i have become obsessed lately with researching education ideas and methods. it all started when i went to the enki site to see about purchasing next year’s curriculum for maeven with our tax refund. wow, was i in for a shock when i saw that it was way more than i had remembered. and since i essentially did not use the kindergarten curriculum that i purchased last year…i started wondering if it was worth spending that kind of money on something i may or may not actually use…which got me thinking more and more on whether or not i really can even understand and agree with enki fully.
don’t get me wrong…i do still think enki is a beautiful and vibrant program. the problem is, for me, that its sooooo deep and complex…i just don’t have time or patience to learn it at this point in my life.
the more i think about it, the more i am steering away from it, simply because i just don’t have the time or money for it. i wouldn’t hesitate to spend that kind of money (i estimated that first grade curriculum would cost me around $650!) if i knew for a fact i would be using it. i really wouldn’t! there is SOOOO much that comes with that amount…it’s really worth it to buy it if you are going to use it! but the 2 problems combined…too expensive and too complex…i think its too much right now in my life. perhaps when tyren is ready for kindergarten i may finally be able to find the time to read it thoroughly and really understand it…
i think having a toddler and 2 online businesses and all the other things i do…i just don’t have time to figure out this educational philosophy as well. it makes my head spin. and honestly there are some parts to it that i still don’t really agree with. but i could overlook those. i think that beth, the founder, is pretty clear on followers of enki using it to fit the needs of the families.
there are times that i read something 5 or 6 times, though, and still don’t really get it…i was told by a couple of the online moms using enki that it took them a few times reading the manuals to really start to get it…right now in my life i just don’t have that kind of time. i need something very straightforward. simple. if i didn’t have to chase after this toddler, AND run my businesses, AND clean my house, AND help with babyfest, AND make sure that maeven has an adequate and enriching social life…then i might be able to handle learning enki…but right now…its just too much. it’s too overwhelming.
it’s really been a big sigh of relief to admit this. i think i was trying to hard to make it work. and what ended up happening was me just putting it all on hold because i was too frustrated with how much work it was to get set up and then not able to follow through. i even put together a cd of songs and found myself not particularly liking the music after a time of listening to them. oh maybe we’ll still use some of it. there is a lot of great stuff that i could still dip into. i hate wasting money. i have to find a way to use all these great materials i have.
i don’t want to at all talk bad about enki…i really don’t. because i still like it. but i just don’t think it’s for me and my family. not right now in our lives at least. and i’m going more traditional right now with the things i’m getting for maeven to work on. hell, i’ve even started letting her use workbooks for math…never thought i’d EVER do that…but she honestly LIKES them! i found a subtraction workbook that is full color, wipe off material, and is all pictures and puzzles. she really has fun doing it!
i found some more stuff at GW school supply that are things that school teachers use that i think will work well with maeven…shoe box learning centers, for one. i’m actually really excited to use with maeven!
well that’s enough for now…the kids are fighting now and my computer time is UP! *sigh*
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