amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

KimberMama · 05-23-2006, 12:56 PM

Is there any interest in reviving this forum and trying to get an Enki support group going? I know some of us are only working with bits and pieces and without the old Enki yahoo! group it is easy to feel lost and alone.

Anyway, I'm Kimberly in So Cal. I'm working with a 6YO and a 7YO. We just made the decision to extend grade 1 through September and begin grade 2 in January (using December as a transition month while taking October and November off). We're about 60% through the grade 1 year, just now introducing Word Families and starting Fact Families next week.

Blissfulbee · 06-02-2006, 10:57 PM

Hey Kimberly!
Im in!! I'll take any support I can find!!

My name is Kari, I live in New Mexico, use Enki with my 9yo son, 7yo son and it spills over to my 3.5 yo daughter. We love it and would love to meet others who are incorporating this into their lives.

jo · 06-04-2006, 04:29 PM

Hi there- I'm here of course

Kimberly, what you wrote in the other thread was excellent and I love your blog. I tried to keep up with mine but wound up journalling more than typing... perhaps I'll post-enter our year.
Anyway... I've been using Enki materials since 2003 sometime. I went to both year's conferences and loved every minute of them.
We are an Enki-inspired family for sure, Beth's writings inspired much of my personal parenting style.
That said, I can't participate in the official discussion because I need to repurchase the new guides first so I'd love to see a group chatting here.

We did a first grade bridge year this past year, got up to the end of letters and through the 4 processes. We'll do first grade again this coming year with a strong focus on cultural immersion during our group time (I have a group of 8 kids once per week) and working the basics two other days per week.
I also have a 4 year old who is doing some light kindy fun... mostly just stories and housework of course. My youngest is 1.5 and she's along for the ride

Glad to see this thread!

~jo

holistic_mama · 06-04-2006, 05:50 PM

Howdy!!

I'm still here....sort of....we just finished a Big Move across the state and live in El Paso now.

I'm not sure how much of what I'm doing would be relevant to this conversation, but I would be happy to particpate if anyone is interested. I used Enki for several years until we got to The Grades this year, and I've widened my source materials to include Live Ed and (my favorite) Alan Whitehead's materials. I feel that what I learned from Enki provided the foundation for how I use my materials now...and the perspective that I bring to what I do.

We took off most of the Spring for the moving fiascos...and we are now starting back up. On the move here, I wrote a story for doubling that I posted on WE_HS....if anyone is interested I (and if Jolene can tell me how!) I can post it here.

Anyway....still around....doing my own thing....interested in hearing what others are doing!!

Peace and Chocolate!

beanblossoms · 06-07-2006, 06:57 PM

Hi! I'm Kristin - I am just beginning to look into Enki - we have been a Waldorf family since my daughter was born 4 years ago, and we're homeschoolers.

KimberMama · 06-08-2006, 12:05 PM

I'm glad to have gotten some responses - notification doesn't work for me and I hadn't checked the thread in awhile. Hopefully we can keep the conversation going! I have a question to ask, but I'll post that later (we're supposed to be out the door to park day).

bubbles · 06-08-2006, 01:12 PM

Can anyone tell me of some good resources? I did a quick search and only found the curriculum. Are there any books?

KimberMama · 06-08-2006, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbles

Can anyone tell me of some good resources? I did a quick search and only found the curriculum. Are there any books?

The Enki Guides have the philosophy, they are sold separately or in the grade packages. There are no outside books about Enki philosophy at this time.

www.enkieducation.org

KimberMama · 06-08-2006, 05:06 PM

Okay, I thought about this some more and for right now I am going to have to keep my Enki discussion limited to my blog (and comments on Kari's blog

). Feel free to stop by, see what we are doing, ask questions, offer advice, etc.

I just can't be stopping by any message boards right now. I don't really have the time; I want to have the time but message boards just aren't high on my priority list right now.

I took care of the comment situation if anyone had issues with that.

I'll "see" you all out there in the Enki world.

jo · 06-08-2006, 06:10 PM

That's too bad Kimberly, I was looking forward to a bit more community. I am not in a position to rebuy the materials I have yet so I am feeling very alone with my planning for next year. I am glad you brought it up though.

So... who else wants to chat Enki/Waldorf/Holistic ed? I'm up for some brainstorming for next year!

~jo

KimberMama · 06-08-2006, 06:52 PM

Jo, I'd love to talk Enki, but I can't commit to doing it in the context of visiting a message board.

The problem is that I come to discuss Enki, or line drying, or organic foods, and get caught up in other discussions and find I've spent an hour of my day on the boards. It's my lack of discipline that is making me give up the boards for now. It's become a habit to flip on the computer and cruise the boards when I have a few spare moments, instead of reading or doing something more productive. Then I find that the hour spent has not been in renewal, and yet I claim to not have time to take care of myself.

I will keep up with my blog, and Kari's (I find the blogs to be a source of renewal for me), and I am a member of the Anchor Community although there isn't much discussion happening. (Everyone - don't ask, because I have no clue how to get people added to the Anchor Community). In a few weeks I may find a way to balance it all and come back here now and then. I'd even be willing to be part of a new email list for Enki users, unofficial, of course.

What grade are you planning? I'm thinking grade 2? In your case I wouldn't have repurchased materials yet either, as it is unclear when grade 2 will be ready. I will be planning grade 2 in October.

jo · 06-08-2006, 07:10 PM

yeah, I hear ya! and I totally respect your lack of time for the boards they can really eat up a day ... of course that's good for me in a way :P

I'm doing first grade officially again, since Sage is an October birthday and we only did half the material... but I'll need second grade by winter and I don't think there's any way to count on anything. I need to start planning for second grade AND the kids in my co-op are up to grade 5 (ack!) so I am really behind the eight ball there!

I am feeling like I need to keep my limited homeschool resources liquid because I am using other resources to supplement the Enki stuff I have. Luckily I have a lot because the old stuff had more than is currently released.
For instance the Noble Knights of Knowlege math program is working fabulously for us! I am overdue to write a glowing review for both this board and another one... but if you have the money I recommend it whole heartedly. Even the older kids who already had a lot of the skills found it to be fun and challenging in new ways.

So... I'll keep reading your blog and hopefully will start writing in my own again asap. Hopefully the boards will fit in again for you soon

~jo

holistic_mama · 06-09-2006, 12:18 PM

Jo....you used this for Sage for G1? I've been hearing lots about it....let me know when your review is ready.

Since we lost 2.5mths in the Spring due to the 'Moving Fiascos'....I'm extending our G1 through the Fall and will move into G2 for Nathan and G1 for Phoebe in January. Phoebe is a June 1st B-Day....and I am waiting to see how she takes to formal lessons...and I'm prepared to put it off until next September when she is 7 is need be.

I like the Alan Whitehead plan of a Main (Head) Lesson in the morning...a middle (Heart) lesson before lunch (I usually kind of smush my lessons together)....and then a practical (Hands) Lesson in the afternoon. I consulted with him, and he was very adament about doing one multi-age lesson for all of my children. I can write more about that later....I actually just hoped on the computer to write up my shopping list....and here I am!

Also....I have found Donna Simmons stuff to be very practical and helpful. I used her G1 Syllabus for inspiration as when we started using the Enki Math in October...I found that it was just too dry for our family. With Donna's stuff...I found the ideas that I needed to bring the math into a full body experience by baking the numbers....modeling them out of wax....drawing them with scarves on the floor, then walking the scarves etc. We even collected five-pointed leaves in the Fall...and I spontaniously asked Nathan how many leaves would we have to collect to have 100. That was an awesome experience....right outside the studio where we took drumming lessons. Phoebe and Max ran around collecting the leaves for us...and Nathan lined them up and figured it out. Then....I even kind of combined the Enki digit magic with modeling the numbers from beeswax. Nathan asked what we were going to model....and I said 'the numbers'....and he asked 'which numbers'....and I said, 'all of them'. Of course, we had been doing the digit magic verses.....so after we modeled 0-9....I stopped. It took him a minute...but he got it.

Alan Whitehead suggests that children are recapitulating through Ancient India during G2....so I plan on 'mirroring' this at points during the year...with cooking (I've got several ayurvedic cookbooks with which I haven't done much that I plan to dust off!)....and use some Krisha trickster stories....some Indian crafts and games etc.

I haven't gotten my whole plan together yet...but I'll be happy to share...and I'm interested what everyone else is doing!

Gotta get back to my shopping list!

geogirl · 06-09-2006, 12:55 PM

Hi Everyone! We are finishing Enki K here with my 6 year old (6 in Feb) and with my 3 and 1 year old.. She is constantly saying yo ho and swaying like a sailor man!! LOL

Actually we are fluttering to a stop with the weather being great and the inside is not as enticing we are slowly stopping our true "schooling", but trying to keep a rhythm.

I will be doing grade one with my 6 year old next year and kindy stuff for my 3/4 as needed. I actually feel very overwhelmed as to what to buy get

. I have the new guides downloaded for early childhood, but NO grade one yet. I plan to get the grade one guide this month and one other book (any suggestions as to which one from those who have them)? I can not outlay the whole amount at one time and I want to at least start looking at the grade one guide soon.

Does anyone have a list of grade one materials so that I can start gathering things please?

Thanks,sorry if I sound down, I just wish money was easier... :-)

Rebecca

mayamuse · 06-26-2006, 08:21 PM

Hello all. I recognise some of you from Mothering. I'm mama to a 4.5 yr old boy and 15 month girl, and will be using Enki kindergarten with my son starting this fall (although easing into it already). Up till now DS was in waldorf kindergarten in the UK. We just moved to CA where we can no way afford waldorf, and because of a december b.day he's too young for public school, and it's turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Enki feels like home to me. I'm just starting to work my way through the teacher guides and had the first monthly phone discussion with Beth yesterday, and I just get more and more excited about it all.

Can anyone tell me if the older grades (2 and up) are or will be available at any point soon? I had an enquiry on my blog.