Introducing Enki education

Enki Education is not very well known of. It is rich with multicultural stories and teaches a love of the natural world. However, the homeschool curriculum itself is Waldorf based and quite holisitc. There is also a lot of art integrated into this curriculum, as well as a lot of conferences, discussion groups and training programs for parents. It also nurtures the integration of body, heart and mind. Therefore, a lot of parents believe that this is a great way to cultivate educational excellence, confidence and competence.

Since all of this is done with a great deal of flexibility, it can be easily adapted to fit each family's own individual needs. So, it becomes more than a curriculum. It becomes a way of life. This is especially true since it really values community and family.

While all of this sounds really great, some Christian families may be turned off by this method because it is Buddhist in thought. Plus, this system was named after the Sumerian god of wisdom and water: Enkei. However, it is flexible enough to adapt to the special needs of Christian families. There are some Christian families who prefer not to work with it at all though.

More on unschooling...

I'm glad that some of you took the time to post about how my description of unschooling was fair and accurate. I was afraid that I'd come across as Dr. Phil did when he met a radical unschooler by the name of Dayna Martin. While I think that is a rather extreme example of unschooling, I will not knock how she's chosen to educate her children at home. Of course, it is important to know that this extreme does exist, but not all of us will go to this extreme with our children. So, I'm glad that my definition of unschooling did it justice.

A brief introduction to unschooling

You have probably heard of unschooling (a.k.a. "child-led learning") in the news. This is a type of homeschooling that is somewhat difficult to describe because it looks so different from any other form of homeschooling.

This form of homeschooling was greatly influenced by John Holt's writing. Herein children are allowed to have the freedom to grow and explore at their own pace. With this in mind, it is important to understand that there are no curriculum, lesson plans, work books or any other form of formal schooling done unless the child requests it.

Obviously, parents have to take a leap of faith in order to unschool their children. These parents have to trust that their children really do want to learn and grow. They have to have faith that these children will learn in their own time and for their own reasons. Of course, this form of schooling is not for everyone though. Some families need to have a learning environment that is structured and controlled. These people will find that just living life and allowing learning to occur naturally a bit unsettling.

Those Germans

I know that I should simply be happy that I live in a country that allows people to homeschool freely, but this article has really made me quite upset. This is an article that has been circulated through other news sources as well. Basically, it is illegal to homeschool in Germany. For this reason, a family has been broken up just because they have chosen to homeschool their daughter who was having problems. Well, all of the children have scored quite well and have what can be seen clearly as a good education. Nevertheless, 2 parents are left fighting to get their children back so that they can deal with the damage that the state has done to their children. How infuriating! It really is too bad that there is nothing we can do. I really hope that the Germans are as infuriated by this as I am and that they are trying to make some changes. In the meantime, I think we should all pray for or send good vibes to this family.

My educational philosophy

While I am going to try to keep this blog open-minded so that all homeschooling parents will enjoy stopping by here to find new information about what is going on in the homeschooling world, I know that my point of view may still be found herein. As such, I want you to know something about me. My family consists of my 5-year-old spirited daughter (more on that later) and msyelf. I work from home doing some freelance writing but do have some health issues that keep me at home. This does not mean that my dd and I don't get out and about on a regular basis, because we do. My dd is involved with classes in our local library and very involved with the youth group at our church. We also live near a park where we go on nice days. She has a few homeschooling friends that we try doing play dates with too. Most days consist of us waking up and reading from our children's Bible and another book that is filled with nursery rhymes and poetry. She then has her own activities that she does: painting, puzzles, educational TV, etc. At some point in the day we spend some time doing a few workbook pages and some of her lapbook. We also play a lot of file folder games and read a lot of "living books." I guess you could call us eclectic with some unschooling involved. So, that's where we stand as a family. I'm looking forward to hearing where you stand.

Why "Phenomenal Homeschooling?"

So, you may be wondering why I have chosen to name this blog "Phenomenal Homeschooling." Well, according to the dictionary:

phe·nom·e·nal [fi-nom-uh-nl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptional: phenomenal speed.

This is a word that I think describes homeschooling quite well. Why? First of all because we are giving our children the gift of a highly extraordinary education. Secondly, because we are the exception to what is going on in the world of education today. I think you will now agree that this blog's name is quite appropriate.

Welcome!

While I already have a personal homeschooling blog, I thought it was time for me to share some of my philosophy and other information about homeschooling for those mothers who are thinking about homeschooling their children, or who are already doing so. Secretly, I've been wanting a place where I can review products that I've used, share great homeschooling stories that I've found along the way, and all the rest that goes along with this. That is where this blog is going to come in really handy for me. I look forward to sharing a lot of great stuff with you!