Skip to Content
Pepper & Pine
What is Waldorf?
Grades
Main Lesson Block
Art & Materials
Watercoloring
Handwork
Finger Puppets
Peg Dolls
Science
History
Math
Language & Literature
Form Drawing
Day in the Life
Curriculum
Tutorials
Hauls
Homeschooling
Surah Kahf
Ramadan
Hajj
Books
Homeschooling
Letters of the Alphabet
Appetizers
Salads
Main Dishes
Desserts
Drinks
Geometry Course
Companion of the Prophet
Quality of Numbers Course
Physics Course
Hajj Course
Watercolor
Letters of the Alphabet
Shop
About
Contact
Supporting
Table of Contents
Newsletter
Comments
Events
FAQs
0
0
Search 🔎
Pepper & Pine
What is Waldorf?
Grades
Main Lesson Block
Art & Materials
Watercoloring
Handwork
Finger Puppets
Peg Dolls
Science
History
Math
Language & Literature
Form Drawing
Day in the Life
Curriculum
Tutorials
Hauls
Homeschooling
Surah Kahf
Ramadan
Hajj
Books
Homeschooling
Letters of the Alphabet
Appetizers
Salads
Main Dishes
Desserts
Drinks
Geometry Course
Companion of the Prophet
Quality of Numbers Course
Physics Course
Hajj Course
Watercolor
Letters of the Alphabet
Shop
About
Contact
Supporting
Table of Contents
Newsletter
Comments
Events
FAQs
0
0
Search 🔎
Folder: Waldorf
Back
What is Waldorf?
Grades
Main Lesson Block
Art & Materials
Watercoloring
Handwork
Finger Puppets
Peg Dolls
Folder: Subjects
Back
Science
History
Math
Language & Literature
Form Drawing
Folder: Homeschool
Back
Day in the Life
Curriculum
Tutorials
Hauls
Homeschooling
Folder: Islam
Back
Surah Kahf
Ramadan
Hajj
Books
Homeschooling
Letters of the Alphabet
Folder: Recipes
Back
Appetizers
Salads
Main Dishes
Desserts
Drinks
Folder: Courses
Back
Geometry Course
Companion of the Prophet
Quality of Numbers Course
Physics Course
Hajj Course
Watercolor
Letters of the Alphabet
Shop
Folder: About
Back
About
Contact
Supporting
Table of Contents
Newsletter
Comments
Events
FAQs
Search 🔎
Thursday, May 29, 2025 | Day in the Life Homeschooling | When Will the Organization Be Done?!
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/29/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/29/25

Thursday, May 29, 2025 | Day in the Life Homeschooling | When Will the Organization Be Done?!

Welcome to our Thursday, May 29, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | Homeschool Vlog
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/28/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/28/25

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | Homeschool Vlog

Welcome to our Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Room Organization | Homeschool Day | Day in the Life | Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/27/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/27/25

Homeschool Room Organization | Homeschool Day | Day in the Life | Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Welcome to our Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Haul | Day Day in the Life Vlog | Monday, May 26 ,2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/26/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/26/25

Homeschool Haul | Day Day in the Life Vlog | Monday, May 26 ,2025

Welcome to our Monday, May 26, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Teaching Knitting | Friday, May 23, 2025 Homeschool | Day Day in the Life Vlog
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/23/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/23/25

Teaching Knitting | Friday, May 23, 2025 Homeschool | Day Day in the Life Vlog

Welcome to our Friday, May 23, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Thursday, May 22, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/22/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/22/25

Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Thursday, May 22, 2025

Welcome to our Thursday, May 22, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Astronomy & Waldorf Art Books | Wednesday May 21, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/21/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/21/25

Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Astronomy & Waldorf Art Books | Wednesday May 21, 2025

Welcome to our Wednesday May 21, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Astronomy | Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/20/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/20/25

Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Astronomy | Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Welcome to our Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Come Clean, Shop and Refresh the Kitchen with Me | Vlog | Sunday, May 18, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/18/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/18/25

Come Clean, Shop and Refresh the Kitchen with Me | Vlog | Sunday, May 18, 2025

Sunday, May 18, 2025 It’s Sunday, and it’s time to refresh the pantry, clean out the refrigerator & freezer, and do the weekly shopping for our family at five. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks doing a deep clean of the pantry and the kitchen

Read More
Homeschool Day in the Life with Lesson Planning | Vlog | Friday, May 16, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/16/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/16/25

Homeschool Day in the Life with Lesson Planning | Vlog | Friday, May 16, 2025

Welcome to our Friday, May 16, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Thursday, May 15, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/15/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/15/25

Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Thursday, May 15, 2025

Welcome to our Thursday, May 15, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Pepper and Pine ~ 5/14/25 Pepper and Pine ~ 5/14/25

Homeschool Day | Day in the Life Vlog | Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Welcome to our Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Homeschool Day.

Read More
Newer Posts

My #1 Homeschool REGRET | My first of many reflections after 23 years of homeschooling.

I had a brain glitch at 6:15 😂

I'm at the point in my homeschooling journey where I can thoughtfully share several homeschooling regrets. Here's the first one. I regret I didn't focus more on language development with lessons in memorization, poetry, verses and classics. While we did do these lessons, we didn't do them often enough and with consistency. Along with these lessons, I regret not spending more time with the mechanics of writing including spelling and penmanship.

We do I feel this way now? And what brought this on?

My temperament has some amazing qualities, and it also has some challenges. What's curious about the challenging parts of my temperament (primarily avoiding conflict), is that that quality is actually a positive one in the right situation. And that quality did serve our homeschool well...until it didn't.

I believed that many learning challenges would work themselves out with time and patience. And while this is true much of the time, when it's not true, early intervention may have been necessary (or just timely intervention).

When one of my children was young, I noticed some letters were always written backwards or incorrectly. I thought a little time was needed to naturally correct those mistakes. Maybe for most children time was all that was needed, but in this specific instance, habit formation, gentle guidance and correcting would have been the solution. Instead, poor habits were formed and mistakes lingered.

Now that I begun my Waldorf teacher training, I am learning so much which could have informed choices I made when my children were younger. Doesn't it always seem like we know exactly how to do something after the experience is complete, and we wonder, "what good is this to me now? My children are grown?!" Such is life.

When I mentioned that regret is not an Islamic concept, I should have clarified that "What if" or "if only" is actually the concept that is not Islamic. We may certainly have regrets, but I hope that these experiences and lessons I have learned help me inform future decisions and help others on their homeschooling journey.

And also, I may add that these 'shortcomings' are mine and not my children's.

Why is language development so important?

Language is acquired through imitation, not taught intellectually. While we have major stages of development every 7 years with birth to 7 years as the Willing phase, followed by the feeling and thinking phase, each cycle is also divided into three phases with birth to 7 years marked by smaller phases of willing, feeling and thinking. This is seen in children where walking precedes talking and talking precedes thinking and each is highlighted by a 2 1/3 year phase making up the first 7 year cycle.

Language shapes the feeling life of the child, as language is not just informational, but formative as well. A child with rich oral language develops a rich inner life.

Language builds the foundation for abstract thought. While abstraction, analogies, critical thinking and intellectualization of material is reserved for post puberty and the third 7 year cycle (14-21 years), the foundations are laid early on.

One may argue accurately that letters and numbers are abstract. This is true. So, to achieve this first lesson in written language, language rich oral stories are told that evoke strong imagery to the children before drawing a picture in which the letter is embedded. Through this lesson, children are guided to see the letter emerge natural like a M appearing in the mountain tops or C appearing in the opening of a cave.

Language development is directly tied to brain development. Children exposed to rich language environments are likely to develop stronger cognitive abilities. While language development may be directly responsible for reading, writing and comprehension abilities, it is also the foundation for reasoning abilities and intellectual endeavors. [Kuhl, P. K. (2004). "Early Language Acquisition." Nature Reviews Neuroscience.]

Language is not just about communication, it is the basis for thinking.

Language transforms a child's sensory experience into meaning, experience into memory, perceptions into concepts and feelings into thought. These functions develop over the child's development from birth to 21 years of age.

How is language development achieved? It is achieved through storytelling (and reading aloud), poetry, singing, memorization of verses, poetry and text, recitation, singing, listening to language above the child's capabilities and oral narration.

These practices strengthen the foundations upon which later intellectual development arises through the practices of writing, reading, comprehension, thinking, reasoning and abstract thought.

And one honorable mention: Language development helps with self expression in the adolescent years.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.

Thank you! Check your spam folder!

Pepper and Pine

Contact

Pepper and Pine 1968 S. Coast Hwy #1935 Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Info@pepperandpine.com