Classical Conversations offers both community classes and curriculum resources for individual use. Foundations is the curriculum guide for K4 to 6th grade, Essentials for 3rd and up, and Challenge for 7th to 12th. The community classes meet throughout the US and Canada. From the website:
“Our three curriculum programs support your home-centered education by providing teaching tools for you, the parent, and quality educational materials for your student. Our guides, books, timeline cards, and multimedia resources have been thoughtfully crafted and selected. The math, science, literature, Latin, history, geography and fine arts studied in our Foundations Program represent a broad and interesting body of information. Our Essentials Program students work toward mastering English language skills and improving their writing technique. As students move into our Challenge Program and work toward becoming independent learners, they read, discuss, debate, analyze and write about award-winning literature—always within the framework of history and a biblical worldview.
“Our Foundations Communities serve children in the early stages, roughly ages 4 to 11. Foundations parents and students meet once a week for 24 weeks during the school year. Once late-elementary students enter the dialectic stage of learning, they join peers in our Essentials Communities, which usually meet in the afternoons after Foundations. In the middle and high school years, students hone their dialectic and rhetoric skills in our Challenge Communities.”
(29 Reviews)
Publisher Website »
Cons: a creepy need for control and unwavering devotion to the company, exploitation of Scripture to further corporate goals
Grades Used: K-4 - 5th grade
Though I’m mostly going to talk about the structure of the CC communities and not the content, this is still a review of the product since CC insists that their product IS the community, not just the curriculum.
I was a part of a CC community for four years, and it was great!… Until the managers stepped in and told our director she was doing a lot of things wrong. This company claims that directors own their own business, but managers consistently step in and “guide” the direction of the campus. The managers even have a system for correcting a wayward campus. It’s called a SMART plan. Our director was placed on a SMART plan, and it included punitive requirements such as a public apology to every family in our campus (all 29 of them – we were a large campus) for not following CC standards exactly. We’re talking small things like how she allowed her tutors to magnet printouts on the board instead of handwriting the material. On the one hand, CC is trying to offer a consistent product. On the other hand, they are attempting to keep the cheapness of hiring “independent contractors” but then treat them like employees. So many of us have had negative experiences with this company’s methods for control and been ignored when we ask CC leadership to address the problems that there is a public Facebook group discussing these issues. It’s called “Exploring CC’s Business Structure”.
Our CC campus was great. We followed the curriculum, had a great director and great tutors. It was the company and its managers that ruined it for us. Our campus was dissolved after five very successful years.
That one reviewer would question whether the people leaving negatives reviews “love the Lord” gives you an idea of where this company and its most devoted followers’ heads are at. I most certainly love the Lord and having a negative opinion from a bad experience with a multi-million dollar company doesn’t change my standing with God.
Cons: Educational environment inconsistent
Grades Used: K through 7
CC offers a unique educational environment which in parent involvement is crucial. In the elementary years (up to grade 6), the students are given the facts and the parent is responsible to expand on the facts and to reinforce the material. It is dependent on the parent to go into the subject matter more deeply.
In the middle and high school years (starts at grade 7), the students are given assignments which are to be completed. The students then are able to discuss their research and explain the subject matter at the next meeting. They are encouraged to learn independently with parent and tutor assistance. Comprehensive curriculum with Christian apologetics.
I have been with CC for the past 2 years and had experience with 6 tutors. Our tutors and directors were committed Christian women.
This year, a 10 year-old classmate had disrespectful and disruptive behavior. His mother was a tutor for another class and was not present. The tutor had a son in the same classroom. The son and this classmate have been friends for years and they both had been in CC for years also. The issue was never addressed sufficiently. Some parents had their child withdraw from CC because of it. Others did not sign up for the coming year. My child did not like the drama and distractions; and it caused him to not look forward to class.
We signed up for CC next year, knowing that my child will not be in the same class as the said student. We like the CC program and highly recommend it for upper elementary and up. My kids are looking forward to next year also. For lower elementary, I feel that it is just a lot of material that is just too much for a kindergartener, first, or second grader.
Cons: Marginal cost (compare with any other program though, and it is a drop in the bucket)
Reading some of the current reviews of CC, I am shocked! Are these reviews from people who love the Lord?
I think that grace and truth, as well as a spirit of love and building one another up is what we should strive for as we objectively review any program for our children. In scripture we are taught to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They are our ministry. God has called us, as parents, not CC tutors or directors to be the teachers of our children. How they see us act and react to others is a direct reflection of our Savior.
That being said, my husband and I have been homeschooling for just five years, all five through Classical Conversations. Our choice is based off of the principle of putting Christ first in our home, and seeing God in all areas of our educational journey, as well as a belief in the classical model of learning. We have been a part of a very small three family CC community, as well as a full-community, and one with only three or four classes. We have sat under two directors, and numerous different tutors, who all work in different ways. It is not their job to be the perfect teacher to our children, it is our job as parents to work through every teachable moment as a reflection of Christ.
These teachable moments include not only responding to things we may or may not agree with/methods we do not prefer, but also the interest of our child regarding a piece of memory work. While many believe that younger children should dig deeper, and not simply memorize, they do not realize that there are moments to do so, but that is not the primary natural learning stage the child is in. Jump on those teachable moments and dive in! But, keep the focus on memorization during the early grammar stage.
This curriculum and program has done all the leg work of finding quality (not quantity/exhaustive) information to memorize as a foundation for digging in to that information in the rhetorical stage. It is easy to implement, great for time-efficient home-schooling, gives excellence in achievement to your child (especially if they master most or all of the information), provides accountability, and a great parent support base.
Essentials is not a difficult curriculum, but is overwhelming to those who do not approach it in baby steps. It is designed to master over a three year period, and in a classical method. Memorizing charts allows the child freedom from researching tools while trying to parse words in a sentence. All they have to do is reference the chart in their brain and follow the question confirmation they have memorized to help them figure out what a word is and how it functions in a sentence. While this may not make sense to many of you who are unfamiliar with the terms I have used, I will try to explain it in a different manner. The students approach a sentence with a set of questions such as who/what is this sentence about? (subject), noun or pronoun? (memorized from their chart is the definition of each. a noun names a person, place, or thing, activity, or idea, a pronoun replaces a noun in order to avoid repetition–i.e. I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they) ETC. The more questions they ask about the sentence, the more they understand each words role in the sentence. This allows the student to find any word and determine how it is used in context, even to the extent of whether it is a limiting adj., descriptive adj., or reflexive pronoun, etc. This is an excellent base for studying foreign languages (i.e. Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or modern languages such as French or Spanish, and understanding the meaning of any modern English text as well. Keep in mind, the student and parent are not expected to master the material the first year. The first year provides exposure and as much memorization as possible. Year two often allows a moderate level of understanding, more memorization, and more application. Year three is when parent and child really begin to understand the material to its fullest, and can work through any sentence, chart, or diagram. Memorization in year three continues, and review is constant. The program overall is an excellent language curriculum.
IEW is also a phenomenal program designed for both students who love and really do not like to write. It gives them checklists empowering them to write well, and a system of writing that provides confidence which gives birth to creativity and excitement for every student. It reinforces the memory work the student is already memorizing, allowing them to dig a little deeper, and teaches them the writing process successfully. The parent has the freedom to work through more of the book as well when CC is over for the year, providing reinforcement of the material, since the basics were covered in 24 weeks (this accounts for the extra chapters). Again, the parent is the teacher, and is encouraged to take their child through the program at the child’s pace, and yet challenges them to stretch themselves academically. The accountability, and positive peer pressure drives the students to work hard in the classroom, and grow in a positive environment. Granted tutors change the mood of the classroom, but here is where grace and the educational team of parents with the tutor work together to strive toward improvement in all of the children.
CC is not a cult, by the way. CC is simply a support team to encourage, and empower parents and students on this often overwhelming home-schooling journey. Leigh Bortins does not set legalistic rules, but does set standards in communities for consistency, which is vital for families that relocate and desire consistency in their home-schooling. I love the fact that I came from the UP to Virginia Beach and still have the same “classes” and curriculum each week. Leigh is only a part of an administrative support team that does much of the grunt work, to make our life a little easier as we approach home-schooling. My children are flourishing in this program, each with a different learning “style”.
In terms of growing the communities, parents are equipped to explain the classical model in three minutes and encouraged to tell others how the classical model works…not CC. This is so that the parents themselves understand rhetorically the model that they are choosing to educate with. True mastery of the model only comes when you are able to explain it to others. For instance, you cannot become a famous chef, until you understanding cooking well enough to teach others. Also, while many communities are growing to capacity, and directors are encouraged to fill the program, in the same manner, so does any local business, school, club, or ministry outreach. Do they force entrance and ostracize those who leave the program? No. CC is not chosen by everyone, and we as believers must stop comparing ourselves to others, and home-school moms to others. Let us encourage one another on whatever journey God has for our families, and in love strive to learn from one another, for we will never be the perfect parent, or the perfect educator. We simply have a task to remain faithful to the Lord in the ministry he has placed before each of us, and extend love and grace to those who have chosen differently.
Cons: Essentials Curriculum is Awful
Grades Used: 2-5th
I was in this program for two years, and I was disgusted by the curriculum and the director. The first year, I only had my children in the foundations program, because I was concerned the Essentials program might be too difficult for my daughter. Despite my repeated asking to see it, I was not allowed to look at the Essentials curriculum until I enrolled into it. Even then I was not allowed to see the curriculm until the practicum training and only after I had paid for it. If I had seen the curriculum, I would not have enrolled in this program. The Essentials curriculum (grammar and writing) is awful. The grammar book is so hard to understand, even the tutor (our director) didn’t understand it. She would occasionally ask me what a word in a sentence on the board was (such as an adverb) because she couldn’t recognize it herself (I had a really good grammar teacher in high school – apparently she didn’t and she couldn’t learn it from the curriculum itself, which was a bad sign).
The grammar curriculum is based on a list of grammar mastery charts (labeled A through GG) that the students are supposed to copy repeatedly until they learn them. There is very little explanation of how to recognize things such as nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc. Instead the kids memorize and list model sentences, parts of speech and lists of nouns, pronouns, etc. It’s a fire-hose method of throwing everything at the children at once, and as a result, students who were in it for the second year, still didn’t know much.
The writing curriculum was also frustrating. The source – Institute for Excellence in Writing or IEW is good, but the book – written apparently by I.E.W. for C.C. – is based on a 30-week program, and C.C. is a 24-week program, which meant we skipped about six chapters. You would think that the person who wrote the curriculum and the people who run the C.C. program might have communicated better before the curriculum was published, but not so.
The Foundations curriculum was okay, but as others have mentioned, memorizing facts without any background explanation doesn’t work, and unless you keep reinforcing it over and over again, the kids forget it. I’m all for memorization of certain facts, such as the multiplication tables, but memorizing history and science statements without any background information is meaningless. We have switched to a different curriculum, and my daughter keeps saying how much more she is now learning.
We also had problems with cliques, and our director was just awful. She is rude and unpleasant until the end of the year and then she is sweet as honey, until you re-enroll. Then she’s rude again. Everyone else was nice, but the director was so awful, that I’m glad to be free.
C.C. is currently the fad, but just because it is popular doesn’t mean it’s right, and it’s overpriced as well. I would urge parents to proceed with caution.
Cons: none
Grades Used: ages 5-8
We are finishing up our 3rd year in CC (Foundations) and my first year tutoring. We love it. With the classical model you are focusing on memory work in the Foundations level. You can fluff it up if you like, but not necessary at this age.
Reading through these reviews was surprising. As a tutor I am not sure what rules and regs others are talking about that make it hard to be in CC. We have been in 2 communities and both have been wonderful. Our CC is about support and learning, not about growing our communities. Having an outline of how the model works and should be implemented is important, so that all the communities run the same. If we moved to another state, we would find a CC community and would want it to be the same as we have here. Keeping it the same also protects families from having directors and tutors come along with their own agendas.
I cannot speak on Essentials or Challenge, as we are not there yet.
We do use CC as our spine and add to it as we want to. We do add in our own math, english and spelling. We love having community with like minded families. You purchase one book that lasts for all 3 cycles and used with all kids. The other items are optional.
Tuition can be expensive if you have more than one child. But the quality of material, having another mom present and prepare the material. and the kids having some quality social time is worth it for us.
Someone said it is like a cult. Well, we LOVE CC and most people in CC, love it to. We agree with the model and want to share it with all. There is a deep respect for the founder as the curriculum is really well done (not perfect, but close) and unlike any other curriculum we have encountered. It is not for everyone, and that is okay.
If you are curious, you can visit a local community. Just contact the director first so she everyone is prepared to have a guest in the class.
Cons: Expensive, a great deal of supplementing necessary
Grades Used: 4-6
We’ve used Classical Conversations for two years and have spent a fortune, a great deal my any homeschool standard. We have bought numerous suplemental books and online subscriptions to expand on beginning CC material. Overall we’ve found many CC parents cliquish and not reflective of the Christian values they claim to embrace.
Cons: Kind of cult like (see explanation), Parents often seem to see CC as a full and well rounded education rather then a one useful element to their kids education, a little to much repetition built in for those who keep up with the information at home.
Grades Used: 4yr old to 6yr old
My first experience with CC was attending a breakout session at a homeschool conference on CC. One of the presenters wept as he described how modern education was hurting our kids. He was so passionate about the program that he couldn’t stop talking about it even as he realized he had gone over time. I thought he was unique. But CC has many parents that are equally passionate. At a recent conference the speaker was introduced by saying “when I heard her testimony I knew I had to bring her in as our speaker this year”. I came to find out that “testimony” meant how she came to Classical Conversations. CC was presented as the Biblical System of education. Parents were instructed not to read criticisms of the program on the internet. We were taught to be ready share with people about what CC is especially in situations where we have little time. They also encourage much reading by CC authors. I think it makes for many parents who are educated in what Leigh (the founder who CCers often refer to by her first name) wants them to be educated in. Some of the points that CC makes are debatable. But in the CC bubble they are received as gospel truth. All this makes me see it a bit like a cult. They also present the program as being so unique and many parents describe an experience of when they “really started to understand the program”. I think in doing this they make the program seem mystical when in fact it is not. I have concluded that I actually do understand the program but I don’t understand how some can see it as so revolutionary.
That all being said CC has some very strong points. My little one took the Memory Master program as a challenge was able to be successful in it. The information is also very useful. I am impressed with what they have them memorize. Some of the English grammar seems a little over the top to me but at the same time if kids can memorize it easy enough why not do it? The Math, History, Geography, Timeline, and Science are all great.
Cons: Inconsistent quality, marketing push, weak science and history
Grades Used: K4 - 9th
CC seems to be losing itself in a never ending push to market, grow, and regulate. Reading other reviews here, I noticed that they were pretty positive in 2012, but by 2014 they become more reserved or outright negative. That was very much my experience with CC. I loved it, but as more and more and more rules came from the corporate office, I found it to be legalistic.
I also had the experience of an unacceptable tutor. Her interactions with my child were disrespectful, and there was little quality to the class she ran. As an independent director, there was no accountability. Class consistently started 30 minutes late, routinely had an extra long lunch break, and frequently ended early. My experience with tutors at every other level was good. You must know your tutor well, and don’t expect him/her to be there long. My oldest had a great experience in a challenge level, but when my next child went through it was a different tutor and a very different experience, although not necessarily bad it was inconsistent.
I also saw the push to grow at all costs and the toll that it took on directors/tutors. In my area there are quite a few CC campuses. None are full, and in the case of Challenge classes, some are barely big enough to be sustainable. Yet we must grow, grow, grow. That shows little regard for the time and effort directors and tutors put into the program. It results in campuses practically competing with one another for students.
The curriculum itself is weak in some areas, and becoming weaker. At the high school level, for college prep students, I think a more rigorous science program should be used, and high school should begin with Biology, not Physical Science. For math, I think that college prep students should be encouraged to take Algebra in 8th grade. The largest gap for me is in history. The elementary program is fine for history. They memorize 24 facts per year, and parents can dig deeper at home if desired. In Challenge history largely disappears. Challenge A (7th grade) – no history. Challenge B (8th) – no formal history, although students learn the biographies of a few famous scientists. Challenge 1 – no formal history, although they pick up some in discussing government and a couple of the literature books. Challenge 2 – no formal history, instead they study biographies of famous painters and composers. Challenge 3 – American history. Challenge 4 – history of the ancient world (primarily Greece and Rome). There is no study of Eastern cultures, African history, political history of the Medieval or Renaissance world, or European history outside of artists and composers and a few scientists.
Finally, I noticed in my older students that they had not retained any of their memorization from Foundations. That is probably to be expected, because I didn’t continue to review it with them in later years. If you want those Foundations memory pegs to pay off in Challenge you will have to make time to review them throughout challenge.
As a positive, students will write every week from fourth grade on. This is a tremendous benefit, and will help prepare any student other academic studies.
Cons: directors/tutors are independent contractors--very problematic, see below
Grades Used: preK-12th/Foundations, Essentials, Challenge A B 1 2 3 4
PLEASE understand. The Challenge Directors are independant contractors. Which means, they are self-employed. Ultimately, once contracted, it means they have complete authority to do or NOT do whatever they want. There is very little CC can do about it. I believe the company will grow to a point that this may not be the case in the future, but currently you need to understand what self-employed means for your students and yourself.
If your child is in say, Challenge A with 12 students, and the Challenge B tutor decides she only will accept 4 students, it is within her right. She can cherry-pick the 4 students she likes, and not accept the others, without explaination/reason. If the B tutor just doesn’t like your child, she can not accept her/him. The tutor can insist every assignment be completed to her standards and a contract signed before she accepts your student. These are just a few examples. While CC would hope this does not happen, it does. When limitations on who can tutor/direct challenge are so overbearing that very few meet the requirements, the contrated tutor/director may not be the best choice to teach, she just might be the only one who meets the requirements, which have little to with gifting/burden.
If your student isn’t chosen by the self employed tutor/director, you have few options: remove only that student to another campus, or remove your entire family to another campus.
But, since Challenge decisions are made later that foundations/essentials, you will not get your registration money back for your younger F/E children. Also, as Challenge is junior/senior high, does your child really want to be seperated from the kids he/she has developed relationships with for the past several years?
This senerio does not fit the mission of CC. It does not facilitate community. And until these directors cease to be their own boss, this will continue to be a poor buisness practice for CC. Given Leigh Bortins mission for CC and the company, I cannot fathom that this employment arrangement will last long term.
Your challenge tutor/director reports to the Support Manager, not your Foundations/essentials director. Your Support Manager may NOT be a part/likely isn’t a part of your community. Guess who the SM talks to when determining how well your tutor is doing? The tutor. Unless you go before the SM and complain, either for your own child or future children, a realistic picture of your tutor from a PARENTS perspective may never be seen by the SM.
I encourage all moms to voice your cencerns to your tutor AND the SM. The SM needs the feedback to decide if that tutor should be re-contracted.
You can appeal to the support manager, area manager and on up. But, remeber, the challenge directors are independent. Ultimately they can do whatever they want. The SM can chose not to re-hire them the following year. But really, if that director is the only one who meets the criteria, do you think that will happen? Not.
The SM or AM or regional director might convince your tutor to reconsider the any decision made if for example your student wasn’t “chosen”, but would you want to subject your child to a tutor that doesn’t want her/him?
So, do not be lulled into thinking you are signing your junior/senior high students up for a PROGRAM. Your just signing them up for a years worth of classes. At any time, this community could be removed from whem without explaination. Be prepared.
Cons: program is ruined by Power hungry regional directors
Grades Used: Foundations, Essentials, Challenge (3rd -8th)
My wife is an experienced classroom teacher with a Master degree in Education. She has loved being a tutor with CC.
However, the regional director(s) in Arizona are causing all sorts of problems for directors, tutors and families. They are implementing rules, regulations and general BS that is not specified in the national guidelines and manuals.
These power hungry individuals have done more damage for CC than good. So many families, tutors and directors have quit because of the bogus requirements that are being placed on them.
This curriculum isn’t cheap, yet it is going the way of many “Faith Based” curriculum we’ve seen over the last 15 years. Legalistic and completely losing sight of their original vision.
Many comments above talk about the inconsistencies with tutors and programs, that’s because their tutor training is NOT GOOD! Every training my wife has been to has been with someone who was asked to pick up a power point and regurgitate it. And they won’t let someone like her with lots of experience teach those classes. It’s a joke!
It’s sad, very sad.
Sound education has been replaced by legalism and individuals seeking control, for what end?
It blows my mind!
My kids have benefited greatly from this program, but all the unnecessary bureaucracy is making it too difficult to continue.
We stopped homeschooling for a couple of years to give my wife a break, and our different aged kids now do different things, some even in a public high school. Now that disqualifies my wife from being a tutor, not from the national rules, but from the local regional directors. This is causing all kinds of problems for scheduling.
These types of things are how homeschooling gets a bad name. Too many people and curriculum companies have become too judgmental about “TRUE HOMESCHOOLING”
Where’s the Love of Christ in that?
What does that say to a non-Christian who’s thinking about homeschooling and even considering an a curriculum such as CC.
It’s a disgrace.
Cons: some parents
Grades Used: secondary
I really loved being a tutor to teens. The curriculum was great and I had some very nice students. Some parents showed up an hour late every week and expected the class would begin whenever they arrived. If your student is a teen in a small class and they don’t show or don’t do their assignments regularly there is a big hole time wise. Other parents would not require the student to do their assignments. Isn’t doing things you don’t like part of growing up? These were also the same issues I had when teaching in regular school. I have a degree in math as part of my education. There was a mom who sat in my class which was fine, but the constant arguing over solutions was not. She would say rhe book was wrong and I didn’t know what I was doing. This created problems in the class that the director refused to address.
Cons: Directors- some good, some not
Grades Used: 6th-10th
I like CC’s curriculum, its definitely college-prep at the high school level. However, there is a tremendous responsibility on the parent to provide all the testing and grading. Some Directors are extremely helpful in providing guidance/equipping. Others are not. I found this very frustrating as I needed to develop Latin tests, without the benefit of knowing Latin. It’s very hard for students to teach themselves a foreign language. Henle Latin does not have a pronunciation audio- so its pretty frustration figuring out how to pronounce most of the words. Latin moves at a very fast pace, so even though CC says you can jump in at Challenge 1 without having any Latin background, its extremely difficult to keep up.
Most homeschool umbrella group leaders in our region do not like CC because there is little documentation that proves mastery of material. And, many moms (especially those who are new to high school) are caught off-guard because they didn’t realize they were suppose to test their students throughout the semester. This is ok for Science and Math, since tests are available by the publisher, but I found myself needing to read all of the curriculum books (Government, Philosophy, Latin, etc.) so I could intelligently make up the tests. You would think CC could help families out by providing moms a collection of suggested exams. This is overwhelming when you have more than one student in the Challenge level
Your student needs to be incredibly self-directed because the Director does not teach. Unfortunately our Director provided very little direction and we found that the Challenge Guides were pretty vague in explaining some assignments and projects. It was very frustrating figuring out how to prepare for debates when the Director would pretty much just tell us to “read the book”. There was no coaching at all. However, the students were expected to debate in front of the entire CC Challenge Community- very stressful. We felt like we were in the dark most of the time. Its just like public/private school- the teachers (in CC’s case, the Director/Tutor) makes all the difference. So, my advice, interview your Director and go in with your eyes wide opened.
Cons: Possible poor tutors, no refund if you get a bad tutor, not everything is set to music
Grades Used: K,1,3,4,
We belonged to a CC for one year which was fantastic, then we moved and joined a new group. Our new experience is a bit of a disappointment. I think it all depends on the CC group you join. One of my children’s tutors is brand new and appears to be rather uneducated. She spells incorrectly, pronounces incorrectly and gives wrong information. One of my other kid’s tutor’s is excellent and really knows her stuff. There shouldn’t be this kind of inconsistency when you are paying to attend.
I just do not like how anyone can sign up to be a tutor. I was under the wrong assumption that all CC’s were like our first one and that all the tutor’s were qualified to teach. Because of this we probably won’t continue to do CC a third year.
On the positive side, I was very impressed with the program our first year. This year my kids enjoy going for the most part and are learning some things. It is just enrichment for us so we don’t put as much time into it at home as others might. It is what you make of it. We have a whole separate classical/Charlotte Mason style curriculum we do at home and just listen to the CD’s and youtube videos at lunch or in the car.
The bottom line is if you have a good director and tutors I imagine you will like it very much. If not, disappointment may be what you come away with.
Cons: Not a true co-op as only a few people lead/teach; too many rules from national office
Grades Used: Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge
I have been a member of a CC community for many years now. Yes, there are pros and cons. I am glad to find this website and see an open discussion. I have several children who have participated in all levels of CC- Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge and have also tutored.
We love the classical model and how CC allows several students in one family to focus on the same materials. We do all of our science and social studies together – except for my kids who are in Challenge. I never knew how to do this until I came to CC, and I have saved a ton of time by putting these subjects together. The Essentials material is an outstanding language arts program. It ‘s best I’ve ever seen and has worked for all of my kids who have different learning styles. The best part of CC, though, is that it has fostered a wonderful community for our family. All of my kids, even the teenagers, love CC and I cannot imagine leaving.
However, to me it is not really a cooperative. I say that because only a small portion of the moms do the teaching and everyone else does not contribute to the program. Tutors have to know a tremendous amount of material each week in all of the subjects. Because of the time spent in the class she teaches, tutors likewise cannot be a part of anything their own children do in their classes.
It really would save everyone so much time by just having specific people do the art and science and rotating the kids instead of each tutor having to spend so much time learning the material each week. Just my opinion, but this program is set up to exhaust those who teach and hinder everyone else form using their gifts to bless the community.
While the program is very organized, there are also a lot of rules from the national office that limit how much input local groups can have in making our own decisions. For example, our Challenge programs have lost several very talented directors over the years because some of the these ladies did not have all of their kids in CC. These have been outstanding teachers who have been sent away for that reason alone. (there is a rule that all Challenge teachers must have all of their kids in CC,no matter what the ages). Some oversight is helpful, but in many of these areas, in my opinion, it is too much.
Cons: Expensive, community can become a click, too repetitive with material. They sell you on the upfront expense of the books that will be for the entire program, but keep updating and you are required to buy new books, just another way to make money, not educate.
Grades Used: Prek-7
I found that if you are serious about homeschooling your children, I am not sure that you need to belong to a community to teach and use the Foundations and/or Essential material. I find the tutors to not be any more qualified to teach than other homeschool parents. Too many times, the clicks start with the Directors and Tutors and it carries over to the students.
I like some of the material, but find other material just filler with no real value.
Cons: did not like the inconsistency with tutors; not trained well
Grades Used: Challenge A, B, I, II
We went from public, to private, to online school to CC. The reason for CC was it taught students to seek God in all areas of their learning which is still occurs. Also teaches students to gain tools to help them learn not just the subjects they are learning but also about dealing with life’s challenges. If the tutor does not have facilitation skills and is not able to handle a variety of personalities and sometimes family value differences, the overall dynamics of a class can be difficult. The tutor makes the difference in how much your student will get out of the curriculum. I do not agree that CC should be a ‘one size fits’ all approach but there are tutors who believe that if one student is doing something different at home to learn, but they come prepared and sometime more prepared than others it won’t work. Each student has different ways of learning because God created all of us uniquely different so His kingdom will grow and change will occur that will glorify Him.
Also tutors who have their children in their class need to treat their child no differently than the other students. Also any issues not addressed between child and parent prior to class about assignments should NOT be part of any classroom dialogue. That is unprofessional and takes away from the class time. Classical teaching allows students to learn according to their needs and CC does NOT support that which is why we are not continuing. It mainly due to how a tutor manages the class and is not open to suggestions which when your student moves up to Challenge 2 and 3 the students start to own the class discussions and teaching that occur. It is critical to allow this to occur and not be forced by the tutor. Tutors have the responsibility while in class to ensure that students discussions are occurring and that relationships among the students are not impacted. The rigor of class is good for teaching students what they will face in college but it does not allow for thorough learning. Example is the American Government in Challenge 1. It is not teaching students about our government with respect to the how, why and what we as Christians can do today to help change the way our government operates today. There is not enough Biblical teaching incorporated. History is taught using a timeline but time does not allow ones to study the constitution extensively as students today need to so they know their rights as a citizen. Understanding more deeply the why about something is not possible with the rigor of CC. My students kept up with it but it was not fun always which can take the joy of learning out of it. This time we as parents have with our students is critical that they get as much learning possible and have a love of learning because when they go into the world as young adults they will have so much more to learn than what we as their parents could have taught them.
The other issue with CC is the tutors facilitation skills are not taught during training for those that are new or not that good at it. You can have the desire to teach but you must learn to manage a class which is not always easy. They need to carefully consider who is put in these roles because if they struggle in this area than class time will not be fruitful or celebratory after working hard to be prepared for class.
Also have had a tutor look at her classroom as a business and not as young people coming to eagerly learn. We homeschool because public and private run their schools either by government requirements, certification standards or as a business to bring in money to support their sports, arts, etc…The prices for CC are reasonable if your student gets the full benefit from it but it is not if your student is not progressing because of a tutor’s inability to manage or create an environment of learning each week.
Class size is also a challenge. The max is 12 which in Challenge 1 and above can be difficult to manage and get everything done. We had a tutor who was great with her class of 12 and she was flexible when the planned day did not go as planned because she knew God was in control. She clearly communicated what happened via email at the end of class day so the parent knew. It was great. With a smaller class of 3 or 4 going to Challenge 2, it does not always work if the dynamics between tutor and students is not conversational. Students relationships with each other definitely impact the level of discussion in class.
CC is growing and can be good for some but it is trending toward a one size fits all approach due to its own growth challenges. It started out small and now has to evolve due to its growth and change in how students are educated in these modern times while keeping God and relationships with others the central focus.
Cons: Expensive, incomplete, disagree with some of the philosophies, tutors are not well trained, requires parent to basically write their own curriculum to use at home in order to line up
Grades Used: Over the course of 3 years: 4K, K, 1st/3rd, 4th, 5th
The first year we did CC, I was a tutor and we were part of a wonderful community. We all loved it and it was truly a blessing to our homeschool. However, had I not been a tutor, there is no way I could have afforded the tuition. As a tutor, I received “training” on how to teach according to the classical model. This training was not what I expected and I left the three day meeting feeling less confident than before. The first two days were spent explaining what we could and couldn’t do. For instance, we were absolutely not allowed to deviate from the 30 “crisp” minutes scheduled for each subject. This didn’t seem like a big deal, except that many weeks the assigned science project literally took 10 minutes to complete, while we were left rushing through art projects in order to fulfill the requirement. The last day of training, they finally gave instruction in what the tutors actually do. This was done by breaking us into groups and having us present parts of the memory work. It was very helpful to learn from some of the former tutors, but the majority of the tutors were in their first year, so we had no clue what we were supposed to do. Had it not been for my fellow tutors at my campus, I would not have understood my job requirements at all.
Also in the training, we were constantly reminded that we are to teach the parents, not the students, and that our job is to show the parents how to teach according to the classical model. I found this condescending and in total opposition to my belief that the parent is the best teacher for their child-the reason why many choose to homeschool. When I asked why CC feels this way, I was told that “this is Leigh’s program and you cannot change anything about it”. The trainer drew a pyramid on the board and wrote: Jesus, Leigh, Directors, Tutors, Parents, Children. She told us that this is the order of command with CC and we were to respect it. I’m sorry, but something about seeing Leigh Bortins listed right under Jesus Christ made me nauseous. Also, I think the order should have listed the parents under Jesus and so forth.
The second year we did CC, we had moved to a new area that did not have a campus, so I used the curriculum and did everything myself at home. We had a great year, learned SO MUCH more than the previous year, and I didn’t have to pay almost $500 per child. The drawbacks were that my kids loved getting together with friends each week, so they really missed having a campus and that I felt I had to organize our science and history to match up with CC. This was impossible because CC is more of an outline of main topics instead of a complete curriculum. One week on the Civil War did not give me enough time to cover what I felt my oldest child needed to learn that year.
This year, we joined a classical co-op which is similar to CC, but the only cost is for supplies. The tutors are parent volunteers. I have found this to be the best of both worlds.
I really think that CC is a great program, but I strongly disagree with some of their philosophies and I think the cost is impossible for many families to afford.
Cons: Inconsistent tutoring
Grades Used: 4&5
Although the CC program is good when done well I’d caution readers to thoroughly research the tutors. My children attended a cottage school that used the CC program & tutoring was inconsistent. At the end of one year I opted not to return since I felt I could do just as well at home & avoid the costs of the school. This is a program that only works well when the tutors are committed & very organized. I wish it had worked for us.
Cons: none
Grades Used: 2nd & pre-k
This curriculum was made for my family! One year ago, I began the search for a homeschool curriculum. I was springing my daughter from the public school system and I was overwhelmed with the wide variety of homeschool methods and curriculums to choose from. I had no idea what path to take. CC was a light in the darkness. The concept was a little confusing at first, but their free summer practicum (offered in cities throughout the country every summer) presented not only the in’s and out’s of how the program works, but most importantly it explained the need for this type of education.
Based on the classical learning method (the trivium), CC capitalizes on a child’s learning strengths and abilities during each cognitive stage. During the first stage, the Grammar stage known as Foundations in CC, students learn an incredible amount of information in the following subjects/areas: math, English, Latin, science, geography, history, and time line. The school year is divided into 24 weeks. Each week the student adds new information in each of these subjects, which is learned with the aid of very catchy songs and hand motions. I’ll be honest… when someone showed me what the kids were expected to learn in a single week, I was pretty scared. But I was very happy to see that it really wasn’t hard at all. I am simply amazed at what my kids are able to retain simply by singing these little tunes. I’m amazed at what I’ve learned too! My oldest child is just completing 2nd grade and she is set to Memory Master (100% accuracy on all memorized material) in her first year.
The second stage of learning, the Dialectic stage know as Essentials in CC, begins in 4th grade. My oldest child hasn’t reached this stage yet, so I do not have 1st hand experience with the program yet. The goal of stage 2 is to dig deeper into the 1st stages (Foundations) memory work. Here they begin to dialogue and understand what this material means. They begin an intensive writing program and really break down the English language. Then in the 3rd stage, the rhetorical stage known as Challenge in CC, students develop a comprehensive worldview and learn to defend their beliefs through the aid of extensive reading/writing and even Socratic circles.
This is a very challenging curriculum, but the rewards are incalculable. With the other curriculums I considered, the educational goal was shrouded in mystery. I really didn’t understand where the journey was going. I felt like I was looking at this educational mountain that was covered in clouds. I couldn’t see where the child was going to be at the end of it. With CC, I saw a very, very tall mountain that the child was expected to scale. But each step of the way was clearly mapped out. I knew exactly where we were going and how to get there. This curriculum is designed to cultivate brilliant minds. And I am so glad that I get to take this journey with my kids because I’m learning a lot too!
Cons: Can't think of any
Grades Used: K4-7th
I have 4 kids in CC and we love it! I tell people that for us, CC has been like buying a costume made pair of jeans. It is a perfect fit. I have tutored the 4s/5s, Essentials, and directed for 2 years. Being around other like minded parents is very refreshing. Also, the kids are challenged and encouraged to grow and expand their knowledge, but it isn’t overwhelming. Parents still remain the primary teachers.
Cons: none
Grades Used: PK - 7 and continuing through high school
I rated the fun factor a three only because the first year of Challenge is a major adjustment. All my children love Foundations and Essentials. My new Challenge student likes it, but the workload has taken some adjustment. It has also helped him strengthen his work ethic, character, and learn to enjoy difficult tasks.
I really love this program. I have learned that anyone can learn anything with hard work and patience. I plan on being in this program until my youngest graduates.
Cons: Requires a strong work ethic in both the parent and student
Grades Used: Foundations
Classical Conversations is an impressive, well-designed program.
Parents can find creative ideas for each week/subject on CC Connected. The website is organized and efficient.
This program is quite advanced. Parents and students must persevere for success.
Classical Conversations is the Marines of the homeschooling world.
Cons: None
Grades Used: Abecedarian
I have a five year old and a four year old in this program. We work while the baby naps and sing the learning songs while travelling in the van. The kids enjoy learning all the facts every week. You can tailor the basic structure to fit your child’s ability. I find many ideas on Pintrest, You Tube and CC Connected to fit the week’s lesson.
Cons: NOT friendly for those with young children
Grades Used: 4th grade
I WISH someone had been more frank about this program before we enrolled. First of all we were spoiled, we had a classical co-op where the children were dropped off and taught by tutors one day a week. The parent did NOT have to be in attendance. Then we moved to a rural area with no other options but CC. I have two grade school children and two younger children (toddler and baby). To have to be present from 9 a.m. – 3p.m. with younger siblings is brutal. It’s distracting. It doesn’t accomplish the purpose I believe they are shooting for. But the program assumes the help of family, friends, etc. with no regard for those who do not have help.
Curriculum wise…it’s good, but there is alot of singing (this is a different side of the brain than speaking!…facts memorized singing won’t necessarily translate to speaking). The curriculum is expensive and with “revisions” requiring you to buy the latest and greatest, it’s not very economical. They also don’t allow re-sale of their Essentials curriculum. I believe this is also a strike against them.
Enrollment…all money is up front. I think that’s ridiculous as family dynamics can change greatly within the span of 10 months. Sememster to semster would be much more appropriate.
Overall, great if you don’t need a day off from homeschooling, have LOTS of support at home, and only have older children. Not good for those with babies and toddlers.
We were real disappointed.
Cons: None that I can think of.
Grades Used: 4y/o through 11 y/o
We are finishing our 3rd year with CC and we are SO thankful to have found such an amazing community of families! Even my youngest, who will be in the program
My kids don’t even consider our meeting day a school day cause they have so much fun! The tutors are trained to engage the kids and introduce material in a fun and effective way. Getting to connect with other homeschooling moms from all walks of life is the highlight of my week!
My 11 y/o loves the Essentials Program, where she learns intensive grammar, plays math games, and writes papers with the IEW Program.
I have seen my own education be developed with my students as well – I am redeeming my inadequate public school education as I learn right along with my kids!
Cons: wish they focused more specifics on English grammar
Grades Used: 1 st & 2nd
I love the community we are involved in at ths time. This is our second year with my son & he loves it. I am learning things I never learned in school. We love the variety of ways the Tutors teach the kids the information each week. Almost wish it was a tad longer so they could focus a little more on the individual subjects.
Cons: I can't really name any
Grades Used: 1st
Wow, this progam is amazing! It has really taken our homeschooling up MANY notches this year. Realize, being in my 2nd year, I am still fairly green, but my daughter LOVES it and says (all the time), “Mommy, I LOVE CC”. For those of you who are weak in history, it’s fabulous. I feel like I am going to school again and getting the education I was missing. Math and science have been my strong suits, so I really appreciate that someone “else” is helping me to pinpoint the essential historical facts. It really provides structure. You can do as much or as little “extra” that you want. I am using it as my main spine and adding math and a 4 prong language arts program.
You won’t be disappointed. I am learning things I NEVER knew before. It will make our learning very measurable!!! It’s SO portable too, as you can purchase the audio memory CDs and take them in the car. We review our memory work when we walk our dog too, so we enjoy being outside “doing” school.
I definitely am impressed with the caliber of education CC offers.
Cons: Difficult for young children to remain attentive, can be overwhelming
Grades Used: 4 yr olds, 5 yr olds
Classical Conversations is really the ideal compromise between homeschooling and the classroom. Children get to experience a tutor teach them once a week Science, Math, English, History, Latin, Art, and Music facts, and then they work with their parent the rest of the week on those facts. Also included are things like oral presentations, so students learn to speak in front of others.
CC is an incredible resource, not only for the information covered, but for the community of like-minded homeschoolers. It provides an opportunity for children to work with someone other than their parent, while continuing to maintain the homeschool foundation.
As for the information itself, there is a tremendous amount that children learn. The idea is that young children learn the “grammar” or facts of different subjects, so that when they later gain the cognitive skills to be able to use those facts, they already know them. Many of the facts are put to song, so that they are easy to memorize. If you listen to the songs enough, you can’t NOT memorize the information! Children learn an incredible amount of facts each year; I have been particularly impressed with the Science and History facts. My 5 year old daughter can tell you about Vladimir I bringing Christianity to Russia, how Luther’s 95 Theses began the Protestant Reformation, and the parts of the sun. Children also learn their multiplication tables easily; they know them as “skip counting”. It’s truly impressive to hear young children easily recall complex historical or scientific facts without any problem at all.
Young children can have some challenge with keeping attention to learn all of the information, but if parents play the CDs in the car or during times when kids are playing in the house, students will memorize the information almost effortlessly. Without a doubt, CC gives children an incredible base of “facts” upon which to build as they grow older. If there is a con, it’s the fact that there is a tremendous amount of information, and that the classical model of education does not focus on a lot of “creative” ways to get across the information. Parents of young children can make the memory work even more effective by coming up with creative ways to review it. All in all, CC has been a wonderful experience for my family and we plan to be a part of it for many years to come.
Cons: I don't like the Latin
Grades Used: 1st Grade
I use this book along with going to a Classical Conversations Coop. I LOVE the large volume of information we learn at Classical Conversations. Although, the Latin seems a little pointless to me. It’s a great course in which you can delve as deep into each subject covered or just lightly skim the materials. I highly recommend this program to anyone home-schooling. It has been a huge blessing to my family. I never could have given my kids such a thorough education without this resource!