Throughout the grades, in both the homeschool and the classroom, reading, writing and listening skills are primarily taught as an integral part of the social studies curriculum. Other people, times and cultures are brought to life through storytelling, writing projects, poetry, drama and other art forms. This integrated approach cultivates an intimate experience of a larger world and lays the foundation for a lifelong respect for other people and ways of life. To supplement this theme-oriented approach, students keep journals for writing and illustrating their own stories. Language arts skills are practiced and refined in skill building classes. This integration of the humanities builds an artistic, poetic sense of the English language from which the students can draw in their Middle and High School years. 

During the Middle and High school years a more analytical understanding of the English language is undertaken. However, our emphasis continues to be on both written and spoken language as an artistic as well as practical form of communication. For more information see our article Humanities and the Enki Approach.

MATHEMATICS

Through mathematics we show the students the wondrous and mysterious relationships in the world around them. In all grades the children are shown how mathematics is a living part of understanding our world and relating to one another. Hearing stories, working with movement and rhythm, drawing form and color patterns, and exploring with concrete objects, elementary
students gain an active and deep-seated understanding of mathematical concepts. They begin to see patterns all around them and apply the many skills they learn to other aspects of their work. Their visual perception of form and pattern will serve as a strong base for geometry.

Throughout the grades we work with a Foundational Mathematics system. Children work thoroughly with one foundation stone at a time. In this way they are not overwhelmed with small glimpses of different topics but rather gain a solid grasp on particular concepts and skills in keeping with their developmental needs. For example, First graders are naturally focused on relationships. In math we bring them a lively image of the four processes of computation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) as four ways to interact. They are easily engaged in the process of giving, receiving, and equalizing - this is the nature of the friendships they are navigating day in and day out. In the Enki program they will spend the entire year exploring and stabilizing this base with simple challenges. When they return to these processes in the later years as they move on to place value, measurement, fractions, algebra and the like, they will be well anchored in the meaning and processes of computation.

On the base of rich immersion in a focused topic, from their youngest days on, the children are given building blocks and the opportunity to explore and discover concepts and mechanics on their own (see Discovery learning section). In all grades mathematics skills are then practiced and refined in additional skill-building classes, exercises, and drills. In this way the ground is laid for students to develop the flexible and reversible thinking needed for higher mathematics and creative living, while they gain a solid handle on basic skills.

In the Middle and High School years emphasis is on developing and refining the students’ analytical and flexible thinking skills, again using the discovery method, in the study of algebra, geometry, business math, and computer science.

                                                                           Next>>