculum:
- The study of ancient cultures, both mythic and historic, from ancient India to classical Greece
- Botany
- Geography expanding from local and state to country and continent
- Decimals and math patterns
- Free-hand geometric drawing
You can get a free printable version of this overview of homeschooling fifth grade in the guide Ages & Stages: Waldorf-Inspired Grades at a Glance. This concise guide is a wonderful reference to have in your homeschooling library ~ be sure to grab your copy!
These block topics have become customary in Waldorf education, but I also want to mention that we as homeschooling parents get to choose what inspires us and meets our children’s needs.
Rudolf Steiner did not lay out the curriculum in such detail as to prescribe these topics and only these topics. Creativity, customization, and innovation are a keystone of Waldorf education.
If you want to hear more about the future of Waldorf homeschooling, please check out Episode 200: Ditching the Dogma in which Robyn Beaufoy of Waldorfish and I dive deep into the idea of identifying dogma within Waldorf education and innovating with intentionality and creativity.
Resources for Your Fifth Grade Basket
Some of the links below are my referral links which simply means that I may earn a commission from products you purchase via my links at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
What might you find in my homeschooling basket for grade five? Here are a few of my favorites!
- Botany course from Waldorfish ~ a favorite of members of my Inspired at Home community
- Geometry Lessons in the Waldorf School ~ a free ebook by Ernst Schuberth available at the Waldorf Online Library
- Charles Kovac’s Ancient Mythologies
- D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths
- Key to Fractions and Key to Decimals workbooks ~ I like these math books because they’re inexpensive, have a simple, non-distracting layout, and are good not only for teaching topics but also practicing concepts
- Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year ~ a sweet collection of poetry that could become a part of your morning routine
Supplies for Homeschooling Fifth Grade
Here are some suggested supplies for your fifth grade basket:
- We had a lot of fun with the Make Your Own Papyrus Kit from Rainbow Resources!
- You’ll want to have main lesson books with lined pages for the increased writing demands of the curriculum, or your child can write on loose leaf lined paper and paste into your main lesson book.
- Sticky notes or index cards are super helpful to outline and organize longer pieces of writing.
- A fountain pen or erasable pen is fun if your kiddo is ready to graduate from writing with pencil.
Look to This Day!
In grades five and up, I liked choosing an opening verse that was related to one of the cultures we were studying. In these grades, we’re not really doing “circle time” anymore (if you ever were). But it’s still a nice idea to do a short warm up that includes some movement, verse recitation, and even song.
During your studies of Ancient India, you may learn and recite the translation of an ancient Sanskrit verse Look to This Day!
This poem offers a gentle introduction to the idea of mindfulness, which is perfect for this very full year, poised between the growth and development of the early elementary years and the turbulent emotions of the adolescent years.
The reminder to live in the present and enjoy one moment at a time is developmentally appropriate for the ten or eleven year old and a wonderful reminder for mom and dad, too.
Below is the translation that is most often presented to kiddos. And here is one of many other translations.
Look to This Day! A Poem from Ancient India
Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
Yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day!
Fifth grade is a magical year! You can really begin to go deeper into history, scientific observation, problem-solving, research, and writing.
I loved seeing my children begin to embrace the learning in new ways. I remember my oldest researching hieroglyphics and meticulously writing his name with them over and over again. My middle son loved drawing maps of all the ancient civilizations. And my youngest was fascinated by the history of the Olympics.
Looking back, fifth grade is a time when you really begin to see your child’s unique personality blossoming.💜
Navigating through the Ages and Stages of Waldorf-inspired Homeschooling
Find a ✨FREE✨ printable guide to the ages and stages of Waldorf-inspired homeschooling HERE!
The Ages & Stages Guide: Waldorf-Inspired Grades at a Glance is an invaluable resource for your homeschooling reference library! It offers highlights and main lesson topics from each grade, kindergarten through grade eight.
And don’t miss the previous episodes in this Ages & Stages series:
- Kindergarten ~ Episode 182: The Kindergarten Basket
- First Grade ~ Episode 185: The First Grade Basket
- Second Grade ~ Episode 187: The Second Grade Basket
- Third Grade ~ Episode 192: The Third Grade Basket
- Fourth Grade ~ Episode 197: The Fourth Grade Basket
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