Classical Conversations at Home

After completing a year at a Classical Conversations Community, I decided to use the curriculum on my own last year. I had several reasons, but at the top of my list was having my fifth baby. I just didn’t want all the pressures of getting all the kids out every week.

I began the year having a class at home with my children once a week to learn all the new grammar (The grammar includes all the memory work for all the subjects). I did pretty much the same things I was doing when I tutored a class at the community only this time I was teaching my four kids. I only did the memory work and did not plan to nor did I attempt to include the science experiments, art, etc.

Not all of the same activities worked as well with my mixed little group as they did with the class I tutored, but that happens with every new group I think. With my kids, I tended to keep a bag of M&Ms handy to keep things fun.

This worked well for the first semester or until I had the baby. My plan was to take a few weeks off and then jump back into things. Well, seven months later I still have not gotten to the point where I’ve been able to jump back into my pre baby #5 routine. After Bobby was born the only times we worked on CC were when we listened to the CD in the van while driving. And you know what? I am okay with that. There are just going to be times when it’s not possible to do everything I set out to do.

What I find the most helpful about the Classical Conversations memory facts is the math skip counting songs.  I struggled with my eldest daughter to teach her multiplication.  I’m talking grueling hours of tears.  When I introduced multiplication to my second daughter after a year and a half of Classical Conversations, she told me she already knew all that and proceeded to sing her skip counting songs.  Division was equally easy.  She understood the concept right away.

For next Fall I really considered trying to get back into a community. The kids and I missed it in a lot of ways. In the end (unless something changes before the Fall) I’ve decided to keep working on CC at home. My reasons are #1 the cost, and I am not ready to want to tutor again. #2 The communities close to me are full, and I was not excited about having to drive farther to join a different group. #3 Right now with Bobby still little I’d like to keep things simple and not get over committed.  I like the freedom of being in charge of my homeschooling schedule.

I’m linked with Women Living Well, Works for Me Wednesday, Time,Warp Wife,  Heavenly Homemakers and Hip Homeschool Moms.

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