One of the things that Robert and I have been considering is Classical Conversations. There has been much prayer about it. We still have not decided. We have heard wonderful things about the program. Basically, you go to a weekly meeting, which is nice because the children get to interact with a group of kids. There is a tutor that guides the time and introduces the new memory work in a fun and creative way. They call the memory work the grammar of each subject. They begin with timeline/history, geography, math, science, Latin and English grammar. Beyond the memorization is participation in a fine arts project, a science project, and opportunities to practice oral presentation skills each week. The meeting place for Classical Conversations or CC happens to be at the church that we attend. (I had no idea of this until I went on the CC website!)
My dilemma is whether or not this is realistic for us. We pretty much thought that it would not even be possible to get in at this point. Things have worked out to where we possibly could do it, but I am hesitant. Is it realistic for my boys and me? Perhaps I will have to lower the expectations for what the boys have on the schedule for the regular classes and curriculum that we have already bought (which has been a huge investment). We would basically have to take all of the things that we have planned to cover in five days and get it done in four. We also have to spend at least 30 minutes a day memorizing for CC. Mind you, they have CDs that the kids can listen to, which puts the information to music and makes it a snap for their sweet little sharp minds. Still, I am nervous at the prospect. I don't want to foist upon them the type of schedule that we detested in public school, which could rip away all of the joys of the freedom of homeschooling. I want them to have time to pursue some of their own interests. I want them to read just for fun. I want them to play.
Maybe some of you ladies out there are more informed about how things go. I am wondering, too, about how all of the work is packed into a short time. Some people have told me that they can get their homeschooling done in just a few hours. WHAT?! Am I missing something? What am I doing wrong...or, is it that my little boys are just so very slow at doing the work that is set before them? I need to be realistic about how much time things take and how much stuff I am going to require them to do. Dare I add more? What do you think? Will it be worth it? Keep us in your prayers. Yikes!
If you want to know more about Classical Conversations, talk to Christian Stordahl. If you need her email, she's on FB, or email me and I'll send it to you.
ReplyDeleteI also don't see how people get it "all done" in just a few hours. And I've only done kindergarten so far!
My advice: start slow. You can add more things if you find that it's too slow. But don't burn yourself (and your kids) out by trying to do too much right off the bat. It is very tempting to do everything everybody else is doing. (Boy do I know that!) And it is good to get ideas from other people. But every family and every child is different. What works great for one family doesn't work at all for another family. Even for kids within the same family. There is no one "perfect" or "one size fits all" curriculum, despite some of their claims.
go slow. start with what you already have. If it doesn't work, you can try something else next year. Or even try it for a few weeks, then tweak it as needed.
They will learn more as they just read, play, and pursue their own interests -- do all that you can to make learning fun rather than forced. Even if it means setting aside your agenda and schedule and plan. I'm really preaching to myself, based on my first year last year. :-) I will be praying for you too.
Thanks, Amy. It is so tempting for us to set our expectations for things too high and get frustrated when it doesn't work out the way we planned. Cindy is working so hard and the boys are growing...I think it is just going to take some time for the boys to adjust to pushing themselves a bit more in some areas where the school was content to let them slide. And once they do, I really think they will take off and really enjoy things more. Although it seems they are really enjoying learning with you at home already.
ReplyDeleteCindy, I think the main thing we have to do is be patient and like Amy is saying, to go slow. I am so proud of how much work you have done and how the boys are learning every day. And they do get excited about their work and what they are learning, so that is very good. We just need to not overreact to a tough day here or there. It is like when they say that we should try to make sure we say a lot to our kids about the good things they do instead of just focusing on the bad things they get in trouble with.
Amy, I am glad it is not just me that finds it takes more than a few hours. You make some really great points. Someone that I met along my way told me to start slow, too. When the boys started school, I began teaching them piano and doing math. We then added character building. Then we later started Reading (not books but a curriculum 'cause they read tons anyway). Then we added Spelling and Handwriting. They really really wanted to start History and Science so I told them we would have to add English, too, because it is most important. So this week is the first week of our full schedule. I know it is a little earlier than the school schedule, but I want them to be able to take off for things like VBS, vacation, etc. They have been doing pretty well, but some days it is just SLOW.
ReplyDeleteAmy, is Travis going to be in first and Heather pre-K/some K stuff. I know you said she wasn't quite ready last year for K. Do you guys go through the summer?
Robert, patience is always the problem. I need to be mindful that they are wonderfully and fearfully made. I am not in total control. Where they are weak, I must pray and work with them in patience. Pray that I get better with that with the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit. They are learning a ton. It is cool to see them both. Jackson is zooming through his math book, even though it takes him forever to write stuff. Grant is really good at math, too. They are loving Mystery of History.