Over the past 25+ years, Patti and Janet have supported the Waldorf movement as class teachers, mentors to teachers of every grade (and many special subjects), instructors at Rudolf Steiner College and/or The Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, pedagogical administrators, school consultants, and teacher evaluators. In addition to our experience, we are excited to be adding Tim’s wealth of wisdom in the middle school grades and administration to this site.
The three of us began our class teaching as cohorts at Cedar Springs Waldorf School in Placerville, California in the 1990’s. Our first time through as class teachers at CSWS, we were blessed to have experienced, creative mentors from nearby Waldorf schools and Rudolf Steiner College supporting us.
We are committed to supporting you, our fellow Waldorf educator, with this website and our consulting services. Within the website you will find teaching gems and ideas that we have been gifted or that we created ourselves. We see much of the content here as the gift of our students’ angels… and as you will see when looking at the different sections, they provided us with a lot of guidance!
Since these ideas were gifts to us, we offer them to you in the same vein- perhaps some of them will provide you with that “Ah-ha” feeling that you have come across just the right idea at the right time.
Please feel free to explore this section if you would like to know more about our consulting offerings.
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After over 14,000 hours of research and writing (spanning over five years), Jennifer and Janet are so grateful that their book,The Roadmap to Literacy, is finding its way into the hands of hundreds of teachers here in the U.S. and numerous foreign countries. They are even more excited to hear back from those teachers about their experience with the book. Below are some excerpts they wished to share:
“I have taken two classes through eighth grade and I have to say this book has rocked my world. My second graders are progressing so well. They love kid writing and cheer when we have reading groups!" - Lori Ann Kran, PhD, Cincinnati Waldorf School
I have spent almost every night crawled up in bed with your book... To me, it reads like a bestseller. Your book is a game changer. I am so deeply grateful for your admonition that we have a responsibility to teach skills. Again, thank you so much for this valuable contribution to our work as educators.” - Felicity Far, Educational Support Coordinator Lake Champlain Waldorf School
What a fantastic tome of needed common sense, excellent research and application, and above all, inspiration! Thank you for the years of focus to pull it all together for us. My daughter, a new teacher, received her copy and if she is not sleeping with it under her pillow, it is at least, close by. What a resource! - Anna Rainville, author of Singing Games, mentor and trainer of Waldorf Teachers
You have put together a truly amazing resource. I’ve never seen any Waldorf related book this comprehensive and practical. It is truly a gift that you’ve created. This book isn’t just a roadmap, but a comprehensive resource that guides teachers in such a way that they are freed up to teach with greater inspiration and creativity because they aren’t bogged down with gathering basic information. - Anais Alexander, Teacher Corvalis Waldorf School
I just started your book today and I cannot put it down! Two colleagues and I have been pondering this exact topic... when lo and behold, I stumble upon your website and your book. This is exactly what our language curriculum has needed for a long time. - Natasha Zimmerman, class teacher Whidbey Island Waldorf School
Every Waldorf teacher needs this book. I appreciate all the thorough background info you provide on the stages of literacy development as a recapitulation of English development throughout history and how it connects with Steiner's indications. Really, really good stuff! As a literacy specialist, I also appreciate the "Sacred Nothings" section… I like how you articulate why some of these practices are not serving children. Thank you for the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this. It was no small feat! Thousands and thousands of teachers and children are going to benefit from this book. - Rebecca Hipps, Waldorf literacy specialist and Founder of Story Seedlings
A break-through….an essential resource for every Waldorf teacher who wants to ensure that good reading takes place in his or her class! - Bonnie River, M.Ed., Co-founder Gradalis Teacher Training Program
An incredible compilation of Waldorf and public-school methods that can be used both by private Waldorf teachers and public-school teachers. - Bethany Chaffin, M.Ed., Administrator, San Diego County Teacher of the Year, 2014
This book will be a bible for early grades teachers! Educators will have everything they need to teach early literacy in one easy-to-use reference. - Heather Handy, M.Ed., Class Teacher and School Mentor
The Roadmap to Literacy is an invaluable guide for all Waldorf teachers. It clearly outlines a comprehensive approach to the unique challenges of teaching reading in English. - Carla Beebe Comey, M.Ed., Waldorf Teacher Education Program, Antioch University New England
The following are some of the comments from a group of 1st and 2nd grade homeschooling parents on Facebook:
I have owned nearly every Waldorf Homeschool curriculum on the market, and most of the Waldorf teacher resources as well… none of them provide the depth and breadth of language arts instruction for grades 1–3 as The Roadmap to Literacy. The specificity, I think, is something that has been sorely needed—you clearly lay out both the skill progression as well as the “how-to”. Finally, a complete LA resource! - Amanda, homeschool parent
I can say Roadmap has been such an amazing help for me. I feel like I know what I'm doing teaching reading and writing to my 1st grader...
[The Roadmap to Literacy] has been invaluable in helping me help my 6th grader with her spelling and writing. We’ve been doing phonics lessons together with her 3rd grade sister and both girls have improved tremendously!
The Roadmap to Literacy is invaluable!!!!
I am going to highly, highly recommend it [The Roadmap to Literacy] to everyone, but especially those starting with first. I have just finished the section on introducing letters and I could have avoided MANY of the issues my older son has with letters, sounding out words, writing, etc, if I would have known these suggestions… I can't say enough about this resource.
It makes so much sense on how to teach reading!
The Roadmap to Literacy has really filled in the blanks for me on what I should be teaching and in what order.
Teaching Literacy for Grade 1
June 14-17, 2021
9:00 am-3:00 pm PDT (U.S. West Coast time)
Presented by: Janet Langley, co-author of The Roadmap to Literacy* Patti Connolly, Waldorf mentor teacher of 30 years
Guest presenter: Anna Rainville, Waldorf mentor teacher of 40 years
Course Fee: $360 USD (add $25 late fee after May 15, 2021)
This course will include content from The Roadmap to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 1 through 3* by Janet Langley and Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl, as well as information based on the presenters’ additional research and experience. Access to a copy of Roadmap will be necessary to maximize your workshop experience.
Workshop topics will be presented through lectures, demonstrations, physical activities, informative handouts, and group discussions. Topics will include the following:
Day 1: Overview of the foundations of literacy including a review of our 2-hour online video: Tough, Bough, Cough, and Dough: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching English (This is the introductory session for all workshops.)
Days 2-4: Instruction for teaching the essential aspects of Language Arts including:
Speech, vocabulary, and storytelling
Phonological and phonemic awareness
Alphabetic principle
Handwriting
Sight words
Phonics and phonics rules
“Writing Road to Reading”: Kid Writing
Language mechanics
Reading
This course will also include:
How to lead fun and effective practice activities to help students solidify skills and to help you assess their progress
How to use singing games and poems to help students practice concepts
How to differentiate lessons and how to help struggling students
Understanding the importance of assessment and how to regularly assess (the GPS of Roadmap)
How to plan your academic year and prepare comprehensive lesson plans that introduce new academic concepts in an imaginative and developmentally appropriate way
How to navigate and utilize The Roadmap to Literacy*
Additional Benefits available to you when attending one of our workshops:
Once you have registered, you will be invited to join our participants-only shared Dropbox folder, which has hundreds of free, valuable resources for teaching literacy.
After the conclusion of a day’s session, the recordings will be posted online, for a short period of time, so that you can view portions you had to miss or review portions you want to watch again.
If requested, we will furnish you with a course completion certificate for your professional development credits. The course entails a total of 20 hours of instruction, including the introductory video mentioned above.
Presented by: Janet Langley, co-author of The Roadmap to Literacy* Patti Connolly, Waldorf mentor teacher of 30 years
Guest presenter: Anna Rainville, Waldorf mentor teacher of 40 years
Course Fee: $360 USD (add $25 late fee after May 15, 2021)
This course will include content from The Roadmap to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 1 through 3* by Janet Langley and Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl, as well as information based on the presenters’ additional research and experience. Access to a copy of Roadmap will be necessary to maximize your workshop experience.
Workshop topics will be presented through lectures, demonstrations, physical activities, informative handouts, and group discussions. Topics will include the following:
Day 1: Overview of the foundations of literacy including a review of our 2-hour online video: Tough, Bough, Cough, and Dough: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching English (This is the introductory session for all workshops.)
Days 2-4: Instruction for teaching the essential aspects of Language Arts including:
Speech, vocabulary, and storytelling
Phonemic awareness
Cursive handwriting
Sight words, using symbol imagery and other techniques
Phonics and phonics rules
“Writing Road to Reading”: Kid Writing to Composition
Grammar and language mechanics
Spelling
Reading
This course will also include:
How to lead fun and effective practice activities to help students solidify skills and to help you assess their progress
How to use singing games and poems to help students practice concepts
How to differentiate lessons and how to help struggling students
Understanding the importance of assessment and how to regularly assess (the GPS of Roadmap)
How to plan your academic year and prepare comprehensive lesson plans that introduce new academic concepts in an imaginative and developmentally appropriate way
How to navigate and utilize The Roadmap to Literacy*
Additional Benefits available to you when attending one of our workshops:
Once you have registered, you will be invited to join our participants-only shared Dropbox folder, which has hundreds of free, valuable resources for teaching literacy.
After the conclusion of a day’s session, the recordings will be posted online, for a short period of time, so that you can view portions you had to miss or review portions you want to watch again.
If requested, we will furnish you with a course completion certificate for your professional development credits. The course entails a total of 20 hours of instruction, including the introductory video mentioned above.
Presented by: Janet Langley, co-author of The Roadmap to Literacy* Patti Connolly, Waldorf mentor teacher of 30 years
Guest presenter: Anna Rainville, Waldorf mentor teacher of 40 years
Course Fee: $360 USD (add $25 late fee after May 15, 2021)
This course will include content from The Roadmap to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 1 through 3* by Janet Langley and Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl, as well as information based on the presenters’ additional research and experience. Access to a copy of Roadmap will be necessary to maximize your workshop experience.
Workshop topics will be presented through lectures, demonstrations, physical activities, informative handouts, and group discussions. Topics will include the following:
Day 1: Overview of the foundations of literacy including a review of our 2-hour online video: Tough, Bough, Cough, and Dough: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching English (This is the introductory session for all workshops.)
Days 2-4: Instruction for teaching the essential aspects of Language Arts including:
Speech, vocabulary, and storytelling
Cursive handwriting
Phonics and phonics rules
Composition, including how to teach paragraph writing, letter writing, story summaries, etc.
Grammar and language mechanics
Spelling, including how to select and conduct a spelling program and how to use dictation for assessment
Sight words
Reading, including how to organize reading groups, establish a class library, and how to read non-fiction
This course will also include:
How to lead fun and effective practice activities to help students solidify skills and to help you assess their progress
How to use singing games and poems to help students practice concepts
How to differentiate lessons and how to help struggling students
Understanding the importance of assessment and how to regularly assess (the GPS of Roadmap)
How to plan your academic year and prepare comprehensive lesson plans that introduce new academic concepts in an imaginative and developmentally appropriate way
How to navigate and utilize The Roadmap to Literacy*
Additional Benefits available to you when attending one of our workshops:
Once you have registered, you will be invited to join our participants-only shared Dropbox folder, which has hundreds of free, valuable resources for teaching literacy.
After the conclusion of a day’s session, the recordings will be posted online, for a short period of time, so that you can view portions you had to miss or review portions you want to watch again.
If requested, we will furnish you with a course completion certificate for your professional development credits. The course entails a total of 20 hours of instruction, including the introductory video mentioned above.
Presented by: Janet Langley, co-author of The Roadmap to Literacy* Anna Rainville, Waldorf mentor teacher of 40 years
Course Fee: $360 USD (add $25 late fee after June 10, 2021)
This course will include content from The Roadmap to Literacy: A Guide to Teaching Language Arts in Waldorf Schools Grades 1 through 3* by Janet Langley and Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl, as well as information based on the presenters’ additional research and experience. Access to a copy of Roadmap will be necessary to maximize your workshop experience.
Workshop topics will be presented through lectures, demonstrations, physical activities, informative handouts, and group discussions. Topics will include the following:
Day 1: Overview of the foundations of literacy including a review of our 2-hour online video: Tough, Bough, Cough, and Dough: Meeting the Challenge of Teaching English (This is the introductory session for all workshops.)
Days 2-4: Instruction for teaching the essential aspects of Language Arts including:
Teach the basic language arts concepts and skills that students need to learn, including the essential phonics rules that serve as the foundation for learning to read, write, and spell
Provide guidance on how to teach English grammar
Prepare comprehensive lesson plans that introduce new academic concepts in an imaginative, lively, and developmentally appropriate way
Lead fun and effective practice activities to help students solidify skills and assess progress
How to navigate and utilize The Roadmap to Literacy*
Additional Benefits available to you when attending one of our workshops:
Once you have registered, you will be invited to join our participants-only shared Dropbox folder, which has hundreds of free, valuable resources for teaching literacy.
After the conclusion of a day’s session, the recordings will be posted online, for a short period of time, so that you can view portions you had to miss or review portions you want to watch again.
If requested, we will furnish you with a course completion certificate for your professional development credits. The course entails a total of 20 hours of instruction, including the introductory video mentioned above.