Thursday, November 5, 2020

Introducing Form Drawing with Native American Legends

I have a friend who is starting Waldorf mid-year with her family and she wants to introduce Form Drawing, but using fairy tales didn't seem quite right. They had really been hoping to start the year with a Native American Legends block. So I thought I'd come up with some suggestions of Native American Legends that would work for Form Drawing. I welcome other ideas!

Some day I will have to write a whole article just about Form Drawing; for now, here are the notes I typed up for myself (PDF) when I was first trying to figure out what FD was and how to do it. Since it is from many years ago the links are likely all broken. But the basic information may still be helpful!

As far as FD books, there are obviously new offerings from when I wrote up those notes. I now recommend either Angela Lord or Henrik Thaulow.

Angela Lord has written a series of three FD books. The first is for ages 6-10, the second is for ages 10-12, and the third focuses on using FD with the different temperaments. They are very step-by-step and great for someone who is completely new to the subject. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone who is a brand-new Waldorf homeschooler.


If you are already familiar with FD and you don't need the step-by-step but instead some inspiration for the forms, Henrik Thaulow's book is perfect. I find it really fresh and exciting; it was translated from the Norwegian in 2019 and first published in this country this year.


I see that it is $21.49 as I write this, so it's an economical buy since it will take you through grade 5. But, again, it doesn't do as much hand-holding as Angela Lord's work.

The basic initial progression in First Grade is largely the same everywhere you look. Straight line and curve on the first day of First Grade (vertical straight line). Horizontal line. Diagonal line. Cross. Circle. Lemniscate. Spiral. And then there are many different variations on these themes!

I am sure that you can find a TON of Form Drawing ideas on Pinterest as well, but to my mind it is nice to get a book and see a logical progression.

When choosing the form / story combo, you can either have a specific form in mind and then intentionally find a story for it, or get a sense of what kinds of forms are suitable for the age of your child and then see what images arise in your mind as you read through the different stories you'd like to tell.

Have fun discovering what legends your public library has!

Here are 24 ideas I had (page numbers refer to Angela Lord's first book):


This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!

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