CC - New, Falling Behind and Confused:-(

[NightOwlMama]

This is our first year trying Classical Conversations and I'm soooo confused. Of course I will be asking my own group questions too but I just feel like I have an endless stream of questions. My 7 year old is frustrated because he isn't able to keep up due to my not preparing him enough. I was told that all I needed was the Foundations handbook but now it really appears as if we need the audio CDs and flash cards. I was told that I could find all of the audio on CC connected and we looked and listened to it but then in the classroom all of the children know different songs that I don't see on the website and can't find. There is SO much information on CC connected that I just feel lost - its great but overwhelming to me right now. Any helpful advice and suggestions are appreciated!

[Plateau Mama]

it is confusing. Last year it took me several weeks before I got it. You don't need the flash cards or the CD. I didn't use the CD last year. The only reasons I'm using it this year is I am tutoring. I do like the flash cards because they are easier to flip thru when doing review than the guide.

 

All the songs on the CD are on CC Connected. There are others as well. Also a tutor can use any other song they want. We have a mom who does all the science to music for our communtiy. You might ask your tutor if all the songs she's using are from the CD.

 

Try not to be frustrated. Last year my son just didn't get it. No matter how hard we worked he didn't get it. This year he is doing much better. Spend 15-30 minutes a day reviewing and things should start coming together.

 

Unless he wants to do memory master (at 7 & being his first year I wouldn't), don't worry about where you are. The beauty is in 3 years the material is covered again.

[Missouri Okie]

I agree with the previous poster. It's important to ask your tutor which songs she will be using so that you're consistent. I don't think the CD is necessary to buy because there is so much more on CC Connected.

 

I think it helps the kids to have heard the music in advance of class, so make sure you ask ahead about what song the tutor will use. She probably uses the same person's song each week.

 

Don't give up! It is very hard to learn it all the first year. I would put most of my energy on math and the timeline, because those are the same for every cycle (you'll have a leg up for next year). Plus, learn the history songs, because they're catchy and therefore easy to learn, which will give your child confidence.

[Paula in MS]

The foundation's guide and CC connected are all you really need. All the songs from the CD are there along with many additional songs. It is not important at all which song they learn in class. Class gives ideas for learning while most of the reviewing takes place outside of class. Use whatever resources you have at home to learn. Your child should not be learning ahead (although some students do.) Take what the tutor uses for that week as a jumping off point for really committing it to memory the following week. For example, when I tutor I use hand motions for the timeline. The students can use these or not; it is just a suggestion. If he is having problems remembering any particular thing, PM me and I might have some ideas.

 

Burn the songs from CC connected onto a CD or IPOD for your car or to turn on during playtime. This will help as well.

 

 

Paula

[MooCow]

This is our first year as well, and I am a planner and shopper.......I bought EVERYTHING! The new history cards, the science cards, the veritas press cards, the geo. map that is laminated, the cd's, the flash cards....., the CC foundations monthly subscription.

 

After doing it for one week, I realized all I needed was the CC monthly subscription (which is doing a free trial right now), and one cd. What I did was buy a tri-fold board, and created a visual of all of the week's work. If you go onto CC file sharing, look for files by brandyferrel and nogreaterjoy5. I used their files to organize everything. Just make sure you print off the 2012 files, not the 2009-10 like I did, and then had to toss because they are not current.

 

I also bought a 2nd edition of foundations book, and printed out the updates for 4th edition, and literally cut and pasted in the changes.

 

I feel silly so buying so much after the fact, but since I plan to CC for the long haul, I'm sure I'll eventually use everything.

 

Another thing I did was print off a copy of the map unlabeled, put it in a page protector, and my ds practices with an expo marker.

 

Believe me, it DOES get easier, and I can see it just after a few days of doing the tri-fold board. We review everyday right from the tri-fold board; it takes around fifteen-thirty mins depending on ds's mood, and listen to the cd in the car. He hates the singing, but will tolerate it for the the five mins. it takes. I am amazed at how much he remembers! For the first time in our homeschooling journey, I feel like I finally got it together, and I can do this. You can too-good luck!!!

[SonshineLearner]

I would think that it's possible to burn cds from the music that you download off the CC Connected. At least it use to be :) If you want them to learn all the songs, then keep a copy of them in your car and house. Seriously, it shouldn't take more than about 20 minutes a day, and at 7yrs old, my child wouldn't be doing Memory Masters (unless your community really freaks about it) Some kids can do it, for mine I didn't want our time spent that way.

:)

[Sophia]

What do you mean you're not preparing him enough?

He's not supposed to know the memory work ahead of time; if you mean he doesn't learn the new grammar in class fast enough, that's ok~you review that at home.

 

I have three children in Foundations, and sometimes they learn the memory work to the same tune, sometimes they learn different tunes, or no tunes at all. It really doesn't matter how it's introduced at class, because I know how each one learns best at home, and that's how I'm going to review, and ultimately how they will end up learning it.

 

I've been amazed at how just 15 minutes of review each day gets all those facts into their heads. My youngest does struggle with some pronunciation, and sometimes will drop a word here or there, but I'm careful to correct once, then move on because the last thing I want is him to get frustrated. He loves CC, in fact all my dc say it's their favorite day of the week.

 

Btw~I have the flashcards and have yet to open them. They aren't really necessary.

 

CC connected is overwhelming.

 

I had to take a few hours to understand it and find my favorite people to "follow" in the file sharing section. Maybe you can ask others in your community whom they like to search for?

[Staceyshoe]

Hang in there!:grouphug: By week 9 of our first year, ds had barely learned any of the memory work, and we both just felt more overwhelmed each week. By the end of the year, he achieved memory master. It just took us a while to find our groove.

 

The audio files are available on CC Connected. I was very confused this year because I was searching for files uploaded by "Classical Conversations." This year the username was changed to "foundations" for the official songs/documents from CC. I downloaded a bunch of old stuff and had to go back and do it again. Confusing!:confused: You should be able to search by user. If you click on "foundations," you'll find what you are looking for.

 

For memory cards, I photocopied the summary pages for cycle 1 from the Foundations Guide. Then I cut and glued them on 3x5 index cards (question on one side and answer on the other side) and created a memory box using the CM Scripture memory system. You could cut the index cards in half and do the same thing and then hole punch and hang them on a binder ring--similar to the pre-made CC memory cards.

 

Many blessings to you at CC this year!:)

[Plateau Mama]

 

For memory cards, I photocopied the summary pages for cycle 1 from the Foundations Guide. Then I cut and glued them on 3x5 index cards (question on one side and answer on the other side) and created a memory box using the CM Scripture memory system. You could cut the index cards in half and do the same thing and then hole punch and hang them on a binder ring--similar to the pre-made CC memory cards.

 

Many blessings to you at CC this year!:)

 

What a great idea!

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

What has helped *me* is setting up a tri-fold board ala Half a Hundred Acre Wood. Brandy is very generous with her talent and ideas - spend some time on her blog. Now when it's time to review each morning, all my info is right there. I also got all the songs from CCConnected and burned CDs. This weekend, I'm putting them on my phone so we have them when we are out and about.

 

Here is what I'm trying to take away from CC this year: I'm looking at this as brain training. My son is learning how to learn information that is not in his normal purview. It's not about knowing the timeline or declensions. It's about learning to learn.

 

Best wishes!

[NightOwlMama]

Really, really great ideas and encouragement - thank you! The reason my ds feels unprepared us because 90% of the 7 yr olds in his class know everything - the songs, the hand motions, answers to the flash cards and so on. They play games with teams and he can't help his team because he doesn't know all of the answers. He is very competitive so he hates feeling behind. :-(

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

I love our flashcards! Lots of people say they were not a necessary purchase, but we use ours daily at breakfast (or lunch, or dinner). I made this box to organize the flashcards and we work through the memory work each day. Ideally at breakfast.

 

I also like to listen to the CD in the car, but you don't need the CD, you can just burn the mp3s onto a CD for the car.

 

Last year, I only focused on us memorizing math and history, but our tutor-trainer this year said that if you can focus on just memorizing parts, the best to really commit to memory are English and Latin (and math) as these will be very beneficial once the child moves up to Essentials. Just a thought.

[MooCow]

Here is what I'm trying to take away from CC this year: I'm looking at this as brain training. My son is learning how to learn information that is not in his normal purview. It's not about knowing the timeline or declensions. It's about learning to learn.

 

I love this ! :thumbup1:

[i.love.lucy]

Really, really great ideas and encouragement - thank you! The reason my ds feels unprepared us because 90% of the 7 yr olds in his class know everything - the songs, the hand motions, answers to the flash cards and so on. They play games with teams and he can't help his team because he doesn't know all of the answers. He is very competitive so he hates feeling behind. :-(

That's very strange. At this age it's unlikely they've had the cycle before and if so, they were 4. You may want to ask your director. It's been made clear on my campus that kids are to come to class to hear the material for the first time. Otherwise they will act like smarty mcsmarties and it's a pain for the tutor. Mom then reviews at home. Now, maybe you have some overly ambitious moms who really work a lot on memory review at home, so those kids are really learning it at home and displaying the knowledge at review time. I would ask a mom or two how she incorporates it in to her day, how much time she spends, what's her technique.

 

I'm in my 3rd year now and definitely have a groove. Our first year we didn't know up from down. Actually I am directing Challenge A so not even all that involved in my son's CC and he has his own groove. It will come.:grouphug:

[Plateau Mama]

Really, really great ideas and encouragement - thank you! The reason my ds feels unprepared us because 90% of the 7 yr olds in his class know everything - the songs, the hand motions, answers to the flash cards and so on. They play games with teams and he can't help his team because he doesn't know all of the answers. He is very competitive so he hates feeling behind. :-(

 

Are the moms tutors? I find that the kids who moms tutor typically know the material because they (the mom) needs to prep for class.

 

The other idea is they re going for memory master. (Although, like I said before I wouldn't make a 7 yo do memory master.) At some point they have to learn ahead because testing is actually before week 24. (Makes no sense to me. If you aren't supposed to learn the material early, why is testing @ week 21sh. )

[mrs.m]

Are the moms tutors? I find that the kids who moms tutor typically know the material because they (the mom) needs to prep for class.

 

The other idea is they re going for memory master. (Although, like I said before I wouldn't make a 7 yo do memory master.) At some point they have to learn ahead because testing is actually before week 24. (Makes no sense to me. If you aren't supposed to learn the material early, why is testing @ week 21sh. )

 

:confused: In our community it is after week 24, usually week 25. We make an appt. with the director and tutor. My 7yo is determined to be a memory master this year. Proofing with parents begins at week 21.

 

Agreeing with the children of tutors thing. My kids learn the material the week after it is introduce but there are alway some smarties that are ahead.

 

OP, pick any of the songs. It doesn't matter as long as your child can say the words. Each of the tutors for my boys use different songs, so I pick something at home. My kids dislike hand motions and only use them for the initial learning.

Edited September 16, 2012 by jannylynn

[SonshineLearner]

I wanted to go over the words with my son before it was introduced for two reasons. First, because my son remembers things the 1st way they are introduced. (or he THINKS they are introduced) SO for example, if he misunderstands a word... too bad.... pretty much it's set forever. Second, because information is stored in a different part if it's "said" versus sung. I wanted it stored before the songs. I think it's perfectly reasonable to explain the sentences before, and then learn it to songs and actions while there... After a 3 year cycle, many kids will know it. Little siblings will have known it because of their older siblings...

[SonshineLearner]

Also, it seems Memory Masters try to (start) learning the 2nd half of the material during Christmas, at least.