Classical Conversations Questions...

[BiblioTech]

Hi there - I'm considering enrolling my kids in CC this fall. They'll be 11(6th), 9(4th), 6(1st), and 6(1st). I have a few questions about the program logistics and wondered if anyone here might have some answers for me.

 

What if we enroll and like it enough to stay for the following year. Would my oldest dd, who would then be 12(7th) HAVE to enter Challenge, or could she stay in Foundations for an extra year? She will have only gone through one year of Foundations at that point.

 

Assuming I chose not to enter her in Challenge, could the others still be in Foundations if I just left her at home for that day? I know this sounds strange, but I'm not super keen on the looks of Challenge. My dd's been doing Ambleside Online for the last five years, and has read everything they read in Challenge for the first few years already. It doesn't seem like that part of the program will be a great fit for us. There's also a chance that we may enter our kids in the public school at high school age.

 

I'm not really looking for a discussion of what program would or wouldn't be right for us as much as I am of the 'rules' of the system. Can I have an older child in a different homeschool program or public school while having youngers in Foundations?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[amtmcm]

 

What if we enroll and like it enough to stay for the following year. Would my oldest dd, who would then be 12(7th) HAVE to enter Challenge, or could she stay in Foundations for an extra year?

 

Yes, she can do another year of Foundations. I had two 13 year old students in my Foundations class this year.

 

Assuming I chose not to enter her in Challenge, could the others still be in Foundations if I just left her at home for that day?

 

Yes, you can do that. My DD13 was in a different co-op this year. However, I regret not putting her in Challenge.

 

I know this sounds strange, but I'm not super keen on the looks of Challenge. My dd's been doing Ambleside Online for the last five years, and has read everything they read in Challenge for the first few years already.

 

I had the same concerns. But a couple things to keep in mind....1) The literature is a small portion of the entire class. Challenge A students learn how to draw the world by freehand, they learn how to draw the human skeleton freehand, they learn how to discuss worldviews, etc... 2) It's good for middle schoolers to practice lit analysis on stories that are very familiar. The point is for them to learn how to have an intelligent discourse about the book. If the reading level was too challenging they would get bogged down by that instead of focussing on the principles of lit analysis.

 

 

 

My 2 cents on this one. :)

[G5052]

Normally there are a wide range of students in each level, and you are never, ever forced to promote a child if they are following CC as intended. There are teens who stay longer in Foundations and Essentials. And certainly there are families who don't enroll every child, although you must stay on campus if you have children who are under 12.

 

And yes, the literature may surprise you. We had read or listened to all of the books as well through Sonlight and other sources, and it was still an eye-opener to my oldest to discuss them in a group and write about them to the depth that his tutor went.

Edited April 11, 2010 by GVA

[BiblioTech]

Thank you both so much for your quick replies. I am really very excited about CC, but I was a little concerned to get involved with a group if I couldn't see it working for the whole fam. for longer than the first year. I am still definitely open the learning about the Challenge program over the next year, though.

 

Do either of you have an opinion on the Essentials class? I'm thinking of putting my two oldest in, but I'm not sure. We currently do FLL for grammar ( oldest is finishing that up, though), and I'm not sure we'd like IEW as a writing program. All I can think of about it is when I read SWB say that the kids who go through it often end up writing with a very similar tone. That did not really appeal to me. I want my kids to have their own 'voice', so to speak, through their writing.

[SonshineLearner]

I can say.. about the books... that it's suggested they read them all before getting to them. I think that most of the books are put off until the second 15 weeks....?? (wks 16-30??)

 

Carrie :)

[meet me in paris]

Thank you both so much for your quick replies. I am really very excited about CC, but I was a little concerned to get involved with a group if I couldn't see it working for the whole fam. for longer than the first year. I am still definitely open the learning about the Challenge program over the next year, though.

 

Do either of you have an opinion on the Essentials class? I'm thinking of putting my two oldest in, but I'm not sure. We currently do FLL for grammar ( oldest is finishing that up, though), and I'm not sure we'd like IEW as a writing program. All I can think of about it is when I read SWB say that the kids who go through it often end up writing with a very similar tone. That did not really appeal to me. I want my kids to have their own 'voice', so to speak, through their writing.

I know people who have kept their kids in Foundations for an extra year. As a matter of fact, I heard someone saying recently that the whole Masters Level in their community decided to do an extra year of Foundations, so they all stayed. Having a 6th grader in this year, that appealed to me since I'm not sold on Challenge.

 

As far as IEW goes, if your kids are good writers and already have a "voice", IEW won't ruin that. In my opinion, IEW is the best foundation for academic writing that I've seen, and I teach Research Skills at the university level. Yes, it is formulaic, but that makes academic writing SO much easier. Creative writing, no. Research, yes. And a very, very small portion of college writing is creative, unless you are an English major.

[Woodland_Mom]

You can certainly keep your older in Foundations if you feel that would be the best fit for her. The ages are guidelines.

 

It's great that you have an open mind to Challenge. When you're ready to think about the program, visit a group. Talk to the director. Go to an informaton meeting. Until then . . . enjoy Foundations with your children. It's packed with lots of learning and fun!

 

Essentials: The children work on grammar for 45 minutes, fun math "slam" games for 30 minutes and writing for 45 minutes. Essentials uses the IEW themed based writing books. Next year they will do Middle Ages. My children did FLL and then Essentials. It was an easy transition.

[LND1218]

Agree with what's been said - want to comment on the books...

 

Yes, reading them ahead of time is helpful!! The reason for those seemingly simple books is for discussion purposes. Take a look at Teaching the Classics - he recommends going below their reading level to analyze literature. Good discussion and analyzing come from having a solid grasp on the book.

 

It's not about their reading level - it's assumed these are below their reading level. Don't let that put you off!

 

As far as rules, as a parent you can pretty much do whatever you want. You can have some in school and some in CC. A lot of parents, do CC through 8th then put their kids in school. Some have kids in another program. (There are additional rules for directors on this, but as a parent, you can have each in a different program.)

 

One family in our group has:

DD in College

DS in PS High School

DS in Ch I

DD in CH A

DD is PS

DD is Foundations

DS in preschool

DS in nursery

 

What you can't do is have them with you during the Foundations day if they are Foundations age. So you can't do CC with 3 and have your 4th say your 9 yr old sit with you in class or even sitting in another room. You will have to make arrangements to have him/her off site. (Younger kids are welcome though.)

 

You can do an extra year of Foundations if your community is able to accommodate that - talk to the director about the details.

[BiblioTech]

Thank you all so much for your replies! I'm going to get everyone signed up and enjoy our first year in CC.

[angela in ohio]

I am currently a CC Challenge Director, and I directed Foundations last year.

 

Your 12 yo is welcome to stay in Foundations.

 

You can bring your younger dc without enrolling the 12 yo. We have many families who do this. If you ever want to be a Director, the rules will be a bit different, but as a parent, you can enroll only the dc you want.

[Lymeade Mom]

How do I decide if we should do essentials too? I'm not sure if my dd is ready. We are definitely in for the Foundations, but this is the first year here, so there was nowhere to visit.

 

My almost 9yo will be in 4th grade next year. She is finish AAS level 2 and doesn't do a whole of writing at this point, so I'm worried about the writing component. I've never asked her to do much more than copy work and notebooking (which she usually copies from books.) She'll be fine with the math and I'm not too worried about the grammar. But how do I know if the writing would be helpful or frustrating?

 

Also, how much time does all the homework take?