Classical conversations?

[ebrindam]

Can anyone explain this program to me? Is it intended to take the place of other homeschool curriculum or is it a supplement? What is the parental role? Is it a very conservative Christian approach? I am trying to figure out if this is something I would like to do with DD next year or not. Thanks for any info you can share!

[violamama]

It's a supplement. For Foundations once a week classes where the "tutor" is meant to be a model for the parents as much as she is "teaching" the kids. They memorize a fairly broad amount (I'm guessing from your sig that your daughter is young? Early elem= foundations?) and practice reciting the material with their class- maximum of 8 kids. The classes are intended to support parents and give them tools for use at home (skills observed in the tutors & ideas on how to approach memorization etc.). In addition it provides a community for both the kids and the parents. Bible memorization is included, as are events in the history timeline that tie in to the history of Christianity. I have heard of non-Christians doing CC but it may be confusing to the child.

 

This week in CC foundations for example we are memorizing the following:

Timeline cards: We memorize a song with all of these events for all the weeks including hand motions- you can find versions on YouTube if you're curious. Next year will be cycle 2 and this year is cycle 1. I use the history cards as the backbone of our history, picking 3 or so each day to read and we look at the corresponding Usborne pages.

This week:

Columbus Sails to the Caribbean

Age of Absolute Monarchs

Protestant Reformation

Spanish Conquistadors in the Americas

Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion"

Council of Trent

Baroque Period of the Arts

 

History Sentence: Each week there's a song to memorize these, too. When I'm really good I try to find a little project for us related to the history sentence. Last term over two weeks they memorized the ten commandments with a song.

"In the 1400's the Songhai ruled Timbuktu. The Zanj were skilled craftsmen and traders. The Zimbabweans were wealthy, skillful stone craftsmen."

 

Geography

Ancient Africa: (find/color/draw on map + it's recommended to do geography blobs weekly)

Ancient Ghana, Ancient Mali, Ancient Songhai, Fez, Tangier

 

English

Helping Verbs: do, does, did

 

Latin

Noun Cases: Nominative-Subject, Genitive-Posessive, Dative-Indirect Object, Accusative-Direct Object, Ablative-Object of the Preposition

For this we've come up with our own hand motions and it's really just rote memorization which will be used later. A tiny snippet of grammar for latin. We also worked on noun endings (declensions, which are similar to conjugations).

 

Math

(We finished the times tables up to 12 in the first 12 weeks... another rote memorization for my boys, but they don't mind it. We sometimes write them out or find cool activities like home-made paper skip counters.)

Linear Equivalents: 2.54 cm=1 inch, 12"= 1 foot, 5,280 feet= 1 mile

 

Science: We love this stuff, easy to find projects related to the science each week. We've studied plants & the classifications of living things this year. Last year it was the periodic table of elements. I can tell you I would NEVER have told my then-5 year old about the elements and it turns out he is very very into it.)

What are 3 kinds of rock: Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic

 

Hands-on science experiments from VanCleave Science book- last term we dissected owl pellets and a crawdad, softened an egg shell in vinegar, etc.

 

Fine Arts

We did tin whistle (ugh- the only thing about CC I cannot stand- seriously) last term, in addition to learning about lines, dots, circles, curved lines, how to create depth, perspective, etc. This was my 4 year old's favorite and his samples are often more advanced than my 6 year-old. Again, I would not have thought to teach him this stuff yet on my own.

We're studying Ghiberti this week.

 

When we started last year, I really glossed over lots of the CC stuff and they still had a great time. I played the songs in the car and maybe did a little skip-counting from time to time. This year I'm doing a much better job, having put it all in a tri-fold presentation folder thingie and we do a little each day, like this: http://www.halfahund...oard.html����We travel every 4th week or so for my work, so it has made a huge difference to have it all laid out like that. People find all sorts of different ways to work the material- that's part of the point of having it be a supplement.

 

I really like the community of CC, the classroom experience my kids gain there, and the accountability/inspiration it gives me. Parents are with their kids the whole time for Foundations, and I am able to (try to) train them in how to behave with a teacher and in a group. This has been really ideal training especially for my older son, who has improved his behavior immensely over the past year. They love their friends there, and the classes we've been in for the past two years have been really encouraging and both the kids and parents have been both a ton of fun and very much on board with getting some good work done.

 

You're expected to provide the language arts and math, and any other core items you deem necessary for elem. Again, my kids are early elem and this post relates to Foundations primarily. Essentials and Challenge are different still.

 

Most CC communities have open house days- you might like to contact CC directors in your region and find out when you can stop by and observe. I think that's by far the best way to find out if it's right for you.

[violamama]

PS. There is an online resource called CC Connected that has a lot of neat stuff for CC parents to use. If you have friends doing it, or if you go to an info meeting or open house I'd recommend tracking down somebody who can show you that. It's an additional subscription but it's totally worth it. Links to downloadable songs, printables, tutorial stuff, official CC songs/images, etc etc.

[ebrindam]

Thanks for the great info! We are Christian so Christian content is fine...just wasn't sure how in depth it went!

[violamama]

It's not super in-depth in terms of theology. Lots of room for various denominations & interpretations. It's a little like music lessons (in my mind, everything is a little like music lessons or an ensemble). Everybody prepares similar material all week on their own. They come together for a brief period once a week and play together with what they've done get some tips from the conductor, and to get more info for the next week.

 

We really like CC. We also like the summer "practicums" or mini-conferences. They have specific topics & speakers related to CC & a bookstore & other homeschooling parents & if you add coffee, it's like a little slice of awesomeness.

[stm4him]

We love CC. It has completely changed our homeschool! It can be a complete program if you flesh it out and use their recommendations for other subjects (which is what we're doing), or it can just be a supplement you work on 20 minutes a day. We use everything they suggest for Math (Saxon and Tables/Squares/Cubes drill pages from CC), Latin (Latin's Not So Tough), Grammar (Dictation Resource Book and will use their Essentials program starting next year), Spelling/Phonics (Writing Road to Reading knock-off, will use Spelling Plus next year), Writing (using IEW, Pre-Scripts bought this week for cursive copywork and drawing lessons), and Reading (Teaching the Classics, A Thomas Jefferson Education, and Bob Books). We add in a Greek program (using same company as the Latin), a thinking skills book (suggested in WTM and Teaching the Trivium), McCall books for comprehension (recommended in WRTR), and McGuffey Readers (recommended in WTM and TTT). Our literature list comes from WRTR and Veritas Press. Our free reading list comes from CC (found on CC Connected), SOTW (CC recommends), VP (CC recommends), and WTM (CC recommends) mostly. So we basically revolve all our other subjects around CC's recommendations. We plan to do SOTW and VP history in the summers, which they also sell. Our read aloud list comes from A Thomas Jefferson Education and Teaching the Classics (CC sells).

 

For history, timeline, geography, Bible, Fine Arts, and science we take the weekly topics from CC and read about them using the materials CC sells and then we discuss it and they make notebook pages. We draw maps once a week. We add in some nature study (but we use books from their list) once a week. If we have time we look up more info in other encyclopedias and reference books or go on pinterest and see what other CC moms are doing. We watch related videos and they do free reading on the topic of the day as I said before. My next goal is to make notebooks with them in hopes that it will inspire them to make their beautiful (and increase my learning too).

 

We add in more memory work for poetry, catechism, character, and more Scripture (all of which CC recommends doing with maybe the exception of the character traits). So we revolve most everything around their suggestions and we are loving it!! I did half a year when my oldest was 5 and didn't get the point of it. I thought I could do it better at home but I never did. Now we are back. Last year I ended up revolving some things around CC but not everything and this year I have moved more and more into their recommendations and find the more I do the more our homeschool fits together and the more we are learning without the pressure of finishing curriculum (except for maybe math) besides keeping up with our CC weekly topics. I'm sure this will be the same next year with Essentials in terms of trying to keep up but if we can't that's ok too because we have winter break and summer break to catch up and I know they are going to go through the cycles again so I can relax about that.

 

HTH!

[G5052]

See if you can attend an open house. They start open houses in February because that is when registration for new families begin. Every campus is a little different, and you will want to find one that meshes with your approach and lifestyle. We were involved with two different campuses, and enjoyed both for different reasons at different times.

 

It was the best choice we ever made for Foundations/Essentials, and I don't regret the six years we spent at that level at all. I don't regret our years in Challenge either, but the one-stop approach hasn't worked out as well as I'd like for the teen years. Mine have done better with a more electic approach.

[pehp]

We attend CC (my ds is 5). We are halfway through our first year and I do plan to continue it next year.

 

At this age I use it entirely as a supplement. We review the memory work for fun (mostly using the CDs). My main desire was to get a little social-time, build community and just have something outside the house to do, and it has fit the bill very well for us. My dd is almost 2 and she does not do nurseries, so she stays w/ me in my son's class (if she gets restless I will take her out, but she's usually fine). I LOVE that the children do 'presentations' (it is basically show and tell at this age) each week. My son has mild autism--so mild no one really realizes he has it--so speaking in front of others is a true challenge for him, and I Love that he's able to ease into it with his comfortable little class each week. HE enjoys CC very much!

 

Our kindergarten year is very basic and simple--learning to read, a little copywork, math, and elemental science, plus read-alouds. CC is a nice add-on to that. I plan to do it for a couple more years, and then re-assess. At some point we will likely outgrow the need for it (and find additional social outlets etc). But for now I really do like it. I like the structure of the program, I like the content (even though it is 'memory work without context' I don't really care--my son looks at it as a game and I don't stress about it). The timeline cards are gorgeous. The other parents are great.

 

I would recommend attending an open house nearby to see if the community fits your style and whether you like it or not!

[mymonkeybug]

As a former Director of a community for a couple years, I would suggest you research it quite well and speak with folks both for it and against and make an educated decision. I have very mixed feelings about the program on many levels from corporate matters(for lack of better terms since it isn't a corporation)all the way down to the nuts and bolts on a community level.

[ebrindam]

Thanks for the replies! I spend the day with DD at CC today and decided it's not for us. The "memorization without context" set up is just not my ideal of teaching/learning. Again, I appreciate all the info everyone shared!

[Paula in MS]

Thanks for the replies! I spend the day with DD at CC today and decided it's not for us. The "memorization without context" set up is just not my ideal of teaching/learning. Again, I appreciate all the info everyone shared!

 

 

I would encourage you to go with your gut on this one; however, the learning doesn't have to be out of context. It is just up to you to provide the context. I, personally, do not provide the context at home but try to connect it as it comes up in our studies. Once it is in their brains, it is easy to pull out again and connect the dots. There are many other people who choose to do further research at home on all the memory work, so in this case, there is context. :)

[ebrindam]

I would encourage you to go with your gut on this one; however, the learning doesn't have to be out of context. It is just up to you to provide the context. I, personally, do not provide the context at home but try to connect it as it comes up in our studies. Once it is in their brains, it is easy to pull out again and connect the dots. There are many other people who choose to do further research at home on all the memory work, so in this case, there is context. :)

 

 

 

Yeah, I get that. But the little song today about someone starting a slave trade, sung in a very chipper tone, was just out of my comfort level. Yes, discuss slavery with your children...but doing it in that way seemed...not quite right (for us). However, I do see the value in the program...it's just not for us! :-)

[mymonkeybug]

Yeah, I get that. But the little song today about someone starting a slave trade, sung in a very chipper tone, was just out of my comfort level. Yes, discuss slavery with your children...but doing it in that way seemed...not quite right (for us). However, I do see the value in the program...it's just not for us! :-)

 

 

I am so sorry for just getting back on here now. I saw your PM and decided to check here first to see other responses. I would be more than happy to still share thoughts with you through that PM, but since you have clearly made up your mind(I get your feeling-I feel the same way)just let me know if you still care to chat via PM.

[amselby81]

I admit that I've thought the same thing about anything relating to slaves being sung in an upbeat way. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don't know if I'd want it sung in a sad way either. Yes it's sad, but last year we memorized a song for the September 11th attacks, and that was to a sad tune, and I want to cry every single time we sing it. If we had sad songs for every time we talk about slavery, well, I'd be crying a lot during our schooling.

 

I like that CC doesn't skirt around the issue of slavery though. Talking about slavery in general is just uncomfortable at this age, but I don't want her to not learn about it. Last year, when we talked about U.S. slavery, and I read a story about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad to DD, who was 5 at the time. We also talked about segregation, and when we talked about Brown vs. Board of Education, I read the story about Ruby Bridges to DD.