Unbiased look into Classical Conversations // Pros and Cons // What does a community day look like Follow on social media: / hopeandhomeschool Instagram @hopeandhomeschool
Hi, I'm a challenge student. I've been in CC since 2012, my mom tutors, etc. If you're wondering what to expect going into essentials and challenge, this is what I'd have to say. The program is extremely cumulative, as you were saying. I have found that having foundations and essentials has made my challenge experience much easier- I have classmates who came into CC in Challenge and their experience has been more difficult. As far as the travel aspect goes, I did my challenge A and B years without a community because we moved to an extremely rural area and our closest community was three hours away. It's definitely possible to do essentials and challenge without a community, but it's also really sucky. Especially challenge, which is so conversation based. The payoff of challenge is that you spend alot of time doing work during the week and introspecting about it, and a lot of it is forming your own ideas around what you're learning, so if you can't bounce them off of other people, it can feel discouraging. My mom was really helpful during that time because we would have lots of conversations about it, so I guess if you can't make community day I'd encourage that you still put quite a bit of discussion into your time at home, because talking about what you're learning is really important to make Challenge lucrative (so to speak). For anyone reading this who isn't sure about the challenge program, it is a really great followup to F/E. It may seem daunting and it definitely is quite a bit of work, but it is worth it. Getting to Challenge is in some ways the point of F/E, because it's when all those skills come to fruition (the three stages of learning- grammar, dialectic, rhetoric). And CC definitely isn't for everyone. I grew up on it and it matched my personality very well, I'm a social person when it comes to academia so having a space to form my own opinions and think for myself was good for me. I have friends who quit CC because it just didn't work for them, and they're having much more success in public school, private school, or in other homeschool programs. It all really depends on what works for your family so I'd just recommend any person who is considering CC to weigh your options and figure out what is important and financially feasible for your family.
Hannah Rose - your name is beautiful. My sons are going into 6th grade ( I have two) so it would be the last year for F/E for them prior to starting Challenge. Would you say it may be a bit late for them and that Challenge will likely be very hard for them? I appreciate your honest opinion, thank you.
Love this video. Facts mama 😩🙋🏾 We were in community for three years. I currently have one in Foundations and another in Foundations/ Essentials,except we decided to do it at home this season. Community day used tear me DOWN 😩🤦🏾♀️🙆🏾♀️. We would all be dragging ourselves into the house to pass out. Then it seemed like the day after we couldn’t find a rhythm because we were still tired 🧐🙆🏾♀️. I asked my son about goi g back and he said “ umm mom, I really like it at home” 🙌🏾 I was like welp, “ And a Child Shall Lead Them” 😂😩🙌🏾😄
I would be happy to be home every day but it's soooo nice for the kids to be with others! It is very healthy. I hope you have some other communities ♥️
I find it funny that a con is having to pack lunch once a week, when Im happy to start homeschooling and not have to pack lunch EVERYDAY at 6:30am. for people paying 700$ a month for private School, paying that once a year is magical. I guess it really is a personal experience and every family is different.
I loved your review. I have a 3 year old and I’m looking into CC. This would be something I see myself saying even before I try it haha. It sounds like the pros outweigh with cons for me.
Here a few insights from my first two years: 1) Traveling is tough. I always keep a rolling bag (scrapbooking/craft bag from a curriculum sale---super cheap) with everything CC inside. I have Foundations and Essentials kids, and this helps us to be able to grab the bag and go at any moment. And yes, everything fits in that one bag! 2) The money can make things a little stressful, but I paid a STUPID amount on curriculum my first year for all subjects for 3 kids...like, almost as much as i paid in tuition the first year. I didn't want to leave any holes in their education, but CC covered all that and more than I ever would've thought about teaching (or saw in a lot of that dang curriculum). Also, this is an investment. You get what you pay for. 3) Community totally depends on where you're living. Our community is AWESOME. Lots of women and kids who have similar senses of humor as me and my boys. It's not a bunch of super nerds who sit down and talk theories of the universe. I hope this is helpful. Everyone has to do what's best for their family. CC isn't for everyone.
We did two years of cc, then took a year off when baby #3 arrived (just couldn't commit to a schedule with the newborn) and just did cc at home (foundations) for that year. We had a cc friend or two who'd get together at a park or house, do some review games etc. but nothing formal. It was nice to have that break year to go at our own pace (and save some $$ after the costs of baby). This year my oldest started essentials so we rejoined...and soooo greatful. Essentials is great but overwelming for the first year and the community with the other moms has been a huge help to me to work with this new curriculum, tips on what to expect from my student year 1 vs. 2 etc. Also, the boys have enjoyed the time with friends again. It was good for our family to take one year off, when both were still in fourndations and knew the drill already, as the oldest was getting a bit bored with it. Then coming back refreshed and adding a new component for the oldest was great for our family.
Thank you for this explanation. I use My Fathers World curriculum and have with all of my children from almost their beginning. I love it, but I jist was curious because from friends use CC and I had no idea what it was. I’m glad it works for you. I like getting together in groups for fun things but not for education. I love doing our own thing but I can see how it would be great for some people!
Thanks so much for the video! I feel the exact same about the “being told what to do” part haha. I love it and I see how people homeschool just to not be told what to do.
New subscriber 😊 We're a fellow CC family! We've been homeschooling with CC for 5 years! Great review 👍 Yesss, I'm SO EXHAUSTED after Community day, lol!! Tutoring, Foundations, Essentials, I'm just D.O.N.E afterwards 😁
@@daughterdiaries7682 depends on who you talk to. In my opinion, for Foundations, Community Day is not necessary BUT for the upper levels I think it would be difficult not to attend a community day.
Very helpful review! I’m considering joining foundations with my two boys and it’s really hard to navigate the waters of polarized opinions. Your thoughts are quite refreshing.
@@Fernandomilkys Going into my 4th year and currently directing foundations & essentials Compared to the other co-ops I've done I like the commitment & structure behind it. I've seen my children do well and I love the people in my community.
SimpleHealthyLiving I am stressed just thinking about that. I also have a baby I am nursing who needs to nap and a preschooler who needs frequent snacks and a nap or he falls apart and gets very hyper.
A huge misconception is that homeschoolers are all introverts. Community day is a vital part of CC. It’s all about socializing. All the cons aren’t really cons. As a challenge 1 student CC is incredible.
We probably miss one day a semester with travel. I try to coincide travel with an off day if the trip is long. We use the trips to enhance the school experience by counting those as school days particularly if they are learning. If I know a trip is coming up, we work ahead by starting school a week early for Challenge so that the break is built in. I have one going into Challenge 1. I have my youngest in Essentials. I have been in CC for 9 years.
I have an introductory meeting this week. I found you by searching classical conversations and I just loved listening to you! I am so overwhelmed right now thinking about homeschooling! I have a 5,4,2, and 4 month old! ☺️🤪
I started many many years ago and remember feeling very overwhelmed too the first six months or so. All the new CC-specific terms to get used to + the daily work with my kids + forming new relationships + packing everything needed to get to community day were a lot! And I did not even know much about homeschooling then. But after a while, as I understood the terms, got used to the routine, and began feeling more comfortable with new people I met, things became much easier. I was able to ask questions to them and get very helpful answers. Also, attending local homeschool conferences and learning more about the bigger world of homeschooling helped me appreciate CC all the more. I encourage you to give yourself a lot of grace and take it slow during the first few months. I too began when my kids were around your kids' ages. It was really tiring..., but I am thankful I did it still! Not only did my kids learn a lot, I also matured a lot as a mom & homeschooler along the way. All the difficult moments were worth it!!! Really!!! God bless you!
Thank you so much for this video, it was just what I was looking for! And you're hilarious! I definitely resonated with you on a lot of things you said (especially the interacting with other peoples kid's part haha). Thank you!
I have a challenge IV student. She has done foundations, essentials, and all of challenge. Challenge is impossible without community. It’s so dependent on discussion and classroom interactions. Foundations and Essentials can be managed without community, but I wouldn’t do it without it. In fact, I’m a former director. We are taking a year off of CC after I resigned and we aren’t doing CC at all. Well except for my challenge IV student. Community is so unique to CC.
I realize this is an older comment, but as someone who just enrolled a first grader in CC, may I ask why you quit after so much time and effort expended into the program? I was so blown away by our visit last fall, I was most hopeful in utilizing this curriculum through her senior year.
@@annemurphy9339 sure! I had two thyroid cancer surgeries in less than a year. My husband is a pastor and pastoring through the pandemic and then a huge move to another congregation and I was just so tired that I couldn’t keep going. I wasn’t homeschooling well. My husband and I were both in Leadership with CC. We took our entire family over 45 minutes away each week. I did that through 3 pregnancies. Taking 10 people and all that includes for a CC day, being in leadership, etc. It was just a lot. We burned out!!! Currently all of my kids are in school. Not because of CC, but because of life circumstances. If I ever homeschool again, it will be with CC.
im a challenge 1 student, it’s pretty cool. i have a class of five (including me) no phones are allowed in class, and the work is a lot but somehow i manage😂😂 update: i came into the cc community my 8th grade year (challenge B) and latin was hard!
lilly. amber it goes by so so fast! enjoy it, everything is pretty easy and fun. make the best of it! latin should be easier for u if u had done latin before however unlike me i didn’t do latin so i was kinda confused in the beginning but i pulled through :) also mock trial, really study the other sides arguments they may use!!! (we won and i have faith in u
lilly. amber aw i’m glad :) i recommend getting a head start in latin, that will make it so much easier for u. start learning the declensions and words over the summer!
rawr xD i just started cc and im in challenge b any tips for the ani charts it is the only thing ive been struggling with and so far ive been doing it on the weekends even to try to get the amount required
You talked about the seeing the “fruit” so it seems it works but I’m curious have you seen the perspective of the child? As in do the older kids seem like they really enjoy being in the program or are there any testimonials from “graduated” students.
I am so glad I watched this, we are getting ready to start homeschooling my kindergartener and we will be using Epic Charter School...However I was looking for a secondary supplemental curriculum, Classical Conversations was recommended to me by a few people, however as you stated I as well am rather awkward around other peoples children and also I am super introverted I am not sure this curriculum would be for us.
We are on the pandemic homeschool band wagon and found CC to be a safe haven for the social aspect. For me and for the kiddos. While i have not found ant friends per say I have found a great break form the norm
Community day was critical for me in the middle school ages. Grammar was never my strong suit and I as a parent would have been lost with helping my child without the weekly tutoring.
Challenge A and B starts in 7th and 8th grade. I think most communities have started their Challenge program. Essentials starts in 3rd - 6th. We are not continuing on with CC this year due to an upcoming move. I feel our family really benefited from the Essentials program but with a move it just wasn't going to pan out.
I am 22 and single, no kids at the present. One day I when I get married I would like to home school my kids. My current career also forces me to travel quite a bit. Would you be willing to share advice about how best to homeschool while on the road? I am very interested in this as I imagine I will have to do it for at least two years when my children are in school. Thanks
thanks for your insight. I am just starting to look into homeschooling. I have three kids too but only one in Kinder this year. I am thinking about doing a trial run before diving in full time. Any advice?
Hey Holly! That is actually exactly what I did. I did a trial run of Kindergarten the summer before "regular" school was starting. What has you wanting to homeschool?
@@hopehomeschool6570 overall I like being able to talyor the program to meet here specific needs so to speak. I think the long days of school are hard for her and I know my husband struggled as well when he was in school and wonder if he wpuld have benefited from homeschooling
Hi there we are a traveling family as well and that is my biggest concern doing the program and having to commit to a day a week for community since our trips are so random. Do you feel like your kids miss out of you skip a couple weeks? Do they get behind or miss their friends?
The cost is definitely something to consider. For me, and the amount of mental load it took off my plate, it was worth it, but may not be for everyone. Thanks for watching!
There are definitely pros and cons to ClassicalConversations but memory work in the grammar elementary stage is part of a classical education. You would have to study the trivium to understand it. Kids memory is best at Elementary stage so that’s why they do a lot of rote memorization so in middle school they have a wealth of knowledge to pull from. I am a former public school teacher so I have seen how public schools work and it is the opposite. They have gotten rid of memorization but look at how terrible the education system is in America.
