i just can’t say enough about this curriculum. i feel like its changing my life, literally. its really an amazing thing. when you think of curriculum you think: teaching kids to read, do math, science, history, that sort of thing. the stuff we all learned in school. the stuff that bored us in school. the stuff i never really got into in school.
i swear, i really didn’t enjoy learning much until i was an adult. i went to ALOT of schools…i guess i never got any kind of quality education. how many people really do? not even all homeschoolers do.
well with enki, its so different. its singing…LOTS of singing…its moving…creative movement to music…its playing recorder…its building things with natural supplies…its wet on wet painting…its reading lots and lots of stories…its playing with natural toys…its family time. its being outside…it being with nature. its collecting things on walks… it feeds the soul!! and there are some really deep explanations as to why all this is nourishing to young children and the alternative can actually be detrimental. i’m telling you this is really an amazing philosophy!! its not just education…its LIFE!
anyway, so i’m reading through these guides…for around $400 i got 7 or 8 binders FULL of info, 2 spiral bound enki philosophy guides, a video about enki, 3 song cds (each with like 30-40 songs…all different) and 1 or 2 (can’t remember) dvds that show the movement activities…might be something i’m missing…i don’t have it in front of me right now. i got the complete kindergarten package though. so whatever it says on the site.
anyway it took me quite awhile to decide to go for it and buy it. i knew i wanted it but i couldn’t get myself to spend the money. it seemed like so much! well i tell ya…now that i have the materials. its WAY worth it. i can say that honestly. there’s sooo much in here! and not all of it is just kindergarten. some of the guides are good through 5th grade, i think…some of the stuff carries over. so its not $400/year. its more for the first package. then its cheaper after this. i think about half as much. something like that.
well i just find myself so very excited the more i read! i’m telling you there’s some cool stuff in here! well by my standards. not everyone would get so excited about all the nature projects and handwork (finger knitting, crocheting, making bags, dolls, etc), working with beeswax, making boats, kites and all kinds of old fashioned things. i love it! and maeven does too…i just feel like we are embarking on a really grand adventure.
i love reading that there’s no hurry. i love reading that the core things in kindergarten are the simple things…the things that nourish their soul and are at the heart of all strong, healthy, loving families. reading stories to her daily…stories from around the world, because enki is also multicultural. oh! i read somewhere in the guides that when there is a cultural festival, like say chinese new year…if you have the opportunity to attend a community cultural event, do it! how cool! so when its coming up to chinese new year i’d like to try to go to san fran and attend their big parade and festival if we can. and find other big cultural events such as that…
i’m jumping all over here…just remembering some of the things i have really liked that i’ve read so far….
there’s also the outdoors element. i’ve always meant to take my kids to nature regularly and never have. i can’t seem to get out of the city. and i hate this city! ugh! but i have wanted a pass to the parks for awhile now and haven’t gotten one and have wanted to just find someplace beautiful and natural, not manmade, that i can take my kids to regularly…well i just never have gotten around to it…but this curriculum recommends spending at least one day a week out in nature. even if that just means a park…the guide says to go to the biggest park i can find and just let the kids enjoy nature. walk slowly, look at everything. collect things. i love this! this will finally force me to do this! yay!
it also says we need an outdoor time daily…also a walk. as much as possible…daily if possible. so we’ve been doing that. i always meant to but just hadn’t…so now we are. and it will get more frequent when it gets cooler. right now we have been doing it as early as we can, but can’t always get out the door before its pretty hot. even by 9 its hot!
anyway, what else? oh…there’s just a softness, a beauty to it…there’s just so much about it that i am just completely in love with! maeven and i had been in a rut before i got this curriculum. i think we are finally going to find our way out of that and i’ve already seen a change in her since we started using the new routine. loosely, mind you…we are not following it to a T yet. but we’re working up to it and the things we are doing are a vast improvement over just falling where we fell that we were doing before.
her behavior has been better as has mine. not perfect by any means…but i think this is a taste of what will become more of the norm once our full routine is in place and the curriculum going strong. i can’t wait!
like i said…this weekend i’m determined that i have to find the time to read and figure out my activities for the coming months. i love planning things!
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