Classical Conversations-Pros and Cons

[AnnieArthur]

I have recently jumped on the classical education bandwagon and an very excited to be starting this method with my son. This will be our second year homeschooling and the first was a disaster.

 

Having said that, I have a friend that is very much into Classical Conversations and I have been researching them and I'm thinking about joining a group. I do better when I have support from other mothers and my son is a social butterfly, unlike myself, so I feel a co-op once a week may be the way to go.

 

I would like to know about other people's experiences with the Classical Conversations community and the curriculum. I was recently given a Foundations guide by another friend and have been picking through it. It seems pretty sparse as far as content, but I used Sonlight this year, which had everyday planned out.

 

Pros and Cons?

Supplements for the curriculum?

 

Thank you for input.

 

 

 

[fourisenough]

I would recommend searching this board as there have been many discussions of Classical Conversations. However, in the meantime, it might be helpful for you to share some more about your child (age? interests? strengths/weaknesses as a learner? preferred learning style?) and why this year was a disaster. By giving us some more info on which to base our recommendations, you'll get more specific, helpful advice.

 

Welcome & best of luck to you as you transition to classical education.

[learning456]

 

 

I would like to know about other people's experiences with the Classical Conversations community and the curriculum. I was recently given a Foundations guide by another friend and have been picking through it. It seems pretty sparse as far as content, but I used Sonlight this year, which had everyday planned out.

 

 

 

The Foundations guide just includes the memory work of the program. People like to refer to it as a  "skeleton". It will be covered in class minimally, then the parent gets to choose how much/how little detail is covered at home. This is where Classical Conversations CDs,history/timeline cards, other CC materials are purchased and used. It's also a great idea to use other curriculum and library books to fill in details, if desired. You need to use a math and language arts curriculum besides the Foundations guide. We used CC mostly as a fun way to learn history,fine arts, and to participate in science experiments/public speaking.

[Roseto27]

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/494523-does-anyone-else-think-classical-conversations-is-neither/

[kristin0713]

We just finished our second year in CC Foundations. It has been a wonderful fit for our family. I have responded in detail about our experience before, so I wouldn't rehash it now but I think you will find a lot of info if you search the board. Be aware that you will find varying opinions and the community of people makes a HUGE difference. I don't think the program is perfect and there are certainly things I would change if I could, but the benefits for us outweigh the negatives.

[Coco_Clark]

There are about a hundred CC threads here, so look them up. And I agree that communities vary WIDELY. I will speak to my local communities, my experiences, and my preferences :).

 

CONS: It is either very expensive or very high commitment (teaching). And if you have several littles in nursery, it's even worse. You can either let it guide your homeschool history/science by fleshing out at home (but I felt a 3 year cycle was rushed) or homeschool at your own pace/interest (and memorize things without any background knowledge, which I also wasn't a fan of). You can't drop off your kids (introvert here!) and leave.

 

PROS: My local group has high quality teachers. It's also a very close knit (though stringently Protestant Christian) community. The materials are quality.

 

 

Final thoughts: I can see it being a great program for the self conscious and unsure of herself homeschooling mom that needs that outside structure and support. But a bit strangling for the confident mom that likes to do things get way. It's far too expensive for a social-only need.