Classical Conversations

[Jess4879]

Could someone please explain this to me. From looking at the website, it's essentially a 3 hour class, once per week, that is focused on drilling history, grammar and other facts. what is the basic cost? I couldn't figure out what elements you'd need and is there sign up fees as well?

 

And the million dollar question - have you done it and did you like it??

[ebrindam]

Could someone please explain this to me. From looking at the website, it's essentially a 3 hour class, once per week, that is focused on drilling history, grammar and other facts. what is the basic cost? I couldn't figure out what elements you'd need and is there sign up fees as well?

 

And the million dollar question - have you done it and did you like it??

 

 

$75 reg fee

$325 "tuition" fee

$50 supplies fee

$50 facilities fee

 

Total $500 (here anyway)

 

Here we are required to purchase the Foundations Guide ($60), Tin Whistle ($10), Cycle 2 Audio CD ($35). Because I am a completist I will buy everything else too. Yes, I have OCD. Link to products for foundations:

 

http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/fobo.html

 

Initially after going to an open house day, we decided not to participate. After thinking about it more, speaking to local participants, several chats with the Director of our local group...we are signed up for next year. DD needs some more challenge and I think being around other kids who are homeschooled will be nice for her once a week. If we don't love it next year we just won't do it again. I think trying it will be worth it.

[amselby81]

^ What she said, except that the church where we meet doesn't charge us a facility fee, so ours is only $450 a year. And the Foundations guide is used in all three cycles. Next year will be Cycle 2. If you choose to do CC next year, and you buy a guide, you will not need to buy another guide the following year for Cycle 3. BUT, chances are a new guide will come out the next time we do Cycle 1. That's been the pattern every time Cycle 1 begins.

 

We are in our 2nd year of CC and we really enjoy it. :)

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

We are doing Foundations this year and have enjoyed it very much. Next year, DS will do Essentials which *I* think will be even better for him.

 

Our community doesn't charge a facility fee nor require us to buy much. The MUST HAVES: tin whistle, either the guide (book $60) OR the app ($15 per cycle). Each child needs a whistle. The guide is used by the parent only.

 

I like the timeline cards because we can read more about the events that interest us, but they are not absolutely necessary. Once you are in the community, you can sign up for CCConnected and use their file sharing section to download all the music and visual aids your heart desires. It's $6 a month, but you can download everything in one month and then let it lapse. The CC store has lots of lovely and useful stuff, but you don't have to buy it all. I'd suggest getting into the classes before buying all the pretties.

 

CC has been a real plus in our homeschool this year, but I only have one child. Having two in the program would be expensive. Best wishes on your decision.

[pehp]

There is drill but also science and art projects and music instruction. Definitely not 3 hours of drill!!!! Just half an hour of review drill time, and half an hour of learning new facts. At the foundations level the rest of the time is spent on science, art/music, and presentations. :)

 

In our community only the tin whistle is required. I don't think we had a facility fee. I did buy the CD and the guide as well, though.

 

This was our first year of foundations and I have appreciated it. We are establishing community and it gives my son a chance to meet other children, receive instruction from someone else, and ease into learning public speaking skills. I am not focused on the academics at this point and do not emphasize the memory work, but my son enjoys it and asks to review it, so we do. (10 mins per day or less.)

 

It serves a purpose in our homeschool and we will be doing it again next year!

 

I also like our director and the tutor we have....I like our little CC community. That means a lot!

[G5052]

No regrets. This is our seventh year, and I'm heartbroken that it is our last. I've loved the program and the friends. A few bumps on the road, but overwhelmingly positive. Some years we gave up our vacation in order to continue with CC, and it was worth it.

 

It hasn't been as good a fit as I had hoped with my teens, so we're going more eclectic next fall. We'll miss it.

[Jess4879]

Thanks for all the feedback! It's been very helpful. It looks like it would be very pricey for me, as I'd have two in the program right off the bat. I am intrigued now though. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked....lol

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

I like it and don't like it at the same time. We've been in a community for 2 years but next year we will do a modified version of it at home. We love the community. The people are great. But, I feel like that day out of the house prevents us from accomplishing as much as I would like at home and we aren't getting to the fun projects at home as a result. I also don't like the majority of the science demonstrations and the repetition of the same artists and composers every three years. There are so many artists and composers out there to know about besides the ones CC has chosen. We want to do history chronologically and CC jumps around. Just my two cents worth.

[TarynB]

I like it and don't like it at the same time. We've been in a community for 2 years but next year we will do a modified version of it at home. We love the community. The people are great. But, I feel like that day out of the house prevents us from accomplishing as much as I would like at home and we aren't getting to the fun projects at home as a result. I also don't like the majority of the science demonstrations and the repetition of the same artists and composers every three years. There are so many artists and composers out there to know about besides the ones CC has chosen. We want to do history chronologically and CC jumps around. Just my two cents worth.

 

 

Thank you for posting. I've considered CC, and info like this, which you won't hear at open houses or find on the website, is good to know as well. If we participated, I fear our only benefit would be in the social community, not the education received. I've looked at the curricula they use and most of it wouldn't be a good fit for us, particularly the math (Saxon) and science (Apologia).

[hjordan423]

I really like the CC program, but how it's executed varies from community to community. (My experience was with the Foundations program because my children are young.) We "sampled" 4 different communities in 2 different states before joining one for a semester and here are some things we learned from our experience:

 

1) The tutor your child ends up with makes a big difference in the program. Tutors are simply homeschooling parents who have kids enrolled in the program, and who volunteer to tutor. Yes, they receive some of that $325 (I think 40% goes to the Director and 60% is divided among the tutors) as compensation, but it's not the same thing as hiring professional tutors. And, I don't mean this to be mean at all, but we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and not everyone is cut out to be teaching/tutoring a group. Just because you're great one-on-one with your own kids does not automatically mean you will be effective in front of a group of 8 or more kids that are not all your own. And, personally, if I'm paying that kind of money (times 2 for 2 kids) then I want the tutor to be good at what she's doing. Often times, especially in smaller communities, the tutor just ends up being whomever is willing to step up and give it a try. Don't get me wrong...in a co-op where the cost is much much lower, I'm ok with this. But not when I'm spending $1000. A couple we had were not good, a couple were ok, and one was just terrific!

 

2) The communities vary on how much they make it church-like. I understand it's a Christian organization and that's great. But just understand that there's a lot of variance in how different groups apply that. In one group, we opened with 30 minutes of prayer, singing hymns and Bible verse recitation. In another group, we simply opened with a prayer, announcements, pledge, etc. In one group I was uncomfortable with how the tutor 'made' all the children repeat after her something about how evolution is wrong and creationism is right (not those words, just that idea). This was not part of the course...it was just her idea to insert it. It felt like brainwashing more so than teaching a love for God.

 

3) While there is not an "official" CC song for every subject for every week (all the history memory work has a song to go with it, all the timeline stuff, some of the other subjects occasionally)-- there ARE songs out there for every single piece of memory work...if you take the extra step of looking for it on CCOnline. My kids can learn anything if it's put to song. Without a song, trying to get a 4 and 5 year old to memorize the seven classifications of living things is more challenging. :) So, if you have a tutor that goes that extra mile and provide a song for everything...great! If not, you may want to subscribe to CCOnline and find one yourself. (Other CC members make up their own songs and put them online to share...it's WONDERFUL!!)

 

That's my input in a nutshell. Overall, I think it's a fantastic program and there is nothing else like it that I can find. But it is a program that can very easily be done at home without being a part of a group. That's what we do now, because cost was a major factor for us.

 

I hope that helps. Best of luck!!

[austinangela]

Has anyone doing CC purchased the latest Foundations curriculum book (4th edition)? Are there major changes from the previous addition?

[...................]

I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in CC and they all pretty much love it. When CC first started around here about 6-7 years ago, it was different. The moms who told me about it were very closed. They were super super academic moms, and extremely stressed out. One mom I know ended up yelling at her kids every time I saw her, her kids wear always always fighting each other, and yet she constantly talked about CC and about piano and the curriculum at home. It seemed like only the brave and the few could or would do it.

 

I don't know why but the flavor of it here is just different now. Now, moms are always inviting people. They aren't even talking about the academics, they just say it's fun because they get out of the house, and do art and Science. Most of them quit after foundations. I get the idea that CC is a really fun supplement if you don't mind taking a whole day out of your schedule. Maybe you are an extrovert and need more time out. Or maybe you have an only child and you can easily take a day out and stil get your own curriculum done.

 

I think the key thing to understand is that it's a supplement. And that you are paying 600.00 to go be with people, have fun, and enrich your studies. You will not replace your studies and you will not get any of the main subjects done there in foundations. With all of that in mind, it seems like a great deal if you have the time, money, and you need more time out of the house and socialization.

 

:)

 

For me, when my kids were little I didn't have the desire to go dump my baby girl so my son could be at CC. Then when it grew and seemed more up our alley, I didn't have the money/or a car. Now, they are too old and our own schedule at home is too full to add a whole day of supplement.

 

But for a young mom with one or two kiddos, why not try it?

[Jess4879]

I like it and don't like it at the same time. We've been in a community for 2 years but next year we will do a modified version of it at home. We love the community. The people are great. But, I feel like that day out of the house prevents us from accomplishing as much as I would like at home and we aren't getting to the fun projects at home as a result. I also don't like the majority of the science demonstrations and the repetition of the same artists and composers every three years. There are so many artists and composers out there to know about besides the ones CC has chosen. We want to do history chronologically and CC jumps around. Just my two cents worth.

 

Good to know! Thanks for posting!

[hjordan423]

Has anyone doing CC purchased the latest Foundations curriculum book (4th edition)? Are there major changes from the previous addition?

 

 

I took advantage of the really discounted price on the Third Edition ($15 as opposed to $60 for the Fourth Edition) and it's working just fine. CC puts together a list of all the changes, and I just printed it off and updated my book...I actually cut out the new information and taped into my book over top of the old information. Works perfectly!!

 

Most of the changes are not major. In some cases, it's just a matter of flip-flopping the info between two weeks. Piece of cake. Works for me!

[DiannaC]

We have been doing it for 2 years now & I think it is an excellent curriculum. I think it is much more than a supplement and a social activity. During foundations, your children are getting memory pegs which will help them in later years. You can also make CC your main curriculum as well, you would just need to supplement with library books. My son is only 5.5 and I'm amazed at the information he has learned and retained. My dh has jokingly said, "When is he going to be smarter than us?" I do like the social aspect as well because they learn how to interact with others as well as presentation. Are there some downsides? Sure, nothing is perfect, but if you looking for a great way for your kids to memorize info they will use for the rest of their lives, and have community, it is a great option!

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

 

I took advantage of the really discounted price on the Third Edition ($15 as opposed to $60 for the Fourth Edition) and it's working just fine. CC puts together a list of all the changes, and I just printed it off and updated my book...I actually cut out the new information and taped into my book over top of the old information. Works perfectly!!

 

Most of the changes are not major. In some cases, it's just a matter of flip-flopping the info between two weeks. Piece of cake. Works for me!

 

 

This is what I did!

[MeganW]

I joined CC with low expectations. My kids have some learning challenges, and I didn't expect them to be able to hang with the memory work, so we truly just joined for the social / class experience. My kids have really surprised me though. They have done GREAT with it! They have learned WAY more than I ever imagined.

 

I am seeing the memory work really pay off. None of my kids could remember ANYTHING before this. Now, they can remember dance routines, follow instructions with several steps, etc. The practice memorizing has really improved their ability to memorize, if that makes any sense. The other real benefit is that they are SO interested in our history and science when it overlaps something we have learned previously at CC. Even if they can't quote the memory work exactly, they perk up and get all into it when they have been exposed to it before!

 

The campus south of me is extremely fundamental Christian. The one north of us is much more hippie, and doesn't seem religious at all. Ours is somewhere in the middle. One of these campuses has tons of Memory Masters (kids who have learned 100% of the material) every year. Another has never had a Memory Master, and there is no emphasis on it at all. One campus somewhat near us has had 100% turnover several years in a row. 100% - can you believe that? Another has had 100% retention.

 

My point here is that it is REALLY important to visit and check out the other families and the director to decide if the campus is a good fit for you and your family. The curriculum is the same, but it is a vastly different experience depending on the campus. I love ours b/c I fit in well with the director & other families, but would not be happy at all at some of the other locations near me.

 

Our group meets from 9 to 12 for Foundations.

• 9 - 915 - big group assembly - pledge, prayer requests & prayer, announcements - a different family leads each week
  

 

• 915 - break up into classes & walk to classrooms (classes have 7 or so kids who are roughly grouped by grade level / age)
  

 

• 30 minutes - new "grammar" - memory work in 7 areas - timeline (high-level), history sentences (details about one event), geography, math (skip counting, conversions, etc.), science, English grammar, and Latin - taught using songs, jumping jacks, etc.
  

 

• 30 minutes - fine arts - 1st quarter drawing, 2nd quarter music/tin whistle (which is like a recorder), 3rd quarter art, 4th quarter orchestra/composers/music appreciation
  

 

• 30 minutes - science experiment / demonstration - they walk through the scientific method every single time - older kids write up a lab report
  

 

• 30 minutes - each child gives a presentation to the class (basically show-and-tell in lower grades, gets more academic as they get older)
  

 

• 30 minutes - games reviewing the memory work from prior weeks
  

 

• there is a snack/bathroom break in there as well, so that gets us to noon
  

 

We then go back to the gym where we had assembly, and everyone eats lunch together.

 

At 1:00, kids 4th grade and up go to Essentials. Some of the youngers leave, others stay for either martial arts or a lego class from 1-2.

 

From 2-3, optional enrichments for youngers are art and Playball (sort of like PE).

 

The format from 9-12 should be the same at most campuses. The afternoon programming varies a lot - some campuses have several options, some have none.

 

We also do a fair number of field trips together - we have group children's theater tickets and that kind of thing.

 

Some families from our campus are also planning next year to add a second day each week, patterned after this:

http://solagratiamom...ns-week-13.html

It will of course be optional for families at our CC - just a way to fill out the memory work a little more, as well as get together with others more. (It will probably be 2-3 hours, not another full day.) I always have great intentions of doing this kind of thing with my kids at home, but don't get around to it as much as I'd like, so my family is definitely participating!

 

 

As for what you'd need -

- Foundations Guide

- one tin whistle per child

- we primarily review in the car, so for us, the audio CDs with the memory work on them are essential. You could download it all off CC's website (if you pay to subscribe - $6 per month for people who attend a CC campus). Personally, though, I like having the labeled CDs with the box so it is easy to find what we want.

- you could get away with not getting the timeline cards, but your kids will be asking you "who is Confucious?" and "what's the Council of Trent?", and it is really nice to be able to just flip that card over and give them a summary rather than having to look it all up!

- we used the flashcards to play games a lot last year, but haven't done so this year for some reason

- I bought the maps, but HATE them, so we haven't used them at all. They are black & white, and would be SO much easier to use if the water was colored blue. All those tee-tiny black outlines are just impossible to distinguish.

- science cards - I have them and haven't even opened the pack yet, so I can't comment on what they are like, but they would be an extra, not a necessity

- the resource CD is basically a power point of all the memory work. My kids would never sit for that, but I have a friend who really likes it.

- I have not used the Latin trivium tables at all. Maybe someone with older kids would?

[Jess4879]

I joined CC with low expectations. My kids have some learning challenges, and I didn't expect them to be able to hang with the memory work, so we truly just joined for the social / class experience. My kids have really surprised me though. They have done GREAT with it! They have learned WAY more than I ever imagined.

 

This was an awesome help! Thanks for taking the time to really break it down. I appreciate it!

[pehp]

A few more quick notes:

 

*it's true that the cycles repeat themselves, so if you want to broaden your children's study of art or composers, then....don't rely solely on CC. I think the 'limitation' of the rotation only becomes a limitation when the parent simply relies on CC to give the student *all* they need in that realm. I see CC as a supplement, not a core, so my students will be studying more art/composer/science/etc than they get in CC.

 

*I agree that there's likely a wide variance from community to community. I really REALLY like ours. We don't talk much about curric or what we are using but everyone kind of uses different stuff, and the director doesn't expect CC to be your sole curriculum *at all.* So my son's tutor and a couple of friends and I sit at lunch and swap ideas about Sonlight and so on...I read in another thread, I think, about how someone felt like there was pressure in one community to not talk about what you were doing that wasn't CC. That is not at all the case in our community...not even close!!

 

*The Christian focus in our group is great but not overbearing (and definitely no indoctrination from tutors on evolution, etc...). 15 mins opening = brief opening prayer, pledges to the flag and Bible, announcements, quick Scripture song, and then one family 'presents' a 5 min presentation--just something fun about that family, a different family each week. It's a nice way to get to 'know' people in the community. That's it. Again--there is probably a huge variance between communities, so getting the 'feel' of a local group may be the only way to make this determination.

 

*FWIW, my daughter, who is 2, refuses to stay in a nursery. So she just sits in the CC class. She has a snack when the 'big kids' snack, watches what they do, plays w/ toys, and then sometimes we will take a walk to burn off energy, or she'll play in the nursery w/ me nearby. This was a huge relief to me--the fact that our director/tutors are completely open to younger children in the classroom as long as they are not disruptive--b/c I could never have done CC if my 2 year old had been required to stay in the nursery. It is very relaxed and my daughter loves the Latin songs. ha!

 

*Last night I was reading an article in National Geographic about Libya, and was looking at a map with a timeline and saw something about the Berbers. And I immediately thought "the Berbers traded gold, iron and salt in the desert....". It cracked me up b/c I realized the 'pegs' of history were working for ME as well--I knew where the Berbers fell on the timeline. A few pages later, I saw a photograph of the Temple of Zeus--another thing we'd seen in CC, and I couldn't wait to show both of these things to my son this morning. I appreciate the fact that even though I've got a BA, MA, and JD, CC is filling in some history gaps for me! ha!

[fourisenough]

Thanks for sharing about CC. I visited a campus near us yesterday and was expecting to be able to rule it out, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked the director and the two tutors I observed, as well as all the participating families I met. It was the first time in 6 years of homeschooling that I felt like I was in the company of peers; I often feel like I'm much more focused on academics than other home educators I meet, and that was not the case. Though I'm not much of a conformist, the thing I liked best was that everyone seemed to have a common purpose and shared goals.

 

My only reservation is the fact that we are not Christian. The group doesn't seem to be exclusive and I wasn't at all bothered by the very brief prayer during the opening meeting (that was the only religious content I noticed at all) and I'm not opposed to my kids memorizing bible verses. I'd be happy to hear others' prayers each week, but I'm not sure what I'd do when it was our family's turn to conduct the opening meeting? Any thoughts? I could 'out' myself to the Director, but I fear being excluded and, otherwise, I think it would be a great fit. Could I simply omit an opening prayer? Perform a little song and dance? (Kidding, of course).

[stm4him]

I could go on and on and on about CC but I will just add this: CC is what you make of it. You can flesh it out and use their recommended resources and make it a very complete and thorough curriculum. Most people who see it only as a supplement either aren't aware of the resources out there, don't know how to use the resources out there, or just prefer something else. It can be a supplement (which I still think is worth it) but it frustrates me sometimes how little people understand about what it CAN be. And honestly I think CC could do a better job of explaining that in the foundations years. I do like that there isn't pressure to only do CC, but I just wish there was more out there on how one can maximize CC in their home. Because that is one of my passions I am starting a blog about it. It should be up and running with posts in the next week or two. It is sevilleclassicalchristianacademy.com.

 

As for not being a Christian I think you should tell the director and see what she says. I don't think you would be excluded but I think it is better to be open. While there is not necessarily a lot of talk about God in Foundations during class time the whole mission of CC is to know God and to make Him known. He is talked about a lot in the community and throughout Essentials (for 4th-6th grade) the sentences are about Jesus. In Challenge (7th-12th) explaining worldview as a Christian is part of what the kids do regularly. Not that you have to participate through those years, I'm just letting you know that it is pretty much assumed that we are all Christians and so don't be surprised if our faith comes up more often that you saw in one day. But again, this may vary from campus to campus........

[pehp]

FWIW when we do the opening as a family that family does NOT pray. Just lead the pledges and then do your cute family thing. This may vary from location to location but praying is something only the director does in our community. ;)

[staceyobu]

We participated for two years and I loved the community.

 

A few reasons we stopped doing it...

 

It was too much memory work out of context for my taste. You can add the context and build your curriculum around it, but it was hard for me to pull that off. A 24 week, 3 year history cycle is fast to cover history. The science felt disjointed to me at times and sometimes was a hard jumping off point. I liked what we used at home better, so it became difficult to add additional work on top of what we were already using. I agree with the idea of the grammar stage being a time to learn facts. I don't agree that you don't explain the facts at all.

 

It's expensive.

 

The upper levels of CC teach that young children are to be taught facts by writing them on a white board and erasing words. Even if the entire class is four year olds that can't read. Most tutors do their own thing because this is such a ridiculous way to teach. However, it bothers my philosophy of education that preschoolers are expected to be taught in this way. Four year olds are too young for that, IMO.

 

I would do it again for the community aspect if I couldn't find homeschooling friends or another co op. I wouldn't do it out of love for the materials. I don't think the materials are horrible... I'm just not blown away either.

[Jess4879]

We participated for two years and I loved the community.

 

A few reasons we stopped doing it...

 

It was too much memory work out of context for my taste. You can add the context and build your curriculum around it, but it was hard for me to pull that off. A 24 week, 3 year history cycle is fast to cover history. The science felt disjointed to me at times and sometimes was a hard jumping off point. I liked what we used at home better, so it became difficult to add additional work on top of what we were already using. I agree with the idea of the grammar stage being a time to learn facts. I don't agree that you don't explain the facts at all.

 

It's expensive.

 

The upper levels of CC teach that young children are to be taught facts by writing them on a white board and erasing words. Even if the entire class is four year olds that can't read. Most tutors do their own thing because this is such a ridiculous way to teach. However, it bothers my philosophy of education that preschoolers are expected to be taught in this way. Four year olds are too young for that, IMO.

 

I would do it again for the community aspect if I couldn't find homeschooling friends or another co op. I wouldn't do it out of love for the materials. I don't think the materials are horrible... I'm just not blown away either.

 

The memorizing out of context is one thing I wondered about too. I figured I could always explain facts during our school day, but wasn't really sure I wanted to do that. And it is very pricey to use only as a supplement, I feel. I am very glad I posted. All the feedback has been really helpful!

[laughing lioness]

Has anyone mentioned the Wisdom and Rightousness website yet? My talented blogger buddy creates lapbook to coordinate with the CC cycles and info. Plus she has tons of links for CC-imho it puts meat ont he bones of the program.

[MeganW]

The memorizing out of context is one thing I wondered about too. I figured I could always explain facts during our school day, but wasn't really sure I wanted to do that. And it is very pricey to use only as a supplement, I feel. I am very glad I posted. All the feedback has been really helpful!

 

 

Most of the timeline, history & science is very easily explained quickly. We have full collection of Let's Read & Find Out and that type of book just for this purpose. A few times a week I grab one to read at breakfast, and then they know the context. We also have the full Magic School Bus & Bill Nye videos.

 

Then when it comes up in our normal schoolwork (whether that is next week or 6 months from now), they have a bit of a framework. They remember those things MUCH better than the stuff we study it AFTER we hit it at CC.

 

We definitely have seen the fruits of the math memory work as well when we reach it in our math studies. We haven't used the geography much, but I can see that it will be useful in future years. And it is VERY impressive to non-homeschoolers who are antihomeschooling. :) The Latin & grammar is supposedly very useful when you hit it later, but we haven't gotten that far yet. I put a lot less emphasis on reviewing those.

 

That memory work could easily be replicated at home, though.

 

The other things are the real value of CC. Meeting like minded homeschoolers (the program doesn't attract the less rigorous homeschoolers as much as the more rigorous), practice being in a class & learning from someone other than me, exposure to science experiments & fine arts (which often get skipped here), practice speaking in front of others, etc. - to me, that is the real value. The other co-ops we have tried have not been a good fit, just because the homeschoolers are a LOT less focused on academics. It feels like a complete waste of time, as well me being awkward around the other moms b/c I don't fit. (I am unable to discuss the 42 uses of rosemary oil, the benefits of sprouting before baking your bread, etc.) I DREAD going every time. I don't feel like I can quit halfway through, but CC is the only co-op we will go back to next year!

[fourisenough]

The other things are the real value of CC. Meeting like minded homeschoolers (the program doesn't attract the less rigorous homeschoolers as much as the more rigorous), practice being in a class & learning from someone other than me, exposure to science experiments & fine arts (which often get skipped here), practice speaking in front of others, etc. - to me, that is the real value. The other co-ops we have tried have not been a good fit, just because the homeschoolers are a LOT less focused on academics. It feels like a complete waste of time, as well me being awkward around the other moms b/c I don't fit. (I am unable to discuss the 42 uses of rosemary oil, the benefits of sprouting before baking your bread, etc.) I DREAD going every time. I don't feel like I can quit halfway through, but CC is the only co-op we will go back to next year!

 

This exactly! When I visited CC this week, I finally felt like there are others like me in the world. Funny that as a secular homeschooler I'd feel more kinship with a Christian group than the non-sectarian groups with whom I've come into contact!

[...................]

"awkward around the other moms b/c I don't fit. (I am unable to discuss the 42 uses of rosemary oil, the benefits of sprouting before baking your bread, etc"

 

Lol

[MeganW]

Anyway, this has become my standard advice to everyone - don't join ANY co-op or group before visiting and deciding whether or not you fit with the other participants! The CC group is the only group of classical homeschoolers in my town, and so it is the best place to meet like-minded families!

 

ETA - deleted post about different co-op to reduce confusion

[G5052]

Anyway, this has become my standard advice to everyone - don't join ANY co-op or group before visiting and deciding whether or not you fit with the other participants! The CC group is the only group of classical homeschoolers in my town, and so it is the best place to meet like-minded families!

 

We've been involved in two different campuses, and indeed they were *very* different. I had more in common with the moms at one than the other, but that campus has also been less academic than I had hoped for. Still good though.

[Hedgehogs4]

sorry...double post.

[Hedgehogs4]

You just can't imagine how bad it is. I have yet to go to that co-op and not offend somebody. One week I took Welch's Fruit Snacks. Heaven forbid. You would have thought I was eating rat poison. Another time (when studying England) we read about St George and the Dragon. Fantasy - I was tainting someone's child by filling the kid's head with "wicked lies". Then I admitted to not even trying to breastfeed my youngest - that was the worst offense. It's just been one thing after another!

 

Not to mention the fact that those kids are just on a completely different page as far as academics. I have kids in my kindergarten class who don't know their colors or shapes, let alone what letter their name starts with. There are kids in there who have never held a pair of scissors or used glue. My kid (who is a pretty typical kid, not a genius or anything) is way ahead of everyone else in the class, and as a result is bored stiff and has not learned one thing. It's such a waste of time!! I don't feel like I can withdraw, though, b/c of the 9 kids in the 1st grade class, 3 are mine. It wouldn't be fair to the other kids for me to quit now. :(

 

Anyway, this has become my standard advice to everyone - don't join ANY co-op or group before visiting and deciding whether or not you fit with the other participants! The CC group is the only group of classical homeschoolers in my town, and so it is the best place to meet like-minded families!

 

 

grrr...I just wrote a long response and it didn't post. Suffice it to say that Megan has cited a lot of experiences that are completely extraneous to CC and not typical of the average CC community. I would also say that maybe it isn't fair to the other kids for her kids to remain in the class as she seems so unhappy with the program. Just sayin...

 

That aside, I wrote extensively about our experiences at CC which were largely positive--it is what you make of it. I found it too expensive to be a supplement to our studies, and I wanted to slow things down. Here you can read my blog posts about the switch I made. We chose TOG, but that is not why I am posting here. I am just sharing our CC experiences. Try it--it may be just the thing! If you don't love it, there are tons of other options.

[ebrindam]

 

grrr...I just wrote a long response and it didn't post. Suffice it to say that Megan has cited a lot of experiences that are completely extraneous to CC and not typical of the average CC community. I would also say that maybe it isn't fair to the other kids for her kids to remain in the class as she seems so unhappy with the program. Just sayin...

 

That aside, I wrote extensively about our experiences at CC which were largely positive--it is what you make of it. I found it too expensive to be a supplement to our studies, and I wanted to slow things down. Here you can read my blog posts about the switch I made. We chose TOG, but that is not why I am posting here. I am just sharing our CC experiences. Try it--it may be just the thing! If you don't love it, there are tons of other options.

 

 

I believe she was actually referring to a DIFFERENT co-op...not CC with her criticism.

[violamama]

I haven't read all the responses, but it's not really a "class" per se. It's more like a once a week get-together where kids are given a chance to work together on material they are all doing at home. At the foundations (elementary) level, the tutor (class leader) is also meant to help equip parents with how to present and practice the material by modeling good examples with the group. CC Foundations is not designed to teach the material one-and-done style at all. The kids also get to do music, art and science projects together and have a public speaking opportunity each week.

 

As for the community aspect, it is designed to offer that to kids and parents but here's the thing: It's filled with your average messed up human beings. Your mileage WILL vary from year to year and even week to week. For me, that's something I intentionally want to help my kids live with and participate in. We go in KNOWING we will find some friends and some who challenge us more, and we will be that same thing to others. Living in community is messy, but worthwhile. For us, we use CC as one way to live that out. Because it's well structured over the long haul and I believe they have an excellent curriculum, it's been great for us and we intend to stick with it.

 

I also appreciate the resources available through the website and various folks who write & post there (like Leigh Bortins). I print hundreds of pages of resources at the beginning of each year which help me keep our school fun. I'm not really all that fun when left to myself in curriculum planning.

[MeganW]

 

grrr...I just wrote a long response and it didn't post. Suffice it to say that Megan has cited a lot of experiences that are completely extraneous to CC and not typical of the average CC community. I would also say that maybe it isn't fair to the other kids for her kids to remain in the class as she seems so unhappy with the program. Just sayin...

 

 

 

Sorry - should have been more clear - this was NOT a CC co-op that I am struggling so much with.