classical conversations

[lauriebeth]

anyone belong to this group?  it looks like a school setting 1 day a week for 4 hours, then you h.s. the rest of the week?

[pokeyAC]

[edwardsmom]

We do CC because several of my kids friends do it.  It's 2.75 hours, once a week.  But with the large group meeting that starts it off, it ends up being 2.5 hours of classroom time.  I wouldn't really call it a "school" setting, since classes are limited to 8 students and parents must be present.  If you have multiple kids enrolled, they divide them up by age, and you bounce back & forth between their classes.  Then instructors are called "tutors" instead of teachers, to help everyone remember that the parent is the primary teacher. 

Class time is divided up into 5 half hour blocks: grammar (rote memorization), review (of the last 6 weeks of memorization), art, science, and presentations (5 minutes per child of oral presentation on a predetermined or self-selected topic).

The art is divided into sections: drawing for 6 weeks, then tin whistle for 6 weeks, etc.  Science is lab-based, but a bit scatter-shot.  Presentations are my favorite part.  I think that the confidence that my children have gained from this weekly public speaking is amazing. 

I'm not so much into the grammar.  The classical theory of education believes that kids are sponges from age 5 to 9 or so, and that memorization comes easily to them, and that they can use this information in their next stage of learning.  My dd, age 6, is pretty good at the memorization, especially since most of it is to catchy tunes and has hand motions to go with it.  My ds, age 8, on the other hand, does not enjoy it nor is he good at it.  He likes to learn facts with connections to whatever topic he is learning about.  Memorization without that depth of understanding does not come easily to him.  He's just not the sponge that they want him to be.  But that's OK and he still asks to go and enjoys the majority of the work.  If I devoted the entire week to putting the grammar in context, then it would be easier for him, but we prefer our science and history to CC's, and we don't do multiplication tables, Latin, English grammar, or geography (except as it pertains to our history) at home.

If they spent more time on science and art, and less on grammar, it would be a better fit.  And of course, if there was a bit less religion- especially young earth creationism, then it would be perfect for our agnostic family.