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I have finished reading the entire Teachers'
Guide through the 1st grade section - oh my goodness, it was
amazing. I could write volumes about how the Guide alone has
affected me. I was initially so overwhelmed by its sheer size
that I found myself resisting beginning reading it. I began
taking out a section at a time and just made my way through
it that way. I was deeply moved by all I read and it has changed
how I look at much in life. Thank you very much for creating
this! |
– Parent in
California |
| The Enki Curriculum:
Rich Opportunity or simple overwhelm? |
I can speak from my own (limited) experience. I bought most of the Enki materials over a year ago. I read the materials in bits and pieces each time feeling like my heart was opening more and more. I swear, the energy about the materials is palpable. When I finally decided to "do" it I bought the rest of the materials that I did not get the first time.
I often tell people that Enki (planning and implementing) is not at all difficult - in fact, it's very very simple. What may seem 'difficult' is reading/absorbing/integrating the materials before you actually begin to use them.
I agree that even if you decide not to "do" Enki, that the foundation guides will serve you. They are guides not only to homeschooling, but to parenting and LIFE in general. There is so much wisdom in there that can be put to use in many many ways in many aspects of life.
If you don't get overwhelmed at first and throw up your hands, if you take the materials one step at a time, if you don't expect to open them up and use them the next day (or next week or month for that matter), then you will be well served.
Enki is not a curriculum in which you can buy the books, open them up and begin homeschooling.
The difference in my oldest daughter (almost 6) since we have been "doing" Enki is amazing. I can't say enough about how much I love Enki Education. Every time I have a question it is answered as I read, as if Enki himself were guiding me! I know I sound like the poster child for Enki, but that's how enthusiastic I am about it.
Hope that helps. |
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Parent In Florida |
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When the large binders arrive, the sheer amount of material
can seem overwhelming. But rather than overwhelming, I have
found the Enki materials to be liberating, because I know
that they are all appropriate for my children's development.
I just have to choose the stories and activities I like the
most - those that will best meet my children. I don't have
to make trips to libraries or search the web; all I need is
right there. And if I want to use other resources, the Teaching
Guides help me make clearer choices.
If you take it slow, like we have, all the information and
resource material can lead to simplification rather than overwhelm.
The materials tell you exactly how to do everything! The clarity
of the information and the availability of numerous age appropriate
stories, verses, songs, activities, etc. has made my life
much more sane. I know exactly which blocks to do in what
order, why to do them, and how. Rather than try to do it all,
which is not recommended in the Guides anyway, we do our main
lesson for about 1 hour a day, 3-4 days a week. The rest of
the wonderful activities are fit in here and there, or not
at all. I plan to add more as we get our daily rhythms working
more smoothly.
In addition, I can pick the stories, verses, and projects
that fit best with my children because there are many to choose
from. For example, when we did the alphabet block there were
approximately 2 to 11 multi-cultural stories for each letter.
It can be challenging to make choices because the stories
are so wonderful. In the end, I used a lot of the Native American
stories because my boys really responded well to them. I also
used some Asian stories because they were so different and
beautiful. To make things easier, in addition to the text
materials you get videos and CDs containing the circle verses
and songs, movement activities, and even how to make the manipulatives
discussed in the resource books.
Enki is a totally complete curriculum and everything is explained
in detail. This is part of the reason that the binders are
so big! It requires quite a bit of reading, but it is well
worth the effort. All in all, I would say that I have been
more than happy with my purchase and feel it was well worth
the money!! |
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Parent In Maryland |
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| Where was Enki 15 years ago when I was scrambling to homeschool my older daughter with Waldorf inspiration? Enki has saved me a great deal of time and has answered many of my questions. |
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Parent In Alaska |
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| There are an *incredible*
amount of resources that are included in the Enki books, from
the stories, to crafts, circle verses and songs. To find resources
like this on my own, I would have to spend a *lot* of time
in the local library, in my own library or on the internet
to find anywhere near what I have in one place with Enki.
And even if I had the time (which I don't), I still wouldn't
find much of what is in there. |
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Parent In California |
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I am a part of a small,
mostly first grade, homeschool co-operative, where we all use
the Enki Teaching Guides and Resource Libraries at home for
the primary homeschooling, and we gather twice a week for a
few hours
for circle verses and songs, a craft or activity, knitting
and recorder. The parents gather once a month for planning,
to help
each other work through kinks in our rhythms, talk about how
we’re using the Enki resources, and support each other
as parent/teachers.
I view Enki as a real gift to me as I journey
along the homeschooling path, trying to find what is most
helpful and integrating for
my children, for me and for our family. It has offered me
something that I have not found any where else: a way of embracing
all
that my child is, what I like and don’t like, what
is charming, and what makes me want to scream. It invites
me to
embrace all
that in my children, and in me, and to learn from it and
with it. I know of no other homeschooling resource like it.
The
co-op has been a particular help to us in providing a
way to do the parts that are more difficult on our own: circle,
games
and the like. Bringing learning to the children in an open
way, without explaining, without telling them what they are
learning,
is an exciting thing to watch and participate in. Especially
as they help each other, watch each other, and learn from
each other.
The challenges I find in Enki are also its strengths:
first, it is an amazing library of resources, educational
philosophy, and personal and parenting skill-building that
it is overwhelming
at first. I have read through some of the sections several
times and am still finding new ideas. There is so much
to choose from,
and the gift is that I can tailor the resources to my children
and me. The second challenge is that Enki asks me to reflect
on reasons behind the behaviors that my children manifest,
whether it is a new developmental stage appearing, or not
enough moving
our bodies, or lack of consistent rhythm in our life. It
would be much easier (maybe) to just do what a curriculum
said to
do, to impose someone else’s rhythm…but so
much less effective, and so much less honoring for the
people
involved.
I am so very grateful to have found Enki, and
the other parents and children in our co-op. I love the
great gift
of learning
for myself, and seeing a world of learning open up for
my children in really lovely, almost magical ways.
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Parent in Michigan
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