What else do I use with Classical Conversations?

[Guest av8rzgal]

Next year I am planning on starting Classical Conversations with my 10 yo dd and 7 yo ds (and possibly also with 4 yo ds), but I am stumped on what else to use. I really wanted to continue with our MFW history cycle, but it barely corresponds to what they'll be covering in CC. Do I use it anyway or will it be too much to do in one year? I can't see how using CC alone could possibly be enough, and unfortunately we are moving to an area with a very poor public library that will not be a good source for materials. Does anyone use anything other than SOTW? I'm not convinced I want to use that either! I am just so enjoying MFW, it's hard for me to think of changing, but I'm really worried about covering two totally different times in history at once.

[Heather in VA]

Next year I am planning on starting Classical Conversations with my 10 yo dd and 7 yo ds (and possibly also with 4 yo ds), but I am stumped on what else to use. I really wanted to continue with our MFW history cycle, but it barely corresponds to what they'll be covering in CC. Do I use it anyway or will it be too much to do in one year? I can't see how using CC alone could possibly be enough, and unfortunately we are moving to an area with a very poor public library that will not be a good source for materials. Does anyone use anything other than SOTW? I'm not convinced I want to use that either! I am just so enjoying MFW, it's hard for me to think of changing, but I'm really worried about covering two totally different times in history at once.

 

You can continue with MFW. There are some who take the weekly history sentence and use that as a jumping off point for their history. That's fine too but there aren't enough sentences to cover all of what you would want to cover in a year's worth of history. The year we did CC most of the other families did another history program at home. Some chose the same time period - or approx the same. Some did a whole different one. CC is primarily about memory work. Memory work doesn't have to correlate with what you are studying at the time. You are loving MFW. Keep doing it.

 

Heather

[i.love.lucy]

Heather, thanks for that answer! I just got done posting a long bunch of questions about CC and then saw this thread. I could have just hijacked it!!:tongue_smilie:

 

I've been using HoD, but the next guide doesn't follow the timeline for CC at all that I can tell. I just assumed it was easiest to build on what we are learning in CC with SOTW and other resources to really flesh it out and add detail. Wouldn't that work?

[Heather in VA]

Heather, thanks for that answer! I just got done posting a long bunch of questions about CC and then saw this thread. I could have just hijacked it!!:tongue_smilie:

 

I've been using HoD, but the next guide doesn't follow the timeline for CC at all that I can tell. I just assumed it was easiest to build on what we are learning in CC with SOTW and other resources to really flesh it out and add detail. Wouldn't that work?

 

You certainly could do that. SOTW won't line up with it either though completely. SOTW does Ancients, Middle Ages, Early Modern, Modern. CC does World history twice. Both cover things in ancients, Middle ages and modern times. The first cycle jumps around chronologically a bit. Then the third cycle is American. So you could do SOTW with it but you'll either be pulling bits and pieces from 3 SOTW books or doing something unrelated to the history sentence anyway.

 

That doesn't mean you can't take the time to find out about the event or person in the history sentence of the week even if you choose to continue what you are using already. The original poster was lamenting leaving MFW so for her I definitely say 'Stay with what you like'. But you can do it either way. Just know what you are getting into if you want it to fully line up with the sentences.

 

Heather

[apCrazy4Jesus]

I really wanted to continue with our MFW history cycle, but it barely corresponds to what they'll be covering in CC. Do I use it anyway or will it be too much to do in one year? I can't see how using CC alone could possibly be enough...I am just so enjoying MFW, it's hard for me to think of changing, but I'm really worried about covering two totally different times in history at once.

 

This year we did CC cycle 1 and MFW CtG and it has been awesome!

 

I say continue with MFW!

 

I simply allow the history sentences and VP timeline cards be their memory work as they encounter them weekly at CC. We flesh out the sentences and cards when we cover it in MFW. If it is not covered in MFW, but fits in chronologically with MFW, we also flesh it out. I believe it would be too much and too confusing to flesh out all the history sentences and do a history curricula.

 

You are right CC history alone is NOT enough IMO. There would be way too many gaps and it skips back and forth, as far as time periods.

 

Having said that I LOVE the way CC hangs these pegs in their minds. My boys get so tickled:lol: when we cover something they have memorized, they love to recite the sentence and because they know the facts it sparks greater interest in fleshing it out. I also like seeing them encouraged because they know the dates, names and events already.

 

I would also like to say that the same is NOT true about the science. This year the 1st 12 weeks was Biology which tied in wonderfully with Apologia exploring creation with Botany (only 4 weeks didn't tie in, so we fleshed those out with library books). The last 12 weeks is Earth Science, I am tieing it in with A child's Geography:Explore His Earth (only 1 week doesn't tie in, so we will do it on our own). I tried MFW science and did not like it at all (cute fun book, but nothing was sticking). Next year we are doing HOD so the boys will be doing HOD science independently and I will expand weekly on the science sentence with the CC PPT info and living books and experiments. CC science can be a great spine.

 

My kids really love CC. It was so funny this year at Christmas time I heard them singing more history songs then Christmas carols.

 

HTH,

Adrienne