For anyone who has EVER attended Classical Conversations!

[Guest bookwormmama]

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially?

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

 

Thank you all if you do answer these questions. I am in desperate need of some decision making soon and I am hoping this will help me figure this out!

 

Thanks so much!

[Hen]

:lurk5:

 

there are a few good threads on CC, just put Classical Conversations into the search box - they were very helpful to me.

 

I will be attending a 3 day parent/tutor workshop next week.

 

Dh was very impressed with the program and eager for our family to participate, which was a nice surprise to me, because it was a big chunk of money (for 3 of our kids) and he is not so happily parted from money, usually.

[newlifemom]

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially? Memory work.

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum? I used it as a supplement but learned that could make it the core too.

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children? We loved it! It did fulfill goals and if I had tried just a little harder it would have gone way beyond. We were not always consistent at home.

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not? Yes. It was their favorite day of the week. Dd 5 "I liked the painting." Ds 7 "History", Dd10 "I liked doing speeches and IEW"

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not? Yes we are.

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge? I did tutor and while it was work, we managed fairly well. The night before was always a bit busy though.

7. Did you feel the money was worth it? Well, more would be nice, but it did pay for two of my kids tuition.

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level? Jump in and enjoy the ride. Really.

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC? He did and does believe that the Lord lead us to this town to be part of this group. Very strongly. (I know that is not a sentence. ;))

10. What do you tell others about CC now? It is a great program, a good bang for the buck. (Think in terms of weekly - approximately a piano lesson a week for your children) and really does work. My children are proof. They (Not me honest) wanted to sing their history songs for a variety show that my homeschool group put on. All of them, including my 3 yr old sang 100 years of American history. My 7 year old son is totally into the Civil War and the Space Race. My 10 yr has seriously improved her writing skills and they are all learning how to present themselves in front of others. Plus, all the science experiments and art projects that you want to get to but don't, well they do. Plus, since I was a tutor, I had to do these things and it really helped me with my art skills. Our group became close over the year and I consider these families to be friends now.

 

 

Thank you all if you do answer these questions. I am in desperate need of some decision making soon and I am hoping this will help me figure this out!

 

Thanks so much!

 

I wish you well with your decision.

[mom2abcd]

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially?

The social aspect and the accountability we would have.

 

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

We used it as a supplement.

 

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

We liked it a lot and yes, it fulfilled my goals.

 

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

They liked it mainly because they could get together with new friends.

 

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

Yes. It was a great experience. Unfortunately, our group doesn't have a Challenge program and I'm not up to starting one so we will be participating in something with kids dd's age.

 

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

Yes. I had a lot on my plate this past year so it was a challenge. If you are able to connect with other tutors across the country to share ideas, the work load is much less.

 

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Only because I tutored and got paid. We are very frugal and would probably not pay that amount without my being paid more.

 

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

Have a wonderful year! You're in for a neat experience!

 

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

No problems.

 

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

It's a great program, though not for everyone.

 

Tutors across the country need to unite and share more. Some areas that have many groups seem to do this with each other, but some of us are left researching the night before. The CC community wasn't as helpful as I wish it would have been. CC the business has shared much better maps, etc. in the new Foundations Guide which will be a huge help to tutors. I often felt like I was researching more than I should have had to with so many others teaching the same thing across the country.

 

 

QUOTE]

[SoCal Sandra]

What did you find you had to research?

[Guest bookwormmama]

Thank you for all these great replies everyone... please keep the answers coming... good and bad.

 

Thank you!

[Another Lynn]

nm

[Guest bookwormmama]

Thank you so much for this great response. This has given me a lot to really think about.

 

Gotta do some praying about this.. .:}

[mom2abcd]

What did you find you had to research?

 

There was no guidance on many of the facts. Where is Mt. Elbert? What are the various ranges of the Appalachian Mountains? They could do a lot more so hundreds of tutors across the country didn't have to research all this.

They do have a new map in the new guide which helps a lot.

 

A lot of the science info I didn't have in my knowledge bank.

 

Mostly it was a matter of needing to understand things in order to communicate it to the kids. I'm not one to only memorize lists without understanding. Though I had kids ages 3-7 so we did have to do this and it was definitely hard for me.

 

Teaching all that abstract stuff to little ones was frustrating to someone who is used to teaching to mastery. It ended up being pretty much just memorization, which is what CC intends for that age. That's not in my comfort zone, though. I like them to understand something about what they're memorizing.

 

There are some ideas on the CC forums about making CC bearable for the littles, but not enough. Kids that age need to be active, etc. It's a challenge to teach that material in an interesting way to that age.

 

We ended up focussing with the younger kids on "story time" (the timeline cards), US geography (tactile puzzle of US and The Little Man in the Map book), presidents and fun facts about them, etc.

 

The tutors don't get much of anything more than the guide and resource books they purchase. I think CC corporate could provide more helpful information to help tutors.

[Guest bookwormmama]

Wow so there really isn't much guidance for the tutors? Hmmm that could be a problem for me for sure. I don't have time to research this stuff or figure out how to teach things that the children have never heard of before.

 

Thank you for your reply!

[angela in ohio]

Wow so there really isn't much guidance for the tutors? Hmmm that could be a problem for me for sure. I don't have time to research this stuff or figure out how to teach things that the children have never heard of before.

 

Thank you for your reply!

 

Tutors attend three days of tutor training, and the Directors have access to more information that they can share with them. You also have the Foundations Guide, which lists everything you are to cover in class.

 

If you are doing the program as intended (a grammar stage memory program,) you will not need more guidance. Obviously, if you decide to do it in a different way than CC intends, you would need to do your own research. Our campus uses the program as written, and it has produced incredible results in just one year, with only a few hours a week time commitment from the tutors.

[angela in ohio]

1. What drew you to CC initially?

A community of classical homeschoolers.

 

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

It really depends on age. For my little guy (2nd) grade, it is pretty core. We do math and reading at home, and everything else is about CC (we read books to supplement what he ahs learned there.)

 

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

I've liked it more and more, especially as my understanding of children's abilities and needs and the classical model have increased.

 

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

They love it.

 

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

I will be doing a Challenge A program next year.

 

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

I was a Foundations Director. It was a big responsibility starting a campus, but I think it would be easier to juggle after the first year. A Foundatons tutor is expected to spend about 2 hours a week preparing, and that really is the right amount of time, although Essentials and Challenge will take more time than that.

 

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Worked out per hour, it is pretty inexpensive.

 

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

Try the program as written and trust the Classical model. You will be pleased with the results. Take eery opportunity you have to learn and to be excited about learning.

 

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

Our family ministry emphasis is education, so he sees this as a part of that. We are helping educate other families.

 

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

A lot gets lost in translation sometimes, and it seems that CC is just a fun co-op that charges more, which is really, really not the case. I think the mission, model, and method help that:

Mission: The purpose of education is to know God and to make Him known.

Model: CC combines classical learning and a biblical worldview.

Method: In CC communities, parents equip parents.

It's really about a community of parents who want support in the classical education journey.

 

If classical education doesn't appeal to someone, CC will probably not work for them, as the entire program is based on an understanding that classical education describes the way that God created us to learn. When "cutting with the grain" in our children's education (doing what they like best and are most capable of at different stages,) we build a love of learning in them.

[MariannNOVA]

I will pm you. :) I will say, though, that the info I received from everyone on this BB was excellent, and I think right on target.

[NCMom]

1. What drew you to CC initially?

Community and finally having someone else to hang around with who made academics a priority.

 

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

I wish I had used it as the "core" of our year last year. ;)

 

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

I met some of the most awesome people! I find it so easy to tweak and yes it met our needs.

 

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

One loves it, the other enjoys it.

 

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

We are, at least for this year...

 

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

I did Foundations and Essentials. It was not that hard but I have homeschooled one through high school and had a pretty good education myself. I did the older kids and added a lot to my class, but with the younger ones this is not needed.

 

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Yes, both the pay and the fees. :) It would have cost me a LOT more to go to any other academic co-ops around here, especially since they are all over an hour away.

 

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

Like anything else, it may or may not work for your family. You need to be comfortable with this interpretation of neo-classical education. Tutoring is a big commitment. But...the PARENT is still in charge of the child's education. You are the tutor and you introduce the material. You are a model for the parents/kids and you help provide support for the parents in their endeavors to teach the children. But again, the tutor is very important and (in the Challenge level at least), really can make or break your experience. (jmho!)

 

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

He is fine with whatever gets his kids excited and learning, lol.

 

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

ATTEND A PRACTICUM! Or visit an open house and attend classes. There is no better way to see if this is a method/program that would work for you. I also like what Kathie in VA said - it isn't perfect for me either and it isn't what I saw myself doing with these two, but it is easy to adapt to your needs. My kids can't wait to start in August. That says something about the program because we have never enjoyed a co-op so much.

Edited July 18, 2009 by Georgia in NC
added a bit more

[Kathie in VA]

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially?

Friends in my church started one. I was already following the classical model at home but at that point my kids needed to connect with other kids and I wanted some form of accountability.

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

I understood that it could be either. First 2 years we used it as a supplement. It was a bit frustrating at first but building the pegs does work. I've seen my kids watch science or history shows and link past memory work to it. Last year I used CC as the core for history, lit and science by just getting additional books on each memory verse. For history we also read aloud a spine that just went chron thru the time period. He also did most of his presentation on the history or science sentence. It worked great.

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

I've stayed with CC for 3 yrs and we are using it again this year. I also like the grammar in FLL but we just work around any differences (our preposition list combines them). It's a very workable program.

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

Yes my kids really like it. My rising 4th grader will be starting his 4th year with it and always looks forward to class day. My oldest only did one year at the master level, she said it was okay. My next ds did 2 years with it and became memory master on the 2nd yr. My youngest has been in the nursery and it really excited to begin her first class this year.

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

yes, we will be doing Foundations again. I do see the fruits of the memory work as we progress thru other material.

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

Yes I've tutored for 2 yrs so far, at the master level and the journeymen level. You can put as much into the tutoring as you want/need to. Once you get the flow of it, prep work is very handy but not totally required. I did tend to do my prep work the night before, which made for a late night but that was my choice. I found it fun to come up with interesting ways to get the kids involved and the material into their short term memory.

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Yes. Okay maybe this part shouldn't count but it was really neat to see my MIL (who is not totaly in agreement with homeschooling) finally realize how much was learned within one year... she really was impressed.

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

Read about the program, visit a class. Talk to someone about how you might work it into your homeschool. pray about it.

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

He is the one who told me to go for it!

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

Honestly? CC isn't perfect for me, but it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be a tool to help many different homeschools. Don't judge it for yourself till you check it out. Oh and remember that the Essentials program is a separate program that you may join or choose not to join. Same for Challenge.

 

Thank you all if you do answer these questions. I am in desperate need of some decision making soon and I am hoping this will help me figure this out!

 

Thanks so much!

 

Hope this helps some!

[Heather in VA]

1. What drew you to CC initially?

The focus on memory work and a chance to have my kids make some friends who were homeschoolers - especially my jr higher.

 

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

I understood it could be either. I chose it as a supplement for my Foundations kids. I had planned on using Challenge as my core for my oldest but it was woefully inadequate academically

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

As I said in the previous question, it was not acceptable for jr. highers (or older). I liked the Foundations program. It was best for my middle one (4th grade)

 

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

My Foundations kids enjoyed the work but the group we belonged to was not great.

 

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

No. We will continue with the memory work at home.

 

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

I tutored Foundations for 4/5 year olds. I managed to juggle it ok. The biggest problem with tutoring that age is that the program isn't well adapted for the youngest kids and the training doesn't address teaching kids who don't read. So I spent alot of time making the material more appropriate. The focus of CC is that they can memorize anything even if they don't understand it. The problem is that it's 3 1/2 hours of straight work and that's alot for 4 and 5 year olds if they have no clue what you are talking about. So most of my prep work was trying to make it interesting for the youngers.

 

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Challenge is definately not worth the money. I think I would see Foundations as worth it if you find a good group.

 

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

Visit the campus. Talk to parents. If at all possible talk to parents who are no longer there or who aren't coming back. I know that sounds negative but one thing I found with CC is that there is a great unwillingness from directors and upper management types to acknowledge any downside to any of it. I wouldn't say they lie outright but many things I was told were really just not the case. Its hard to get an accurate picture.

 

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

He lets me make the decisions.

 

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

Do as much research as possible about the particular campus you are joining in addition to the program itself.

 

Heather

[Guest bookwormmama]

Wow thank you all for your information and for so much to think about and consider. I do appreciate it!! I am surprised at how many people have been a apart of CC. :001_smile:

 

Thank you all again.

[Melenie]

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially? Friends, memory work, DD needed to learn how to take instruction from other adults without melting away(shy child).

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum? I understood it to be a supplement only

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children? DD enjoyed it a great deal, it helped build confidence (the goal for us joining)

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not? Yes, but mostly for the regular interaction with other children.

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not? If we did not have a social HS group I would probably do it again when the kids are older. Right now the work load is too much for us and the needs that CC filled by homeschool groups that cost little or nothing.

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

7. Did you feel the money was worth it? Not for the younger ages.

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC? He liked CC and would have preferred that we continued.

10. What do you tell others about CC now? I have a love hate relationship with CC. I love the idea behind it, but hate to pay the price for it. If you can find the public speaking (show and tell), memory work and social interaction elsewhere then CC is unnecessary.

 

 

Thank you all if you do answer these questions. I am in desperate need of some decision making soon and I am hoping this will help me figure this out!

 

Thanks so much!

 

Good luck

[Guest bookwormmama]

For those of you who use MFW, is handwriting included in the programs? Or do I need a separate handwriting program like HWT?

Is spelling program totally necessary too or is that covered in the program as well?

 

Thank you!

[LND1218]

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Steph

[Handmaiden]

Maybe this article will help.

 

Opinions on Classical Conversations

 

My best advice would be to pray, pray, and pray some more. God will be faithful to lead you to do what's right for your family. :)

[Guest bookwormmama]

Thank you so much for this link. This was very helpful.

[angela in ohio]

I tutored Foundations for 4/5 year olds. I managed to juggle it ok. The biggest problem with tutoring that age is that the program isn't well adapted for the youngest kids and the training doesn't address teaching kids who don't read. So I spent alot of time making the material more appropriate. The focus of CC is that they can memorize anything even if they don't understand it. The problem is that it's 3 1/2 hours of straight work and that's alot for 4 and 5 year olds if they have no clue what you are talking about. So most of my prep work was trying to make it interesting for the youngers

 

I just wanted to jump in and say that this is not CC as written. The Foundations program is meant to be 3 hours long. Of that, a half hour is devoted to a large group assembly. Then, of the 2 1/2 hours left, only 1 hour should be memory work (1/2 hour of introducing the new grammar and 1/2 hour of fun review.) The other 1 1/2 hours should be art/music, science, and presentations.

[angela in ohio]

Maybe this article will help.

 

Opinions on Classical Conversations

 

My best advice would be to pray, pray, and pray some more. God will be faithful to lead you to do what's right for your family. :)

 

This article is pretty misguided. It says it is opinions from Christian homeschoolers, but a large part of the opinion is from a non-Christian who doesn't like the Christianity of CC.

 

Also, the commone misperception that CC never moes beyond the grammar stage is put forth:

 

"Mcconnell, who has 6th and 12th grade boys, voiced concerns that some educators believe simply memorizing facts equals a solid education. "

 

If she had read or listened to anything from CC, she would know that the grammar stage is the first of three stages, and the latter two build on the foundation built in learning the facts. No one has said that just the grammar stage leads to a good education (well, maybe the PS :D.)

[LND1218]

 

Grammar stage kids should be learning grammar. But at the other stages it looks very different!

Edited June 30, 2016 by Steph

[Heather in VA]

I just wanted to jump in and say that this is not CC as written. The Foundations program is meant to be 3 hours long. Of that, a half hour is devoted to a large group assembly. Then, of the 2 1/2 hours left, only 1 hour should be memory work (1/2 hour of introducing the new grammar and 1/2 hour of fun review.) The other 1 1/2 hours should be art/music, science, and presentations.

 

Actually this is as written. I didn't say it's 3 1/2 hours of memory work. I said it's 3 1/2 hours of work - almost all of which has to be adapted to work for a 4 or 5 year old. The science was fun. But the rest is very sedentary. That's a long time for a 4 year old to sit in one room, even if we did move around some. The science experiments were only 6 weeks of the 24. The next 6 weeks were the body so instead of the hands-on, make stuff bubble and fizz of the science experiments, they colored body parts for 6 weeks. Only on the last week did they get the fun of putting them together. The music had it's ups and downs too. 6 weeks of the tin whistle is hard for little ones who don't have the small motor skills or big enough hands to cover all the holes. A unit on Probability for this age takes alot of preparation. The map work was tedious - again alot of writing and fine motor coloring for such young kids. Art was fine but then it was only 6 weeks of the whole time, the rest was not active.

 

The question was about prep-time for tutors. Because 'as written' is really tough on active young kids, it takes alot of prep-time to tutor young ones. CC doesn't address these issues so I had to do it myself. Also CC does not acknowledge that any of this material (not just the memory but the whole thing) might be over their heads enough to make them bored and wiggly. It really isn't the memory work that was the biggest problem for the young ones. It was the rest (except the science experiments).

 

Heather

[LND1218]

Actually this is as written. I didn't say it's 3 1/2 hours of memory work. I said it's 3 1/2 hours of work - almost all of which has to be adapted to work for a 4 or 5 year old. The science was fun. But the rest is very sedentary. That's a long time for a 4 year old to sit in one room, even if we did move around some.

 

It really isn't the memory work that was the biggest problem for the young ones. It was the rest (except the science experiments)

 

 

It's the time that I think is the biggest discrepancy. That 3 1/2 hours ~ at least that was my point, it's 2 1/2 hours not 3 1/2 hours. That hour makes a huge difference. CC intends for it to be 9:30 - 12 for Foundations.

 

I have had 2 ABCs (one boy and one girl) and I have tutored.

 

I think if you are still tutoring you should talk to your director because there seem to be some differences.

 

It doesn't sound like you had great director support either.

 

There should have been 12 weeks of "kitchen sink" type experiments. There should have been 12 weeks of music (2 different types) 12 weeks of art.

 

The body was tough on the young ones, but just enlisted the moms in the room. Every room is supposed to moms to help with these tasks. Same with the tin whistle - moms should be helping. If you didn't have any, that's a problem you should address with your director. Probability was hard to understand for the little one - shoot the tutors had a hard time. But it was fun and they loved it - rolling the dice, making pizzas, and picking socks.

 

Those little ones shouldn't be writing and doing tedious map work. We always use laminated maps and either dry erase markers or stickers.

 

That sort of specific training is your directors responsibility - that's part of what she's there for.

Edited July 18, 2009 by Steph

[angela in ohio]

Actually this is as written. I didn't say it's 3 1/2 hours of memory work. I said it's 3 1/2 hours of work - almost all of which has to be adapted to work for a 4 or 5 year old. The science was fun. But the rest is very sedentary. That's a long time for a 4 year old to sit in one room, even if we did move around some. The science experiments were only 6 weeks of the 24. The next 6 weeks were the body so instead of the hands-on, make stuff bubble and fizz of the science experiments, they colored body parts for 6 weeks. Only on the last week did they get the fun of putting them together. The music had it's ups and downs too. 6 weeks of the tin whistle is hard for little ones who don't have the small motor skills or big enough hands to cover all the holes. A unit on Probability for this age takes alot of preparation. The map work was tedious - again alot of writing and fine motor coloring for such young kids. Art was fine but then it was only 6 weeks of the whole time, the rest was not active.

 

The question was about prep-time for tutors. Because 'as written' is really tough on active young kids, it takes alot of prep-time to tutor young ones. CC doesn't address these issues so I had to do it myself. Also CC does not acknowledge that any of this material (not just the memory but the whole thing) might be over their heads enough to make them bored and wiggly. It really isn't the memory work that was the biggest problem for the young ones. It was the rest (except the science experiments).

 

Heather

 

Hands-on science experiments should have been 12 weeks from the Van Cleeve book. Also, art should be 12 weeks, too (6 weeks of drawing and 6 weeks of projects.) I'm not arguing with your experience of difficulties with adapting to the little guys, just wanted to make sure the facts on how CC is supposed to run (and runs on the majority of campuses) are clear.

 

We had a great tutor for 4/5s. She had them doing jumping jacks to their math tables, marching to the history songs, etc., etc. I don't think they ever sat except for art. But I agree that it was a lot more work for her than for those with older students. It took a lot of energy to do it each week, and it takes a big heart for little children to do that week after week.

[Handmaiden]

If she had read or listened to anything from CC, she would know that the grammar stage is the first of three stages, and the latter two build on the foundation built in learning the facts. No one has said that just the grammar stage leads to a good education (well, maybe the PS :D.)

 

I don't think that's what she was saying.

 

I have a number of friends and aquaintances who do CC. A couple of them are under the impression that only memory work is necessary in the grammar stage. They are not adding anything else, such as reading history books or literature together.

 

If memory work is the only exposure to history or science or literature they're giving their kids, I feel sad that they are missing out on so many rich and engaging resources. WTM has many such lists for the grammar stage.

 

This is not the case with most of my classical ed friends, but I have heard it before.

[maryanne]

My comments are in purple.

 

I am asking my questions towards anyone who has EVER been a apart of Classical Conversations Co-op, whether your experience was good or bad.

 

1. What drew you to CC initially?

Consistent weekly fellowship with similar-minded homeschoolers

2. Did you understand that CC was a supplement or the core of your homeschool curriculum?

I don't remember what I was told specifically, but I spent a year asking everyone I knew in CC how it worked for them before joining. Ultimately I went into it expecting to use it as a memory work supplement. I have always purchased curriculum (like Sonlight or God's Design Science) for each subject I planned to teach at home. I have always tried to point out connections between whatever we were covering at home and any memory work (from any of the three cycles) that correlates.

3. How did you like CC after you joined and did you find that it fulfilled your goals for your children?

Yes. The kids enjoy it and make good friends. They have learned most of the memory work and seem to thrive on the classical model of focusing on grammar at a young age.

4. Did your children like CC, why or why not?

Yes, both have enjoyed the presentations, science and art and are very proud of how much they know.

5. Would you attend CC again and why or why not?

This coming school year will be our 4th year in Foundations and our 1st year in Essentials.

6. If you were a tutor, did you find that you could juggle that responsibility along with homeschooling your children or was it a challenge?

I have not been a tutor.

7. Did you feel the money was worth it?

Yes. I know it seems like a lot of money for families on tight budgets, but I think I get good value for what I pay for it.

8. What would you tell a new person considering joining CC {a new program} both as a homeschooling parent of many children AND as a tutor for the Foundations level?

One of the things I've observed in threads on this board is that there is a lot of variation in how different groups are run. So if there is more than one group in your area consider visiting both of them before making up your mind. I visited 2 in our area before choosing the one with the most people we already knew in it.

9. What did your spouse feel about your involvement in CC?

My husband thinks its great and wishes he knew all the stuff the kids are learning.

10. What do you tell others about CC now?

It's a great program, but it's not for everyone. Also you really have to join and give it some time before you really understand how it works and what the benefits are, especially if you are new to the classical model.

Thank you all if you do answer these questions. I am in desperate need of some decision making soon and I am hoping this will help me figure this out!

 

Thanks so much!

[Heather in VA]

I don't think that's what she was saying.

 

I have a number of friends and aquaintances who do CC. A couple of them are under the impression that only memory work is necessary in the grammar stage. They are not adding anything else, such as reading history books or literature together.

 

 

 

This was a common view in our group as well. I can understand where they got that idea as well. In the practicum I went to, while they didn't directly say you only need the memory work, they certainly leaned strongly in that direction. I am a big proponent of memory work and I don't believe memory work needs to only co-ordinate with studies, but I don't go as far as many in our CC group did to say that it's all that is necessary.

 

CC's philosophy is just another modern interpretation of "classical". They have chosen their implementation just as SWB has chosen hers or the Bluedorns have chosen theirs. Anyone interested in it needs to determine where they fall on the classical spectrum.

 

I should mention that even if your group is full of people who do only the memory work for subjects like history, geography, science etc, this really has no affect on you and how you implement the program in your homeschool. It won't change how the CC day goes or what you will do each week. Where you might see an effect is if you are hoping for fellowship with "like-minded" homeschoolers. I found that there were enough families in our CC group that viewed a Classical Education differently than I did, or really didn't have any idea what a classical education was (we had alot of families who came to CC because they wanted to be with other people but hadn't really researched how CC fit into their philosophy) that it made the "like-minded" group much smaller than I had hoped.

 

Heather

Edited July 19, 2009 by Heather in VA

[mom2abcd]

I tutored Foundations for 4/5 year olds. I managed to juggle it ok. The biggest problem with tutoring that age is that the program isn't well adapted for the youngest kids and the training doesn't address teaching kids who don't read. So I spent alot of time making the material more appropriate. The focus of CC is that they can memorize anything even if they don't understand it. The problem is that it's 3 1/2 hours of straight work and that's alot for 4 and 5 year olds if they have no clue what you are talking about. So most of my prep work was trying to make it interesting for the youngers.

 

 

 

Exactly.

[G5052]

 

I have a number of friends and aquaintances who do CC. A couple of them are under the impression that only memory work is necessary in the grammar stage. They are not adding anything else, such as reading history books or literature together.

 

 

I always wonder where they get this because I know that the CC Executive Team and Program Managers do NOT do this at home. If you read Leigh Bortin's book, she reads aloud to her children far more than most of us do, and she's as thoughtful as any about what her children read. The directors are given a book list each year with week-by-week books to share with the families, and I've heard Leigh Bortins recommend both Sonlight and TOG as guides for a schedule of good books for busy families.

 

We're also beginning our fourth year in August, and I've tutored both Foundations and Essentials. Group leadership and dynamics make a big difference, as they do in any co-op. Like any larger purchase or a church you choose to be involved with, it's something to really consider. We chose to change campuses for 2009-2010 after months of "praying and weighing," and I know that we are going to be at the campus that is best for us at this stage.

[mom2abcd]

Umm that's not the program though - when it's done the way it's designed there is plenty of support and training. They don't offer these things because it's not what the program was designed to do. It's like saying Math U See doesn't offer enough support for reading. Teaching and understanding isn't a tutors role - it's a parents role.

 

The local director should be guiding you a lot in what to do in class. If not, talk to her about it.

 

 

 

 

 

I've been to two practicums and training. Our director was new. Our state director was new. We covered all the info each week. We did what we were supposed to do. I also got some great ideas for young kids from others who were tutoring that, but I had to DIG for it and I didn't get enough ideas. Personally, I think CC Foundations as written is best for kids ages 6 and up.

 

Some are not aware that teaching kids ages 3-7 is a broad range and completely different from teaching older kids the CC material. Angela in Ohio is aware of this. I taught pre-school for four years and older kids for two. Believe me, to have a quality experience, the ages must be handled differently, especially when you're covering the same content!

[Handmaiden]

Group leadership and dynamics make a big difference, as they do in any co-op. Like any larger purchase or a church you choose to be involved with, it's something to really consider.

 

:iagree:

[angela in ohio]

I don't think that's what she was saying.

 

 

From the article:

 

She cautioned, “Whenever you elect to begin CC, you must remember that the depth of learning will have to come from readings and further study you do at home regarding the topics of memorization.”

 

She is saying depth of learning comes from extra reading. I am arguing that depth of understanding does not come from the amount of readings at home, but from the skills children learn as they become capable of dialectic and rhetrical skills. The readings at home are great, but they are still just adding more facts and details, not necessarily a deep understanding of the topics. My 7 yo son knows all about the facts of the American Revolution, and no matter how many books we read, he will still just know the facts, but my 13 yo dd has true deep understanding of the causes and consequences, the roles different people and countries played, and so forth.

 

I think a child who enters the dialectic stage with a mind full of facts and a parent prepared to teach them dialectic skills will be just fine. :001_smile: I think it is nice to add extra reading at home (and we do,) but I don't consider it adding "depth of learning."

 

That said, I agree with PP who said that CC does recommend reading at home and even supplies a suggested reading list each year.

Edited July 19, 2009 by angela in ohio
typos galore

[Guest Mrs.Richardson]

I have been a part of a Classical Conversations community for the past three years and have tutored Foundations for 1.5 years. I would like to respond to the misconception among some that CC tutors are not well equipped to answer questions regarding the material covered in class. Tutors aren't equipped to do that because that is not their purpose! One of the purposes of Classical Conversations is to equip parents to follow the classical model at home. Tutors are equipped to simply drill the grammar with the students in class. Tutors are not the teachers. Parents are teachers; therefore, parents can engage in the dialectic discussions that stem from the memory work introduced each week in class at home. How in-depth a parent wants to go with let's say, "The Dred Scot Decision" is entirely up to the parent. If I, as a tutor, took the time to explain every piece of Geography, History, and why a+b= b+a, then our time and the model is completely compromised. It is in no way suggested or even recommended, either, that a parent must explore every bit of memory work in-depth. To say that CC is poorly equipping their tutors is based on a gross misunderstanding of the entire concept.

[Guest Mrs.Richardson]

I have been a part of a Classical Conversations community for the past three years and have tutored Foundations for 1.5 years. I would like to respond to the misconception among some that CC tutors are not well equipped to answer questions regarding the material covered in class. Tutors aren't equipped to do that because that is not their purpose! One of the purposes of Classical Conversations is to equip parents to follow the classical model at home. Tutors are equipped to simply drill the grammar with the students in class. Tutors are not the teachers. Parents are teachers; therefore, parents can engage in the dialectic discussions that stem from the memory work introduced each week in class at home. How in-depth a parent wants to go with let's say, "The Dred Scot Decision" is entirely up to the parent. If I, as a tutor, took the time to explain every piece of Geography, History, and why a+b= b+a, then our time and the model is completely compromised. It is in no way suggested or even recommended, either, that a parent must explore every bit of memory work in-depth. To say that CC is poorly equipping their tutors is based on a gross misunderstanding of the entire concept.

[jetzmama]

Wow so there really isn't much guidance for the tutors? Hmmm that could be a problem for me for sure. I don't have time to research this stuff or figure out how to teach things that the children have never before.

 

 

It may be worthwhile to ask the director, or other tutors, what is involved in local tutor training. Our director has a training night for the tutors for each 6 week cycle, so a quick scan of the material before the meeting allows for any questions to be covered while there. No research needed.

 

That said, there is a book on classical music and another on art that are indispensable for a tutor, IMHO, though they can both be read for the current lesson in less than 10 minutes. One of my children's tutors adores classical music and really invests time to share her passion with them. Another childs tutor keeps the reference book in hand and points out the highlights of the composer from the book. Both are fabulous tutors and both of my youngers are learning.

 

With that said, I should add that for me, the crown of the CC program is Challenge. If one is not sold on memory work, be sure it will bear fruit in the dialectic and rhetorical stages. I was not sold on CC for years b/c I could not grasp the point of memorizing so much material. Challenge completely rocked my thoughts on the value of memory work b/c I saw the fruit of early brain training in action. The integration of all those facts during the dialectic and rhetoric stages is truly amazing!

[stm4him]

I could go on and on about CC and maybe sometime this week I will answer these questions more thoroughly. I just want to add that every time I read or listen to "The Lost Tools of Learning" by Dorothy Sayers I think, "That's CC!"

 

That essay is what sparked the whole classical education movement (in the modern day) and I think CC is the purest form of that model. It is beautifully flexible and adaptable for every family to use as a supplement or the core of their homeschool. It is what you make of it and I would say that the more you use it as a central curriculum in your home the more unity and continuity you will have in your homeschool, however even those who use it as a memory work supplement not tied to anything else in their curriculum will still see benefits......

[newlifemom]

Just a quick note that this thread is rather old. We are still using CC and do still very much love it. I don't think we can tag threads anymore.