MariannNOVA Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 CLAA?:confused: I don't want to debate the issues about the Headmaster's Discipline Philosophy. I would like to know if you've had your child enrolled in one of the courses, what was your experience regarding quality of subject matter, workload, your child's opinion of the class, your opinion of the class. TIA:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 (edited) Hi Mariann, Is that your Christmas photo at the bottom of your page? That is an adorable picture! My three girls are enrolled in CLAA. DD12 is enrolled in five classes, DD10 in three classes and DD6 in the Petty School program. My opinion of the quality is that it is excellent. They are some of the best classes I have found in seven or so years of constant curriculum research. :) The author and his wife respond quickly to both questions you might have as a parent and also to any student questions. Many of the students are in daily contact with the Michaels to discuss questions with their lessons. The classes are all new. But there is a webboard for questions which the Michaels and also the other parents respond to daily. Any errors or fuzzy areas in the curriculum are discussed and if needed corrected in a very timely matter. Many of the classes are difficult, even at the very basic level. Catechism and Chronology only require about 30 minutes each per day to make steady progress. But even at 12 years old, the basic grammar and vocabulary classes take 2+ hours daily of sincere study to make steady progress. Our daily goal is to spend 1.5 hours on grammar and 45 min - 1 hour on vocabulary. Even with these times it can take two weeks or more to pass each lesson. It is time intensive and there aren't any "fun" activities or any such things. As to whether my kids like it - some days better than others. But overall, yes they like it. In a six month period they learn more Latin than they would have in two or three years of another program. It suits my eldest the best - it covers the basics and does it well. She loves the geography program and really has no complaints about any of the other classes either. DD10 struggles a bit more because she was never a details sort of person. In school work (and in life) she tries to get a summary of the whole idea and move on. But the amount of detailed memory work in claa classes holds her back. DD6 loves it, but she loves anything that has to do with school. She is the child that moans and groans on hearing it is not a school day. I have every intention of continuing the classes throughout my children's time with me at home. Every week the school is growing and expanding. Next year there will be a writing curriculum and I am looking forward to that as well! Edited December 17, 2009 by Melissa B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Melissa: thank you SO much -- You have helped me enormously! Your comments mirror my observation of the level and quality and demands of the courses that I gleaned from the website. Yes, that is our Christmas Card photo -- thanks for your kind words. I am hoping to be able to address envelopes and get them out tonight. I could probably find the time to do that if I wasn't busy listing curriculum for sale and researching online classes. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 (edited) My dd12 is enrolled in Grammar I, Catechism I and Vocabulary I. She has learned more about English grammar in 4 months then during the previous 2 years or so. The lessons in Grammar I are challenging and require a significant time of studying. There are lessons concentrating on vocabulary or on grammar, but they are building upon each other. We are trying to go with 1 lesson per week, but lately it takes her 2 weeks per lesson. Passing of the exams is extremely rewarding for my dd. She feels that she accomplished much more during her 4 months of studying with the CLAA than with any other curriculum we've tried. Vocabulary lessons require 30 min per day if you want to move slowly forward. My dd's favorite part is always transliteration. Every lesson contains about 20 Latin and corresponding Greek words with English vocabulary based on these. Catechism lessons are not only "Baltimore" questions, but they have a good explanation of prayers and questions contained in the given lesson. Tha other aspect of the school is the founder's missionary calling http://claamissions.wordpress.com/, which is an excellent example for Catholic families of the wholesome education, not only the academics. This is by far the closest to the real Christian classical education stuff out there. I looked for it for years!!! I am planning to enroll my other kids in the CLAA and I want to take Preaceptor Course in the future. Edited December 18, 2009 by iwka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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