|
 |
Home
> Family and Community
> Family Collections
> Van Dommelen
| The Van Dommelen children, who are home schooled Waldorf style, read so
much that their father, Dorn, has to say, “Stop reading, you’re reading
too much, go outside and play! You’re not allowed to read anymore!” Dorn and Diane moved their family to Alaska seven years ago, where they live in a cabin in Bird Creek. Dorn, 37, has a doctorate in geography and teaches at the University
of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), where he is the only full-time geographer
and the director of Canadian Studies. Diane, 39, has worked as an
editor, a writer and a Waldorf schoolteacher. She now home schools
their three children, Lang, Eve and Robin, Waldorf style, with Dorn's
assistance.
|
|
|
Not Allowed to Read?
The Van Dommelen children read so much that their father, Dorn, has to say, "Stop reading, you're reading too much, go outside and play! You're not allowed to read anymore!"
|
|
|
Reading Light Bulbs
Every child learns to read at a different pace, and even extreme readers like Lang and Eve had to begin reading somewhere. Diane refers to the moment when their passion for reading began, as "the light bulb going on" for her children.
|
|
|
Learning as You Live
(4 pages)
The Van Dommelens try to incorporate learning into their time together. One of the ways they have done this is through their family writing club. "We love it," says Diane.
|
|
|
Learning at Home, Waldorf Style
"Especially as a teacher, I believe very strongly in the full development of a child -- in balance -- and Dorn and I are both a little too intellectual in our thought processes, so it was a worry for me to begin home schooling because I knew it would be hard for me to not have intellectual expectations..."
|
|
|
|
