Because of the decay in the quality of public education over the years, parents have very appropriately lost trust in what public education provides including standardized testing. You know there is a place for virtue in your child’s education; you know that education should challenge your children’s ability to think while supporting their personal growth.

With the rejection of progressive education and a return to classical education, significant good has come. However, the education world has also seen a bit of a loss. In attempts to leave behind all things public education, some parents have also left behind an impactful tool for their children’s education: standardized testing.

Let me explain what I mean.

Classical Education and Feedback

There is a reason you chose classical education. You wanted a comprehensive education that aligns with how children naturally learn and fosters a lifelong love of learning. You wanted your children to learn how to think, not just what to think. What a beautiful thing!

Good education is a constant feedback loop between the student and the educator. The student demonstrates what they understand and what they don’t, and the educator adjusts accordingly. This is why community and conversation are so valuable in a child’s learning environment.

Occasionally, it is necessary to take a step back from the day-to-day and check in on progress, comprehension, and mastery. Quality standardized testing can provide this feedback for your education.

Standardized Testing 101

Standardized testing is a method of assessment in which all students answer the same questions and are graded according to the same standards. This provides an objective comparison point for students from diverse educational backgrounds.

For homeschoolers, standardized testing is a wonderful tool! Educating outside the standardized public school system makes it challenging to find a way to assess students that accounts for variation. Standardized tests are designed to provide an external measure to better understand your child’s progress, comprehension, and mastery.

What Makes It Quality?

Since standardized testing provides a standard method of assessing through an external measure, both the method and the measure matter!

1. Method

• Content
  Take the example of CLT assessments. CLT assessments draw their exam content from the Great Books tradition, using passages from quality authors to assess reading comprehension and language arts. Familiar content ensures relevance to your child’s education.
• Format
  If your child is used to learning at home, an at-home exam is ideal. If they’re accustomed to working on a computer, an online exam may be preferable. Aligning the testing environment with the learning environment minimizes anxiety and supports better recall.

2. Measure

Classical education emphasizes reasoning and logic skills. Choose an exam that tests these areas. For example, CLT exams include analogy and logic questions, which were removed from many other standardized exams.

Some homeschooling families prefer exams focused on foundational skills like language arts and mathematics, avoiding subjects like science or civics that are often tied to specific curricula.

Using Standardized Testing to Support Your Education

The analytics you receive after testing are the primary reason for assessments (outside of fulfilling state requirements). Choose an exam that provides in-depth and comprehensive analytics.

Analytics should show:

• Academic strengths
• Areas for improvement

For example, CLT analytics include:

• Improvement Domains: Highlight gaps in learning.
• Top Domains: Identify strengths, helping you explore potential interests.

Analytics offer insights into details, such as whether a child struggles with vocabulary, comprehension, or understanding analogies.

Remember the Goal

Whenever you test your child, remember:

• Results are not the arbiter of your child’s value.
• Analytics are tools to help you better understand your student’s progress and mastery.

Craft your child’s education using tools like standardized testing to make it the very best for their unique journey!

Exclusive Offer

CC Members: Log in to your CC Connected account for 25% off any CLT exam! Find CC-specific resources on CLT’s CC landing page.

Non-CC Members: Visit CLT’s main website at CLTexam.com

The post Standardized Testing: A Helpful Tool for Classical Educators appeared first on Classical Conversations.

The second semester of homeschooling can feel like an uphill climb. January brings cold days, long nights, and the post-holiday slump, making the excitement of August feel like a distant memory. That’s why a mid-year assessment is so valuable. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on your family’s progress by identifying what went well. This is also a time to ask what we can improve, recalibrate your goals, and renew your motivation to finish the year strong!

At Classical Conversations, we hold to core values that guide our homeschool journeys:

• grace in speech
• humility of mind
• integrity in action
• diligence in work
• excellence in results

A mid-year assessment helps bring these principles to life in your homeschool by celebrating victories, addressing challenges with compassion, and setting a fresh vision for growth.

This blog will guide you step-by-step through conducting a meaningful mid-year assessment so you can embrace the second semester with clarity, confidence, and hope.

Reflect on the first semester’s achievements with Humility of Mind

As you look back on the first semester, it’s important to celebrate all the achievements that took place! Take time to count the victories in your student’s academic goals and personal growth. When we reflect on progress, it builds confidence and encourages continued effort in our students.

Looking back at the plans you created at the beginning of the academic year is important. Which milestones were reached? Did your students improve in the skills they were working on? How well did they retain the material they studied? Highlighting these accomplishments helps both you and your students see tangible progress.

An essential part of reflecting on the first semester’s achievements in a mid-year assessment is helping your students recognize their own progress and discuss their achievements and challenges. By developing your students’ self-assessment skills, you help them foster ownership of their learning and motivate them to set manageable goals in the future.

Reflection isn’t just about academics—it’s also an opportunity to reminisce about fun family experiences and character growth. This is a great opportunity to complement the areas where you see the Lord working in your children’s lives, such as acts of service, habits of gratitude, or attitudes of mercy.

As we cheerlead our students’ good works and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done so far, it’s vital to have humility of mind and refocus our praise back to the Lord, who graciously orchestrated these beautiful accomplishments. Gratitude keeps us grounded and reminds us of the greater purpose behind our homeschool journey.

Take stock of areas for improvement with Grace in Speech

It can be easy to look at the beautiful plans and goals we set out in August and be discouraged with ourselves and disappointed with our children because we got so off track or didn’t achieve what we planned.

Why do we often look back and only see the failures? It’s because we love our family and we want to do the best job for them. Blessings can come from addressing the ‘failures,’ though. It’s important to ask ourselves: What can we learn from the shortcomings of the first semester?

In our mid-year assessments, we should address the academic areas that need improvement by considering these reflective questions:

• How do my students learn best?
  • You are your child’s best teacher, so tailor your instruction accordingly to best meet each student’s needs. Some students excel by reading independently, while others need auditory support or hands-on activities to synthesize ideas and retain information.
• Have I set reasonable goals for each student individually?
  • We must aim to find the sweet spot between setting high standards for our students and not crushing their love of learning.
• What outside circumstances have impacted my student’s progress?
  • Life happens. We painstakingly set plans for the perfect year, and then things out of our control throw us a curveball. Identifying these details, such as illness, unexpected events, or family needs, helps us adapt with compassion and resilience. Remind yourself and your student that learning is not a destination but a journey.

Possibly the most important strategy for a mid-year homeschool assessment is fostering a growth mindset in your students. The goal isn’t to criticize but to adjust and grow.  We want to assess without shame but do not ignore the problems. With grace in speech, we can ask how we can adapt our learning to grow and improve in the new year.

Pray for God to meet you and your students where we are and lead your family in learning and life. Having this grace-filled attitude reflected in our words for our own internal dialogue and for our children to hear will help us remember that homeschooling is heart training and pursuing a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Set expectations for hard work and reliance on the Lord through Integrity in Action

When math lessons take longer than expected or reading progress feels slow, it’s natural to wonder: Is my child falling behind? It’s such an all-too-common trap we fall into.

But how do we define “behind”? When we start to look around and compare ourselves, our children, and our homeschool, we lose the perspective and purpose of why we homeschool.

Instead, focus on God’s faithfulness. He is working in the hearts and minds of our children. Each of our students is on a unique and individual learning journey, and they need a loving mentor and coach (that’s us!) because they need accountability, not just in academics, but in life skills and character development.

Through the integrity of our actions, we can set meaningful expectations by:

• Establishing clear and achievable goals
  • As part of your mid-year assessment, be honest about what worked—and what didn’t—in the first semester. Were your expectations realistic? Did you follow through on assignments? Adjust goals to balance challenges with encouragement.

• Seeking additional resources
  • Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Tools like CC Connected can equip you with new strategies. Connect with friends on community days or attend a Parent Practicum to invest in classical education and pedagogy.

Ultimately, our expectations should align with God’s promises for our children. We hold plans loosely, praying for His guidance as we shepherd our children. True success is not just in academics but in nurturing our children’s hearts for the Lord.

Organize your homeschool with Diligence in Work

The new year is a natural time to refresh and reorganize. Once the Christmas decorations are put away, the house often feels clean and ready for new routines. Use this fresh start to create a smoother, calmer transition into a reliably hectic second semester.

Here are some practical steps to organize your homeschool:

• Evaluate your organizational systems
  • Does each student have a clear way to keep track of their work? Consider using bins, binders, or online folders to help them develop organizational skills.

• Plan meal prep

• • Between homeschooling and extracurricular activities, meal prep can save time and money and reduce stress.
• Reassess daily routines
  • Are there small changes that could improve efficiency and peace? Starting the day with a devotional or including children in daily chores can create a rhythm that benefits the whole family.

Balance is key. Prioritize what’s most important for your family, whether it’s academics, sports, or shared activities. For some people, sports are life, and they are willing to go the extra mile (literally) to provide this experience for their children. But for others, finding one activity everyone can do together might be the best fit.

Build in time for nature walks, acts of service, or connection with your church community—these experiences are valuable learning times that don’t fit a ‘classroom’ mold but create well-rounded children.

Consistency in planning and record-keeping is another way to stay diligent. CC Connected offers its members the online Transcripts tool that simplifies record keeping. Take time now to organize the first semester’s records and set up a system for tracking progress throughout the second semester. When May arrives, you’ll be thankful for your efforts.

Plan to finish the academic year strong with Excellence in Results

Second semester is the final push. From our chilly January vantage point, the spring semester may seem like a long road ahead, but the end of the year will arrive in a flash. So plan now to finish strong with excellence in results.

We collect the wins from first semester and show students their hard work and progress. Next, work together to identify areas for improvement to help them move forward and grow in the second semester.

Two ways to ensure your homeschool can finish strong with excellence in results are:

• Time management
• Creating small habits to achieve big goals

Identifying ways to improve in these areas for both ourselves and our students will create practices that will yield great results in the second semester.

Excellence in results does not always mean an A+ on a report card; it’s about nurturing beautiful souls, strengthening relationships, and deepening faith. As CC mom Brittany Lewis eloquently says, assessing our students is like “hunting for God’s fingerprints on the world.”

Encourage your students to pursue academic excellence while also developing lifelong learning skills and a heart for the Lord. With intentionality, prayer, and practical strategies, your family can end the year with not just academic success but eternal impact.

Conclusion: From Mid-Year Assessment to End-of-Year Excellence

Homeschooling is a journey filled with both challenges and blessings, and the mid-year assessment is a chance to reflect, recalibrate, and refocus. As you look back on the first semester, celebrate the wins—both big and small—and give yourself grace for the areas that didn’t go as planned.

Approach the second semester with high expectations tempered with empathy and wisdom. Set clear goals, encourage your students, and remember that success is not measured solely by grades but by the character and perseverance cultivated along the way. With prayer, intentional planning, and reliance on the Lord, you can guide your homeschool toward a strong and fruitful finish.

If you’d like to hear more tips about Assessing for the New Year with guest Brittany Lewis, join the Everyday Educators podcast to be encouraged.

It’s never too late to join a Classical Conversations community—whether at the start of the year or midway through—where you’ll find support and fellowship to help you and your family thrive.

The second semester offers a fresh opportunity to celebrate learning as an act of worship. Embrace this season with confidence and purpose, finishing the academic year with grace, diligence, and excellence!

The post Reflect and Refocus: Powerful Mid-Year Assessment Strategies for Homeschool Families appeared first on Classical Conversations.

As a homeschool parent, assessing your child’s understanding of literature can sometimes feel like a challenge, especially when standard comprehension questions seem disconnected and formulaic. It’s hard to tell if your child is truly engaging with the story or simply giving the answers they think you want.

In this article by Circe Institute author Buck Holler, we’ll explore a more thoughtful, step-by-step approach to help your child form their own meaningful questions about what they’ve read.

By working from your child’s perspective, you can guide them to a deeper understanding of the material, encouraging critical thinking and a more personal connection with the text. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or an experienced home educator, this assessment method can transform how you discuss literature in your homeschool.

Approaches to Literature Comprehension

The common approach to literature in many classrooms is to give the child a worksheet with a number of questions about the text. But whose questions are they?

Giving a child a set of questions that he did not ask, nor was even thinking about, sets an unnecessarily arduous task before him and actually leads him away from contemplative reading toward cold analysis.

An alternative approach to literature is to guide the child toward asking his or her own questions before introducing questions not asked by the child.

As the parent/teacher, the point is to work from the perspective level of your child. By setting questions in front of your child before the child has even spoken, you gain no idea what your child gleaned from the story. Rather, you frustrate, discourage, and induce anxiety upon your child.

Steps to Assessing Literature Understanding

Once you draw out the perceptions your child acquired from the story, you can assess and ask the appropriate questions that will link your child’s understanding to the story.

• Always begin by asking your child to name two or three characters. He will always select (1) the characters that he remembers and (2) the characters that he is most interested in.
• Second, have your child list three to five things each actor/character did.
• Third, pick one actor and select one action done by that actor.
• Fourth, frame the actor and the action as a question beginning with the word “should.”

Character Development and Self-Assessment

This question is crucial because it marks the difference between looking for an answer in the unfamiliar territory of the story as opposed to drawing an answer from the child’s own moral character. Here you are able to assess your child’s moral development from the answer they give to this simple question.

How to Ask Literature Questions:

Sample Literature Assessment

For example, we can look at Charlotte’s Web:

Name three characters from Charlotte’s Web.

1. Wilbur
2. Charlotte
3. Templeton

List three things each character did.

1. Wilbur: talked, cried, asked for help
2. Charlotte: talked, spun a web, helped Wilbur
3. Templeton: ate, brought Charlotte words, complained

Pick one character.

• Charlotte

Pick one action.

• Helped Wilbur

Now, should Charlotte have helped Wilbur?

FAQs

Why do we need to assess literature?

When students analyze literature, they can see beyond the story and see the greater purpose of understanding human nature, universal Truth, and one’s own life. Parents can assess a student’s understanding of literature by engaging in meaningful conversation with questions that encourage students to draw from their own morality in relation to the story and characters.

What are examples of literature used in Classical Conversations?

Classical Conversations uses a variety of ancient epics, modern classics, and Newberry award-winning works to provide students with insightful moral training and character development conversations. From fantasy, such as C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to the Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, students get a comprehensive experience with classic, quality literature.

Literature Assessment Made Simple

Assessing your child’s understanding of literature can be a blessing of beautiful conversation that leads to impactful connections between your student and the text, yourself, your family, and your community.

By encouraging your child to ask their own questions and reflect on the characters and actions they found most memorable, you create an opportunity for deeper engagement. This approach, rooted in the child’s perspective, not only promotes critical thinking but also fosters a more personal and meaningful connection to the text.

Find out more about how literature fits into all the Classical Conversations programs and learn more about our classical, Christ-centered communities.

The post How to Ask Literature Questions appeared first on Classical Conversations.

As classical homeschool educators, our task is not merely to instruct but to cultivate in our children the lifelong art of learning, empowering them to pursue any subject confidently. By modeling the stages of learning, we also deepen our own understanding and redeem our own education. But how do we, as educators, continue to grow in classical teaching methods? How do we more effectively embody and impart the timeless principles of classical education to our students or children?

The art of teaching classically is best learned with mentors who have practical experience using these methods. Practice is essential to truly mastering the rhetoric stage of education. The Classical Learning Cohort (CLC) provides a supportive space for educators to refine their approach, ask meaningful questions, and receive key feedback.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Aristotle.

Whether you are new to classical homeschooling or an experienced Director looking to deepen your impact, the CLC elevates your skills to teach confidently and effectively. To understand why investing in your own professional development as a classical educator is important, let’s dive into what it means to teach classically and how the CLC brings you to the next level as an educator.

What is Classical Education?

Let’s get back to basics. Before we can discuss how to teach, we must remember what we are teaching. What is classical education?

Classical education is a proven method of learning that emphasizes the development of critical thinking, eloquence, and virtue through a structured, three-stage model known as the Trivium.

This model includes the Grammar stage (focused on foundational knowledge), the Logic stage (centered on reasoning and analysis), and the Rhetoric stage (developing persuasive expression).

The goal is to teach students how to learn, equipping them with the skills to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty throughout their lives. Classical education fosters a deep engagement with timeless ideas, cultivating wisdom, virtue, and intellectual curiosity.

The Role of Classical Pedagogy

Just like doctors learn how to treat patients and police investigators learn how to solve crimes, educators learn the art of teaching. This is the definition of pedagogy, and it comes from the Greek words paidos (child) and agagos (leader). To teach means to lead a child.

As parents, we have been leading our children since birth, and classical pedagogy is the natural bridge from experiential learning to intentional teaching practices that are designed to foster deep, lasting learning and the development of virtue.

But how do we learn how to teach our children to learn? We follow the classical method and seek out mentors who have experience in classical pedagogy.

This is modeled in Classical Conversations weekly community days, especially in the Foundations program. Parents sit in class with their students and watch as the tutor models the 15 skills of learning. The principles of pedagogy are also exhibited at the Classical Conversations Parent Practicum.

Experienced mentors model the classical teaching methods, such as fostering Socratic dialogue. They offer insights into how to adapt these practices effectively for different learners and contexts, provide feedback to refine teaching techniques, and help educators master the art of leading students through the stages of the Trivium.

Why Invest in Your Growth as a Classical Educator?

The investment you make as an educator has exponential benefits for the students you lead. Improving as an educator leads to more effective and inspiring teaching, keeping in mind the goal that education is a formation that shapes a child’s heart, soul, and character.

Investing in personal and professional growth as an educator holds immense lifelong value. There is a deep satisfaction in redeeming your education as you educate your children.

Developing your classical pedagogical skills not only enhances your ability to connect with students, fostering relationships built on trust and empathy, but professional growth also equips you with innovative tools that sharpen your leadership skills.

So, now that we know what classical pedagogy is and its merits, how do we get it?

Introducing the Classical Learning Cohort (CLC)

The Classical Learning Cohort (CLC) brings together small groups of Classical Conversations parents who are building confidence in their roles as educators in their homes and leaders within their homeschool communities.

In a nurturing and supportive environment, participants learn from experienced mentors how to apply classical education techniques effectively. The CLC offers an opportunity to refine teaching skills, connect with fellow lifelong learners, and gain valuable insights to teach with confidence.

Through collaborative learning and mentorship, the CLC helps parents embrace the principles of classical education from a Christian worldview and equips them to lead their children’s education with greater assurance and purpose.

How Does the CLC work?

The Classical Learning Cohort is divided into four semesters:

1. Invitation
2. Form
3. Assessment
4. Catechesis

Cohorts are comprised of small groups of six students and a trained mentor. Groups meet online two times per month, six times per semester. Classes provide practice, collaborative feedback, and affirming friendships.

CLC is for both new educators and seasoned Directors looking to refine their teaching. The Classical Way Cohort is the perfect introduction for new homeschooling parents just starting in classical education.

Benefits of Joining the CLC

Taking on the role of educating your children can be intimidating. Doubts like “I don’t have a teaching degree” or “This is so different from the way I learned in school” can hold parents back from claiming their role as their child’s best teacher.

The Classical Learning Cohort provides a way to overcome the doubts of teaching inadequacies. Here are some of the benefits of joining the CLC:

• Professional Development: The CLC provides the classical education tools to help you focus on form and assessment. These teaching skills allow you to engage your students, craft quality questions for students’ personal discovery, and map student progress in their learning journeys.
• Practical Experience: Mentors guide cohort members to develop lessons that follow a form and structure that focuses on a main idea. Weekly practice during meetings allows each member to gain confidence and incorporate feedback for improvement.
• Networking: The CLC encourages a hospitable learning environment where dedicated parents can come together to form friendships and community. There is even an annual Classical Learning Cohort retreat where members reunite in person to fellowship together!

Testimonies from Educators in the Classical Learning Cohort

Sometimes it can be hard to take the plunge when investing in our own education and pedagogical principles when our attention is pulled in so many directions.  Here is what other CLC members are saying about the benefits of their semesters:

“I feel the Cohort added another layer of learning. I loved each week of class and the tools I collected over the 3 semesters. I felt I was a better communicator, listener, assessor, and teacher in my home with my girls, in my Challenge class with my students, and even in my Sunday School class with my 1st graders (to name a few)…”  Bethany M.

“After years in Classical Conversations, I have collected many conversational and classical tools to use in teaching at home and tutoring in community, and the CLC has given me a toolbelt to gather and integrate these tools for intentional conversations. … now feel more equipped to guide our conversations more intentionally.“  Aimee S.

“This has been helpful and fulfilling.  I have learned a great deal about the classical model of teaching as well as best practices and form.”

Take the Next Step: Invest in Your Growth as a Classical Educator

We ask our students to be engaged and invested in the learning put before them. We want them to see the opportunities they have been given to enrich their lives with truth, beauty, and goodness. And we challenge them to be eager to learn.

Are we asking the same of ourselves? The Classical Learning Cohort is the next step in advancing your skills as a classical educator. This accessible pedagogy program provides an opportunity to make a lifelong impact on your students, both at home and in the community, by leading them with a sense of wonder that inspires worship and cultivates wisdom.

Are you ready to start sharpening your skills as a classical educator? Join the Classical Learning Cohort today.

Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.

The post How Classical Learning Cohorts Elevate the Power of Classical Pedagogy appeared first on Classical Conversations.

Classical Conversations is all about redeeming and reclaiming our own education while giving our children a great one. But how do you reclaim or redeem an education that already pursued excellence?

I was born in the United Kingdom far more years ago than I care to note here, and my Mum sent my sister and me to school for two years before she decided to home-educate. This was a time when there were no computers, no internet, and no Classical Conversations in the UK. The day my Mum decided to home-educate, she opened the telephone directory and turned to ‘E’ to see if there was anything about education. ‘Cooperative’ was the name of a local corner store, and finding local home educators to meet up with was akin to a task from ‘Mission Impossible.’

Now, if I meet a new home educator, immediately they find a way to identify themselves by the method they use to educate their children. Back then, there seemed to be two clear identifying factors: you either home-educated, or you didn’t!

Discovering Homeschooling for Myself

Growing up, my Mum’s motto was always, ‘It’s not important what you learn; it’s important that you learn how to learn.’ It amuses me that years later, I now have a CC T-shirt emblazoned with “How to learn absolutely anything.”

As a child, if I chose to abandon the pursuit of a new skill before I had mastered it, it was made clear to me that the failure to master was a result of my own laziness rather than my own inability. As a teenager, during what Dorothy Sayers would call ‘the Pert stage,’ I objected strongly to this logical conclusion!

However, my own laziness came as a challenge to me when, some years into our marriage, my husband and I adopted three children, all under the age of two. Going from zero children to three toddlers felt like more than a full-time job. I had no choice but to master the logistics of three lots of diaper changes, three lots of bedtimes, and three lots of feeding schedules, nap rotations, meals to make, and snacks to provide several times a day. Our eldest child with the most severe special needs was highly encouraged to go into a specialist provision for education, which freed up some of my time. I was then extremely tempted to put the other two into mainstream school.

Six child-free hours a day? Someone else does the phonics and the math and answers the incessant questions? For no charge? Sounds like bliss!

However, I had this niggling memory of my Mum telling me that I used to ask lots of questions before I went to school. She pulled me out of school because I lost my inquisitive nature and desire to learn after just one year in the system. I didn’t want that for these children.

So as difficult as it was in those early days, I had to pursue the skills of patience and kindness, I had to master phonics and early math, because I wanted my children to retain their inquisitive nature and sense of wonder at the world around them.

I realised that there would be a cost to putting my children in school; a cost that they would have to pay.

Discovering Classical Conversations

For a while, we got along well on our home education journey, and the eldest child was managing with the specialist provision. Unlike my Mum, during the early days of my home education, I had the internet! And with it, access to a whole world of resources, support, encouragement, and advice.

Our first set of twins was a delight. Their hyper-focus had them mastering reading, writing, and early arithmetic by the age of four. However, a few years later, our eldest child was not coping with the specialist provision, so we decided to take him out of the system and do our best to home-educate him as well. A few years after that, my husband and I adopted a second set of twins. They came bursting into our lives in a loud flurry of special needs, delay, regression, and frustration. And then we had three children at home who did not appear to be able to learn.

I felt like we were trying everything, and nothing seemed to stick. A specialist said to me during an assessment, “These children need constant repetition. Picture a layering of information over and over and over again until it is laid down and embedded in their long-term memory.”

Six months later, a friend said to me, “Have you heard of Classical Conversations?”

The rest, you could say, is history!

We visited a local community, where I learned about the pedagogy of classical education. Repetition, repetition, repetition. The community made the memory work fun, not a chore. With the lack of pressure and fun in the presentation of the information, the children who ‘could not learn’ were beaming from ear to ear and repeating memory work several months later.

The eldest child, who could not cope with the environment of a community day for many years, was learning memory work at home and joining in with chants, songs, and reviews. The daily and weekly recitations embedded the memory work into their long-term memory, and I am no longer worrying about what their future holds academically.

The beauty of CC is that we can stay in the programme and tailor it to their abilities when it’s right for them. This year, our eldest child is ready to join the Foundations programme for the first time at thirteen years of age. Our seven-year-olds are in our Abecedarians group, and if they need to wait to go into Essentials until they are older than nine or they need to repeat a year, we have the freedom to do that.

We can fit our family into the programme, and our family all benefit from it.

Discovering What I Love about Doing Classical Conversations with My Children

My hyper-focused children with lightning memories can be in the same group as my learning-delayed children, all singing the same song and chanting the same memory work. It brings us all together at home, as we memorise facts together. And the joy of it is that I am learning with them. I enjoyed learning about Egypt as a child; we went to Museums, took trips, read living books, and created projects.

However, I could not answer the child who asked me what was happening in America when Israel was divided into two kingdoms! Was Abraham a Sumerian? Did he live in the fertile crescent?

Classical Conversations has opened up a whole new world of foundational facts for us all to learn and dive deeper into. I am watching this knowledge embed into the long-term memories of some of my children, and at the same time, the others are beginning to search dialectically and dive deeper into these things.

And what a blessing that I get to go along with them on that journey.

As we play CC memory work in the car, review over dinner, and begin conversations over good books, I am reviving my education and remembering that I am a lifelong learner. You could say that I’m enjoying continuing the conversation that my Mum started the day she asked me, ‘Would you like to be home-educated?’.

Redeeming My Education

I’m thankful that I had an education that pursued excellence. How do I redeem it?

I am thankful that I am reclaiming and reinvesting my own education by using the skills I learned to devote myself to home-educating my children.

I am thankful that my own home education whetted my appetite for learning and gave me the skills to learn how to learn, and now I get to pass that on to my own children.

My desire is for my children to surpass me! I passionately hope that they surpass me in kindness, in patience, in appreciating the little things, in joy, in friendships, and in faithfulness, not just in knowledge and in skills. I want them to see, as I have done, that they can be lifelong learners of Christ and His word.

I hope and pray that they won’t feel they have to reclaim a poor education but rather can continue to reinvest in the heritage of excellent education they have had. My prayer is that our children, along with others in their generation, will be great rhetoricians in the ways that count, filled with the truth, speaking with grace, who have learned the ability to spread clearly the gospel of Christ, who came to reclaim and redeem not just our education, but our souls.

The post Classical Conversations in the UK: Redeeming, Reclaiming, and Reinvesting My Education appeared first on Classical Conversations.

Are you intrigued by the idea of a rigorous, classical, Christ-centered, and community-based homeschool program for your high school student? Classical Conversations has got you covered! This page serves as your one-stop resource for information, insights, and inspiration to guide you through every step of the Challenge program, our high school homeschool program. You might want to bookmark this one!

Find a Challenge Community Near You

I. The Challenge Program

The Challenge program is rooted in the classical, Christian model of education. What does that mean?

Our worldview is Christ-centered. All knowledge begins with God. God, who is one in perfect unity, created a knowable and indivisible universe that is best explored through connections rather than discrete—and soon forgotten—units of study. That means the best model of education is one that teaches us how to learn and equips us with the skills of learning.

We’ve developed the Challenge high school homeschool curriculum around this understanding for the purpose of glorifying God, and the time students spend in community reinforces the skills of learning with hands-on practice. Directors, meanwhile, guide students through the practice of skills from knowledge to wisdom.

That’s Challenge in a nutshell.

II. Challenge Program Levels

The following resources cover individual Challenge levels (you can also click on the pictures to go to the articles):

Challenge A

Theme: Attention Leads to Ownership

The first of the Challenge programs, Challenge A is intended for students age twelve and up and corresponds with the 7^th grade in the traditional school system. Students will practice their skills that they will continue to develop throughout the Challenge years, taking courses in Newbery Literature, Latin A, Natural Science and Anatomy, Cartography, Analogies and Reasoning, and Arithmetic. Students finish the year with the exciting signature event of the science fair.

Challenge B

Theme: Ownership Builds Discipline

Challenge B builds upon Challenge A. Corresponding with 8^th grade, Challenge B applies the skills honed in Challenge A to new areas of inquiry while deepening their knowledge through courses in Newbery Literature and Short Stories, Latin B, History of Astronomy and Origins, American Biographies and Origins, Informal and Formal Logic, and Pre-Algebra. Students will hold a thrilling mock trial at this level.

Challenge I

Theme: Discipline Is the Cornerstone of Freedom

After Challenge B, students ages fourteen and up will make the leap to Challenge I, which corresponds with 9^th grade. Here, students will begin to consider what they ought rather than what they want, which means exploring the lives of great characters and taking on new and challenging projects. They will take courses in American Literature, Latin 1, Physical Science, American Government and Economics, Traditional Logic and Drama, and Algebra. Students will practice debate at this level.

Challenge II

Theme: Freedom Provides Opportunities for Noble Choices

Throughout Challenge II, students will begin to analyze choices—their own and the choices of others. They’ll also expand their horizons, moving from American history and literature to British literature and Western Cultural History. They will take courses in Latin 2, Traditional Logic 2 and Socratic Dialogue, and Algebra.  This year also presents a fun and unique event in the form of Protocol, where students will have the chance to practice etiquette!

Challenge III

Theme: All Choices Bring Consequences

Intended for students ages sixteen and up, Challenge III explores the consequences of decisions and marks the transition from knowledge to understanding. Students will explore the good, the true, and the beautiful at a deeper level, engaging in the whys and wherefores of philosophy and literature and sharpening their rhetoric in Latin. They will take courses in Poetry and Shakespeare, Caesar and Cicero Translations, Chemistry, American History, Music Theory and Philosophy, and Precalculus A. Poetry café is a fun, optional, end-of-year event for Challenge III families.

Challenge IV

Theme: Understanding Consequences Defines Leadership

Challenge IV. The last year of the Challenge program. The bridge to adulthood. This year is special, focusing on the movement from understanding to wisdom. Students will study Scripture and theology, consider the grand story of world history, and apply their logic to truly abstract concepts. Accordingly, they will take courses in Ancient Literature, Virgil and Various Translations, Physics, World History, Theology, and Precalculus B. Students will write their Senior Theses this year, and they will want to explore other unique opportunities, as well. (We’ll cover those in Section IV of this post.)

III. Challenge Program Capstones

In the previous section, we mentioned some of the exciting end-of-year projects students will conduct. The following resources explore these events in greater detail:

Challenge A: Science Fair

Your Guide to a Successful Homeschool Science Fair

. . . wait, are there really homeschool science fairs? Yes, really! You can conduct your own science fair either at home or in community. A homeschool science fair is a launchpad for scientific exploration, not just another checkbox on the academic list. Dive into practical tips and encouraging stories, guiding you through the process with clarity and support. No matter your science background, discover how to nurture your child’s curiosity, cultivate critical thinking skills, and transform the science fair into a rewarding learning experience.

Challenge B: Mock Trial

I Survived Mock Trial

Tongue-in-cheek blog title aside, Mock Trial is great fun! In this blog post, you’ll discover tips for sparking your student’s interest, fostering critical thinking, and nurturing a love for the law. Watch your student develop a deeper understanding of the justice system—all thanks to your support!

Challenge I: Debate

14 Benefits of a Homeschool Debate Curriculum

Debate: not just about winning arguments. This post discusses the transformative potential of debate and showcases how debate cultivates a diverse skillset. From analyzing viewpoints (the “dialectic stage,” in the parlance of classical education) to speaking with confidence (the “rhetoric stage”), debate equips your student for success.

Challenge II: Protocol

Is Protocol “Starched, Stuffy, and Stiff?”

Don’t let the word “protocol” evoke stuffy images of high tea and starched napkins! Protocol is a tool, not a burden. Protocol fosters grace, respect, and a sense of community – both within the Challenge program and beyond. Learn how these formal rituals cultivate confidence and social intelligence, empowering kids (even introverts!) to thrive in various social settings.

Challenge III: Poetry Café

Host a Poetry Café in Your Local Community!

Attention creative minds and budding wordsmiths. Poetry Café isn’t just a dusty ol’ book club. This event ignites a passion for language and turns shy whispers into confident verses. Dive into a supportive community where original poems find their voice and where students unlock their self-expression, hone their delivery skills, and admire the beauty of language.

Challenge IV: Senior Thesis

Why the Senior Thesis?

Forget the looming dread of a final exam. Classical Conversations presents the Senior Thesis as the culmination of your student’s intellectual journey and not just an academic hurdle. This blog post paints a picture of why this project matters—and this post also guides you through every step with empathy and practical advice.

IV. Challenge Program Opportunities

The Challenge years are preparation for life as a grown-up. As the parent of a teenager, you’ll step back and take on the role of mentor while preparing your student for what comes next.

These blog posts will help you find your footing among all the options offered by Classical Conversations:

Getting Ready for College

Assessment Options

Okay, so this one isn’t a blog post, but you’ll definitely want to bookmark the assessment options page for the membership deals and quick links to testing centers near you.

Why Homeschoolers Should Take Standardized Tests

Is standardized testing the right fit for your homeschooler? Many homeschooling parents worry that standardized tests aren’t a good fit for their student’s unique education. But did you know that standardized tests can offer valuable benefits for homeschoolers? In this blog post, we’ll explore how standardized testing can provide feedback on your student’s progress, help them prepare for college, and even offer relief from the stress of homeschooling. (Testing? Relief? What?! But it’s true.) We’ll also discuss the different types of standardized tests available and how to choose the right one for your student.

Earning College Credits in Challenge

CC Plus: College Credits for Homeschoolers

Homeschool credit meets college savings! Learn about CC Plus, a program that offers college credit for homeschoolers in partnership with Southeastern University. Students can earn dual enrollment credit while in high school and undergraduate degrees online. Parents can also earn a master’s degree by homeschooling their child through the Challenge program. Credits are regionally accredited and transferable.

Earn College Credits for Homeschool Coursework

Discover how Ella St. Laurent earned college credit while completing homeschool coursework. In this inspiring post, you’ll learn how CC Plus helped a real Challenge graduate meet her goals. Read Ella’s story and see how CC Plus can open doors for your family. 

Getting Ready for Graduation

7 Reasons Why You Should Attend the Classical Conversations National Commencement

Just because you’re homeschooling doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a graduation ceremony. National Commencement is your chance to celebrate your graduate with other homeschoolers. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, grow, and be inspired!

6 Tips for Planning a Successful Homeschool Graduation

If you can’t make National Commencement, or if you’d like to hold a second local graduation ceremony, you’ll want to check out this resource and make your homeschooler’s graduation ceremony a cherished memory with these expert planning tips. From setting expectations to creating a meaningful program, we’ll guide you through every step. Ensure your graduate feels celebrated and prepared for the next chapter with this practical advice and heartfelt inspiration. Plus, download a helpful infographic!

V. Advice for the Challenge Program

Looking for advice on how to get your family ready for Challenge, or interested in getting the most out of the program? These resources will help you!

Getting Ready for Challenge

Laying the Foundations for the Challenge Program

The Challenge program begins with Foundations! In this resource, you’ll discover how you can prepare for the Challenge programs by building a strong academic foundation that fosters critical thinking, communication, and a love of learning. Our unique approach equips students with the core habits of grammar and a solid knowledge base. Set your child on the path to success with Foundations.

Help! I’m Starting Challenge I without Foundations!

While it’s true that the Challenge program is built upon the Foundations program, it’s never too late to start homeschooling. You can still embark on the Challenge journey with confidence, even if you’re new to Classical Conversations. Discover how this comprehensive program, designed for beginners, lays a solid foundation in Latin, literature, history, and critical thinking skills.

Don’t let inexperience hold you back—join the Challenge I community and empower your student’s academic future.

Help! I’m Starting Challenge II without Foundations or Challenge!

Read this homeschool graduate’s inspiring story of overcoming self-doubt and achieving success in Challenge II, despite having no prior experience. Her journey is a testament to the power of hard work, perseverance, and the support of her community. If you’re considering Challenge II, be inspired by Cassidy’s courage!

Getting the Most out of Challenge

Helpful Tips for New Challenge Families

New to Challenge? Welcome! We’re here to guide you on your enriching homeschooling journey. Discover the core values of the Challenge program, and equip yourself with these three essential tips: define your family’s learning goals, explore available resources, and cultivate a love of learning together. Build lasting relationships with Classical Conversations.

How the Challenge Program Challenged Me

In this blog post, a Classical Conversations graduate shares her experience in Challenge. Read about she went beyond the academics, and explore the program’s emphasis on Christian values and character development. Discover how Challenge fostered critical thinking, communication, and a deeper understanding of faith. Are you ready to be challenged to grow in mind, body, and spirit?

Homeschool Art and Beauty in the Challenge Years

Discover how you can tap into your student’s creativity and explore the beauty of art within Challenge. Learn how to seamlessly integrate art into your homeschool curriculum with our practical tips and suggestions. From weekly “Sketchbook Breaks” to engaging art projects for each Challenge level, discover the joy and power of artistic expression in your homeschooling journey.

Want to Learn More about Homeschooling through High School?

Attend a Window into Challenge event!

Many parents feel the high school years are when the benefits of homeschool really came to life. Window into Challenge is your introduction to the Classical Conversations Challenge program, designed to equip your student for college and for life. You’ll discover the structure, material, and benefits of Challenge and get a chance to talk with parents already in the program.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to discover how the Challenge program can help your student thrive through graduation. Find an event near you!

Find a Window into Challenge Event Near You

Are You Challenge-Ready?

The Challenge program offers a Christ-centered and community-focused education that goes beyond mere academics and enables you to cultivate a young critical thinker, confident communicator, and young leader prepared to make a difference in the world.

Remember:

The Challenge program is built upon a strong foundation, but even if you’re new to homeschooling, there’s a place for you! Resources  are available to guide you every step of the way.

These programs are more than just academics—they’re ultimately about knowing God and making Him known and fostering intellectual curiosity, character development, and a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

So, explore the resources provided in this guide, connect with your local CC community, and discover how Challenge can empower your student to thrive in every aspect of life.

The post Your Guide to the Challenge Program appeared first on Classical Conversations.

“Ready or not, here I come!”

When our children were young, we heard these words countless times—often accompanied by excited giggles—echo through our home whenever they began a game of hide-and-seek.

Afterward, as they moved from room to room to find their siblings, we’d hear a cheer when they were successful.

“Let’s do it again!” echoed the cry, before dissolving into a countdown of “1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . ”

Over and over, they would repeat the game until I called them to the table for a meal or redirected them to another activity.

Advice for Foundations Parents: Welcome to a Life of Hide and Seek

In the introductory pages of the Foundations Curriculum, one quote at the end of Leigh’s welcome letter to parents has always been impactful to me: “Welcome to a life of hide and seek.”

For years, I pondered what this eight-word sentence meant to me as a parent of elementary-aged children in the Foundations program.

Now that our children have all graduated from or moved into Challenge, I can tell you four things that I’m grateful we hid from and sought as a family during those precious years within the Foundations program. Here’s some advice for parents in Foundations gleaned from my own experiences:

Hide from Schedules and Seek Routines

When we first began homeschooling, one of the things I thought would lead to success was a rigorous and vigorous daily schedule.

I sat down one day and wrote out a parade of events beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m. . . . for my 5-year-old. 😐

Unfortunately, I considered curriculum, books, and family field trips, but the one thing to not cross my mind was the nature of a five year old! His greatest needs were to nap, to eat snacks, to snuggle on my lap and read, and to dig in the dirt, among other things.

Eventually I developed a rhythm which was much more hospitable not only for my children but for me as well. For examples of rhythms to inspire, visit pages 75–78 of Classical Christian Education Made Approachable.

As you do so, keep in mind that someone else’s rhythm may not fit your family’s needs. Adjust as necessary to discover one that is both fun as well as fulfilling.

Read: “How to Plan a Homeschool Schedule”

Hide from Others’ Expectations and Seek Growth Opportunities 

When others found out we were homeschooling, they were quick to offer me a multitude of opinions and advice:

“What about socialization?”

“Do you have desks for everyone?”

“Do you think your kids turn out weird?”

After nearly two decades of homeschooling, I can assure you that socialization is not a concern, every surface in our home has been used as a desk, and my children are delightfully “weird” in every way we would wish them to be.

One of the most difficult obstacles for me to overcome as a new homeschooler was divorcing myself from the words of my friends who thought they were being helpful. This is perhaps the most important piece of advice I have for parents in Foundations: filter others’ opinions through the lens of Scripture and weigh them carefully on the scale of Truth. If God called you to this path, He will be faithful to equip you to walk it with grace.

Who knows . . . your kids may turn out to be as wonderfully “weird” as ours are!

Read: “How to Socialize Homeschool Kids”

 Hide from Worksheets and Seek Experiences

As a former classroom teacher, I had an unhealthy attachment to worksheets as a form of busywork and assessment for my young children.

The realization that I could assess them through activity rather than solely on paper occurred to me one day as I stumbled across our eldest lining up his toy trains by engine number.

“1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . ” he counted as he studied each one.

That day, I began to intentionally decrease busywork and instead pray for teachable moments to weave both work and play together.

Worksheets fulfilled different needs for our family as our children grew, but I’ll be forever grateful for the early days filled with discovery through playful activities and experiences.

Read: “Stick in the Sand”

 Hide from Isolation and Seek Community

As a homeschooler, it can be tempting to go it alone.

As a matter of fact, during a transitional move from one state to another, our family did just that for one solitary year.

I learned from that experience that community was much more valuable than I had realized, and that homeschool was more doable when I did it with my friends.

When we rejoined a local community the following year in our new state, I breathed a sigh of relief as we began forging lifelong relationships with our newfound friends. Never again would we choose to go it alone—community was far too valuable to do without, for both me and for our children.

Read: “The Power of Community”

 Advice for Foundations Parents

As the community year begins, a life of hide and seek may help you discover more than you had ever hoped or realized for your own family on your homeschool journey.

At the end of the year, may you echo our children within your own community: “Hide and seek? Let’s do it again!”

The post Advice for Foundations Parents: Welcome to a Life of Hide and Seek appeared first on Classical Conversations.

It’s been 20+ years since my family began our homeschool journey. Those years have given me plenty of opportunities to reflect on our decision to keep on going and given me time to wrestle with the disadvantages of homeschooling and reasons not to homeschool.

5 Reasons Not to Homeschool Your Child

Following are five reasons not to homeschool that I have struggled with, and perhaps you are struggling with too.

1. “I’m Not Qualified to Teach My Child”

This thought comes knocking all too frequently. Although I have a master’s degree and a host of skills, somehow, I am willing to entertain this idea.

Modern culture messages the concept of “specialization” loud and clear, and schools and employers have marched to the beat of that drum. Some specialists are rightly defined as experts — veterinarians, airplane pilots, and surgeons come to mind. We’ve been encouraged to think of modern schools and teachers as a similar kind of expert.

But there’s a strange twist of logic at play when I allow this idea to occupy space in my brain. Educated in a private brick-and-mortar school, I don’t feel qualified to teach my kids. Why do I sometimes think the system that produced my lack of qualification will work better for my children?

Fortunately, as a Classical Conversations member, I benefit from the investment my local community makes in supporting me as a homeschool parent. I receive training, equipping, outstanding curriculum, online resources, and enjoy an annual Practicum where my homeschooling skills are further developed alongside others. In fact, my qualifications to homeschool improve year over year!

2. “I’m Afraid Homeschooling Will Limit My Child’s Opportunities”

Although statistics (like this report from NHERI) and homeschool graduate testimonies continuously debunk this “homeschool disadvantage” again and again, it can still make me anxious. What about prom? What about sports? What about debate club? What about driver’s training? I want social and enjoyable opportunities for my kids that build skills and lead to scholarships and other prospects.

Thankfully, Classical Conversations has included several kinds of possibilities into the curriculum. With Memory Master, Spring Protocol, Team Policy Debate, Mock Trial, and various individual rhetorical events from dramatizations to grant proposals, my kids have been exposed to multiple opportunities. And, if my child’s appetite is whetted for something “more,” the curriculum leaves room for us to pursue options beyond community day.

Five of my six students have completed the homeschooling journey. They earned scholarships, were admitted into their top-choice colleges, and pursued their purposes and vocations. They’ve all had the doors of opportunity open to their future! Classical Conversations’ structure and commitment to classical education gave my family plenty of freedom to pursue opportunities that are tailor-made to us.

3. “I’m Not Confident I Can Meet All the Requirements”

When considering homeschool pros and cons, there can be insecurity about completing transcripts, providing accurate assessments, and navigating my high school student’s possibilities to earn college credit.

Classical Conversations anticipated my needs by forming several key partnerships. Partners such as the Classic Learning Test and  CC Plus assist me in solving my reasons not to homeschool. In addition, Classical Conversations has a 25-year track record of providing homeschool parents with an excellent curriculum. By providing a proven program that has helped thousands of families homeschool from pre-K through high school graduation, Classical Conversations’ partnership with parents makes homeschooling doable!

Read:“4 Easy Steps to Make a Homeschool Transcript”

4. “I’m Not Sure I Can Handle Being Home With My Child All the Time”

One of the cons of homeschooling is you will have to make decisions and sacrifices that require more than you would like to give. You will have to get used to spending the bulk of your time with your children. Some of the issues you’ll encounter are:

• You will have to do most of the administrating, managing, directing, and handling the responsibilities of homeschooling your children. Your work ethic, work capacity, and executive skills will be tested and increased!
• You will have to accommodate your family being in your home most of the time. They’ll use it hard, leave messes, consume your resources, and just when you get the junk drawer sorted, someone will leave a new pile of stuff elsewhere!
• You will have to cultivate strategies and a support system for what to do when homeschooling is hard and the days grind on.
• You will have to practice the fruits of the Spirit, repentance, and discipleship. And your character will be formed right alongside your children.

Of course, one of the advantages of homeschooling is you don’t have to be stuck in your house! Even if you are a one-vehicle family and are limited in getting around, going outside relieves so much of the built-up pressure that naturally occurs when everybody is home. Enjoying study breaks on the back deck, taking walks, bird watching, nature journaling—all these opportunities and more are just outside your doors. Ideas abound for field trips!

The Classical Conversations community day is another big help in dispelling some of the pressure of being home with your kids all the time. Gathering in a Christian community with like-minded, classically educating parents is a lifeline and often the highlight of my school week!

5. “I’m Worried About My Child’s Socialization”

Cultural voices are loud about the general assumption that a brick-and-mortar school is an essential avenue to socialize children. Despite abundant social problems in that environment, sending children to school is regarded as a civil good and personal gain for the student.

The rub, then, is that many homeschool parents doubt whether their children will make lasting friendships, learn to read social cues, cultivate respectful behaviors, and learn to “read a room.” Sometimes my own children’s conduct at home would lead me to believe it’s a legitimate concern!

I find Classical Conversations’ essential practice of gathering weekly in community with other homeschool families is a powerful way to address my fears about socialization. And it offers a consistent pattern of interaction in which social growth and strengths improve.

The Advantages of Homeschooling

20 years in with four to go for my family’s homeschool journey, I find far more benefits of homeschooling than disadvantages. Some of the above reasons not to homeschool still follow me around (I’m looking at you, Junk Drawer!). But my concerns about homeschooling are typically fleeting or short-term. I’ve learned to be okay with the discomfort they create because that’s usually the motivator to assess what’s working and what isn’t.

Of course, there are probably more than just five reasons not to homeschool. But whatever they are, I find myself reassured by my family’s experience and the testimony of others. Classical Conversations has got me every step of the way. Providing me with a proven program, the blessing of weekly community, and abundant opportunities for my children, Classical Conversations satisfies my homeschool concerns.

Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.

The post 5 Reasons Not to Homeschool (Updated for 2024) appeared first on Classical Conversations.

Have you ever walked into a friend’s living room, where you have been many times, and been surprised to discover that they added some new furniture and rearranged the room?  The room feels new and different but keeps the continuity and charm of much that was there before. Things have changed around the Classical Learning Cohort!  While we still offer all that we have offered before in our program, we also have some new things to share! We want to be sure we have given every CC family a comfortable chair—a restful place to begin learning— no matter where they are in their educational journey.

We’ve talked about the Classical Learning Cohort before. Members are excited about what we have already been doing.

“The CLC makes me a better listener, more patient, and more discerning in conversation, not just on community day, but every day.” —Allison

“I enjoyed the exchange among like-minded women. The constructive feedback and the positive atmosphere”.  —Kirstin

The Classical Learning Cohort has added a few new semesters of learning to our familiar program! Find out more about them and how they have blessed CLC members below.

Find a Cohort

The Classical Way Semester

In The Classical Way Semester (TCW), TCW member Rebecca felt that the conversation with other moms, where she learned what they were trying or doing in their homes, was rich!  Building a tool-belt of ideas in a cohort of parents just like her, guided by a mentor, is exactly what TCW is designed to do.

In fact, TCW is specifically for CC Parents who are new to homeschooling, new to Classical education, or new to CC, and is a great way to get started with a strong foundation. Members receive feedback and ideas from their mentors and fellow cohort members as they try new things from the book Scribblers at Home: Recipes for Lifelong Learning at home. As members share what is working and not working at home, they support each other and give great ideas for how to get started on the right foot.

Focusing on Family Togetherness and Learning

It can feel overwhelming to begin the homeschool journey and to think about leading children of different ages who are learning different things.  TCW helps parents focus on family togetherness and learning.

For example, Jilleyn learned how a Family Mission Statement could bring the freedom to know what to spend time on and what to say no to. She is also ready to find the overlaps in her children’s learning and to facilitate more family learning time.

Rebecca learned how families can enjoy praying, playing, reading, exploring, and serving together as her children grow, even if they are not doing all subjects together all of the time. Learning how to intentionally preserve family togetherness at the very beginning of the homeschool journey can set a positive trajectory for years to come.

Preparing for the Future

It is common in the early years of homeschooling to worry that continuing to homeschool will not be possible as the children age because certain subjects parents might have to teach seem out of reach.  But, in TCW, members learn how to prepare for what comes next ahead of their children so that they can stay the course through their high school years.

Alicia reports that she learned how to learn anything with her kids! This helps to prepare her for the bigger subjects that are coming as her children age.

Another member said, “We don’t want to produce people who know everything; we want to produce people who can learn anything.”

TCW provides a model for doing that. Because of how TCW teaches families to approach new learning, members say, “Any subject is on the table for us.”

Implementing the Skills of the Trivium

But CC members came to CC in part to learn to educate classically. How do we know that we are educating our children classically at home? Members report that TCW helps you discover just that!

TCW member Mary appreciated learning how to implement the skills of the Trivium in her homeschool.

Chelsea was excited to use names as she explored everyday things like stories and going for a walk with her children.

Lisa learned how the Five Common Topics could help her get through new or tough subjects with her children.

Alicia appreciated getting opportunities to practice these skills!

It is not uncommon for families to see a model of using these skills  in community but still feel uncertain of how to implement them.  TCW helps families successfully bring the skills of the Trivium home.

If you long to lead your family at home classically but worry that you don’t understand exactly what that means, are tempted to overcomplicate your family’s learning with a plethora of worksheets just to be sure you “get it all in,” or are worried that as your children age, you will lose the ability to do school together as a family.

The Classical Way Online Cohort is for you!

Catechesis Semester

Catechesis Semester draws on the common experience and language of the CLC and is an opportunity for CLC members and former members who have completed the Exordium Semester, Comparison Semester, and Assessment Semesters.

If you completed those first three semesters but are still uncertain how to take what you learned about form, the Canons of Rhetoric, and assessment and apply it to other subjects or strands you are leading at home and you wish you still had a mentor who could assess your assessments, the Catechesis Semester is for you!

Catechesis Semester gives you a place to practice taking inventory of a presentation using the 5 Canons of Rhetoric so that you know that your assessments are on track.  Additionally, mentors give you assessments so that you can grow in your skills.

Assessing with Relationship

What more can Catechesis members who have been through the Assessment semester learn?

Laura learned that assessment is best given and received in a relationship.

Alison learned to spend time pruning her assessment for clarity and to offer a blessing to her students.

Jakki learned how to be more hospitable when choosing assessment questions.

Assessing Different Subjects and Forms

In the Catechesis Semester, members create assessment tools for other subjects and forms with their group.  From this activity, Carrie learned how she could think through assignments in advance to offer good assessment questions to her students, and Crystal appreciated the opportunity to think about how we might assess many different types of assignments.

Once you have completed the Catechesis semester, you will have the tools to approach your next formative classical assessment with confidence so that you can help your students grow, no matter what assignment you are assessing.

A Hospitable Invitation to the  Classical Learning Cohort

Whether you are new to homeschooling or have completed all three of the original semesters of the CLC, we have something new to offer you.

In keeping with the Classical Learning Cohort’s form, each Classical Way or Catechesis group is a small, safe place to learn with 1 Mentor and 6 Members. Members meet 6 times in the semester. Meetings are 2 hours long. Assignments are completed at home.  Join us this semester and simplify your Classical Journey while you prepare for the road ahead.

Wherever you are in your educational journey, you are invited in! Come enjoy restful learning with us in the Classical Learning Cohort!

Apply for a Cohort

The post Join the Classical Learning Cohort! appeared first on Classical Conversations.

The return of the school year can be a whirlwind of emotions, especially when it comes to challenging subjects like Latin. If you’re a parent feeling a bit apprehensive about your student’s upcoming year in high school Latin, or if you’re a student seeking to navigate this demanding course effectively, this comprehensive guide is here to help. We’ll equip you with the tools, strategies, and resources necessary to not only survive but thrive in the Challenge years.

Build a Strong Foundation

1. Review Prior Knowledge

Latin

Dust off the cobwebs from previous Latin courses, whether Foundations Latin or prior Challenge years. Focus on revisiting fundamental concepts like noun declensions, verb conjugations, and essential vocabulary. Utilize flashcards, practice drills, or online quizzes to refresh your memory. Consider creating a dedicated study binder or online document to organize key grammar rules and vocabulary lists.

English Grammar

Don’t underestimate the importance of a solid foundation in English grammar. Revisit the English Grammar Trivium Tables® from Essentials to solidify your understanding of sentence structures, parts of speech, and their functions. This foundation is crucial for grasping complex Latin grammar, as many concepts have direct parallels in English.

2. Gather Essential Supplies

Flashcards

These are your trusty companions in the battle against vocabulary and grammar forgetfulness. Create flashcards for essential vocabulary terms, verb conjugations in all tenses, and noun declensions in all cases. Utilize visuals like pictures or diagrams to enhance memory, especially for trickier conjugations or vocabulary words. Consider color-coding different declension groups or verb conjugations for easier organization.

Latin Notebook

Dedicate a notebook specifically for Challenge Latin, transforming it into your personalized learning hub. Divide the notebook into sections for:

1. Grammar Notes: Take clear and concise notes during class, focusing on key concepts and explanations provided by your teacher. Supplement these notes with additional information from your textbook or other resources if needed.
2. Exercises: Allocate ample space for completing practice exercises and assignments assigned in class. This allows for clear organization and easy reference when reviewing completed work.
3. Memorization Practice: Dedicate sections specifically for practicing noun declensions, verb conjugations, and vocabulary lists. Use various techniques like writing practice, recitation out loud, or creating memory associations to solidify retention. (Check out Trivium Tables: Latin® for a useful collection of charts to help out in this area.)
4. Quizzes and Tests: Maintain a record of completed quizzes and tests in this section. Include not only your scores but also any key takeaways, mistakes made, and areas requiring further review. This self-assessment approach helps identify areas for improvement and track overall progress.

Craft a Winning Study Schedule

1. Collaboration is Key

Discuss different study schedule options with your student to determine the approach that best aligns with their learning style and preferences. Consider their daily routine, attention span, and preferred learning methods.

2. Distributed Practice

This approach involves allocating smaller chunks of time throughout the week for dedicated study sessions. For example, you could schedule 30 minutes daily for practicing vocabulary and grammar drills, followed by another 30 minutes for completing assigned exercises.

3. Focused Sessions

This approach involves dedicating specific days for tackling larger tasks. For instance, you could dedicate one day solely to memorizing vocabulary lists, another day for completing all assigned exercises for a particular chapter, and another day for reviewing grammar concepts and practicing challenging conjugations.

4. Maintaining Consistency

Regardless of the chosen approach, the key to success lies in consistency. Adhere to the planned schedule as much as possible to develop effective study habits and ensure consistent progress.

Expand Your Learning Arsenal

Free Online Resources

Project Gutenberg

This online library offers a vast collection of free downloadable ebooks, including many Latin texts in their original form. Immerse yourselves in authentic Latin literature by exploring works like Caesar’s Gallic Wars or Cicero’s orations.

The Latin Library

This comprehensive website provides a treasure trove of resources for Latin learners, including grammar references, vocabulary lists, and online tools like interactive quizzes and declension/conjugation charts. Utilize these resources to supplement your studies and clarify any doubts that may arise.

Perseus Project

Delve into the world of ancient texts and translations through the Perseus Project. This website offers digitized versions of various Latin texts alongside their English translations, allowing you to compare and analyze the language structure and vocabulary usage.

Classical Conversations

CC Connected

CC connected provides exclusive video lessons specifically designed for Challenge Latin students. These lessons offer visual explanations of complex grammar concepts, making them easier to understand and retain.

Copper Lodge Library

Although these books aren’t written in Latin, you can foster a lasting love of Latin through the study of Roman history with Copper Lodge Library’s Rome series.

Engaging Activities

Podcasts and Audiobooks

Immerse yourselves in the Latin language by listening to educational podcasts or audiobooks while commuting or during downtime. This can enhance your listening skills, improve pronunciation, and expose you to different Latin accents and styles.

Key Takeaways

A positive attitude and consistent effort are key ingredients for success in Challenge Latin. By implementing these strategies and fostering a supportive learning environment, you can set your student up for a rewarding and enriching experience.

By following these steps, you and your student can succeed throughout Challenge Latin.

Bonus Tips

1. Connect Latin to real-world applications

Discuss how Latin influences English vocabulary, legal terminology, and various scientific fields.

2. Incorporate fun and engaging activities

Utilize games, puzzles, or interactive online tools to make learning Latin more enjoyable.

3. Seek help when needed

Don’t hesitate to reach out to teachers, tutors, or online communities for additional support and clarification.

Conquering Challenge-level Latin requires dedication, organization, and a proactive approach to learning. With a solid foundation, essential supplies, a well-crafted study schedule, and a diverse learning arsenal, both parents and students can navigate this challenging course successfully.

The post High School Latin: A Guide to Mastering the Challenge of Language Learning appeared first on Classical Conversations.

The post How to Assess Your Student’s Latin Work (Updated for 2024) appeared first on Classical Conversations.

The high school years raise a lot of questions for families. Families in public schools may wonder if the school system has lost something vital to education—a reason for being, perhaps, or a sense of purpose and belonging. Meanwhile, homeschool parents may ask themselves whether homeschooling is really a viable option for secondary schooling; after all, isn’t the content more difficult, aren’t extracurriculars even more important, and can homeschool students truly get into college? Perhaps the most common question any parent asks at this stage is, “How do I homeschool through high school?”

In this article, we’ll explore those questions and more. But first, we’ll just point out that homeschooling is a dynamic, flexible, and effective paradigm that naturally extends into the high school years. Families that embrace homeschooling during this period of life find themselves well-equipped with the tools to succeed in college and beyond.

Before we jump into the how, let’s take a look at why you should consider homeschooling your student through the high school years.

The Why: 7 Benefits of Homeschooling in High School

The upsides to homeschooling through high school are numerous.

1. Academics: In study after study, homeschooled students come out on top in college entrance exams. Homeschooled high schoolers are likely to score 15 to 25 percentage points above their public-school peers.
2. Lifelong Learning: Homeschooling fosters an environment where students actively engage with the content, which promotes logic and critical thinking. Independent learning not only prepares students for higher education but also equips them with skills necessary for lifelong learning.
3. College: If your student is college-bound, higher education recruiters and admissions departments pursue homeschool students who not only have exemplary test scores but demonstrate independent learning skills and take education sincerely.
4. Flexibility: This is a benefit of homeschooling in general, but you’ll find that the Classical Conversations Challenge programs allow for adjustments and pacing, which is especially crucial when homeschooling through high school. Since Challenge programs meet once a week, there are plenty of days available for students to complete their assigned coursework, volunteer, attend church events, practice violin, learn auto repair—the options are nearly endless!
5. Learning at Your Own Pace: Additionally, we are strongly committed to parents retaining authority over students’ coursework and grades. If your student needs to brush up on skills that are lagging or missing, you have the freedom to scale the assignments to their ability. Of course, this also allows for space to fill in the missing pieces. And the opposite is also true. Parents can adapt to accelerated learners in a variety of ways, whether it’s concurrent enrollment in CC Plus, or internships, apprenticeships, and opportunities like mentorship.
6. Personalized Learning: Does your student have a passion for web design, French cooking, or animal husbandry? Of course, there are limitless hobbies and interests for homeschool students! Related to the flexibility already mentioned, homeschooled high school students have a unique opportunity to specialize in particular disciplines.
7. Faith: Education should center upon the good, the true, and the beautiful. Christ-centered homeschooling integrates faith with learning, which in turn offers students a clearer understanding of God and His creation and allows students to articulate that understanding. (In fact, that’s Classical Conversations’ entire mission: “to know God and to make Him known.”) Also, according to a 2015 study, homeschoolers are less likely to leave their faith than their public school peers.

The Parenting Advantage

Further, homeschooling through high school graduation is deeply humanizing. Parents are the experts on their children. They are the coaches, trainers, supporters, and essentially co-laborers in their family’s educational journey. Moms and dads encourage strengths, guide, teach, drill, instruct, and shepherd their children. Skills and subjects are not separate from souls.

Students are loved whether they succeed or fail. Sure, parents are fallible and must regularly confess their shortcomings. But, most do so with the understanding that they are raising their children for heavenly citizenship.

“Families are designed to nurture the minds, wills, and emotions of its members so that the barriers created by fear of the unknown can be replaced by the confidence that comes from knowing you are loved whether you succeed or fail.” —Leigh Bortins, Classical Conversations founder and chief visionary officer

The How: Getting Started on the High School Home School Journey

Getting started is easy! There are a few steps you’ll want to take early on as you create a plan to homeschool.

1. Check your state’s laws regarding homeschooling.
2. Choose a method that aligns with your values and goals.
3. Select a program that matches your preferred method.
4. If you’re thinking about college, start planning ahead—it’s never too early!

Once you’ve done your research, you can select a program and execute your plan with even greater confidence. (And it’s even easier to get started with Classical Conversations. We’ll lay out those steps later in this article.)

Let’s take a look at each step in detail.

Research Your State’s Homeschool Laws

Homeschooling is legal in every state across the US. However, each state has its own set of laws regulating homeschooling. You can find your state’s laws using HSLDA’s handy map of homeschooling laws by state.

Choosing the Right High School Homeschool Method

We’ve gone over homeschool methodologies extensively in another post, which we strongly recommend reading. Suffice it to say here that homeschooling methods are not a theoretical concern—they have immense practical implications in how you’ll actually homeschool. There’s a world of difference between traditional, online homeschooling and, say, the Montessori method.

Of course, we strongly recommend the classical, Christian approach. This approach seeks not only to impart academic knowledge but also to instill virtues, values, and a strong moral foundation. Classical education, with its focus on the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), provides a structured framework for intellectual development. Simultaneously, weaving Christian principles into the fabric of education ensures that spiritual growth is an integral part of the learning journey.

The Classical Conversations Challenge Program

Once you’ve found a method that works for you, you’ll want to select a program that aligns with your chosen methodology.

Classical Conversations follows the classical, Christian approach. Of course, there are other programs that also use this method. What sets Classical Conversations apart?

(First, a brief word on Classical Conversations lingo: our programs for ages 12+—programs that correspond with the high school years—are called Challenge programs. Challenge students attend communities led by parents, Tutors, and Directors.

Classical Conversations provides a structured curriculum for each Challenge level. Subjects are referred to as “strands” and in addition to measurable assignments that translate well into scope, sequence, and schedules, students focus on skills that produce disciplined thinkers.)

The Why of the Challenge Program

God is the center of all knowledge, and participating in the Challenge program to homeschool through high school is modeled around this principle. Each Challenge level is curated to satisfy academic requirements, but most importantly, to train students in Christian virtue.

The How of the Challenge Program

Students sincerely appreciate meeting weekly to engage in inquiry, discussion, and presentation that are rooted in the core subjects. Guided by themes grounded in virtue, students enjoy increasing ownership and expanding responsibility for productivity and personal growth.

You’ll notice in the wheel above that three quadrants are organized by the trivium, a defining characteristic of classical education. The Challenge program orders itself by viewing each subject in the context of all creation, connected to its Creator. As Christians, we assert that we live in a knowable universe, and we both learn and teach our children about God’s world and His word; as we journey towards high school graduation, we impress this upon our hearts.

Classical Conversations members have the added benefit of our online searchable tool, CC Connected. With digital and practical resources, including online forums, we’re just a swipe away to help you best homeschool your high schooler!

Key Takeaways

1. Tutors, parents, and students discover that all knowledge works together in an indivisible universe rather than a disconnected multiverse.
2. Through discussions, community members make connections between science, math, philosophy, theology, history, literature, and economics.
3. Classical Conversations families model a lifelong love of learning about God through His Word and His world.
4. Tutors encourage families to explore how knowledge glorifies God, increasing their desire to worship Him and serve Him.

With classical and Christ-centered bearings, parents and students alike reap the rewards of homeschooling through high school that point to eternal matters as well as here-and-now advantages.

Preparing for College

We’ve also covered college prep extensively in other posts. You’ll want to check these articles out in particular:

1. “Can Homeschoolers Go to College?”
2. “The Top 5 Skills College Students Need to Thrive”
3. “How to Go to College for Free”
4. “Why and How to Choose a Christian College”
5. “4 Easy Steps to Make a Homeschool Transcript”

Now let’s take a look at how Classical Conversations, in particular, prepares Challenge-level students for college.

College-Ready with Classical Conversations

Though Challenge students share common strands every year to address subjects, there are many varieties of transcripts as each graduate has his or her own unique arrangement of supplemental for-credit learning.

We provide starter resources that incorporate specialized terms related to classical Christian curriculum during Challenge I–IV. These include:

1. A table of high school credits (see image below).
2. A choice of transcript systems to create, complete, and store academic credit.
3. Access to a sending service for official transcript documents
4. A guidance counseling forum that includes fellow parents who have walked a similar path

Access to these member resources is found in CC Connected.

We also recommend Solid Rock Consulting services for guidance counselors who have special experience with Classical Conversations high school families and who respect parents’ own authority over their home schools.

High School Testing Requirements

Some states require annual standardized testing for homeschool students. Classical Conversations members enjoy a discount on annual membership to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. HSLDA will assist you in understanding your state’s testing requirements.

Additionally, we encourage you to explore the Classic Learning Test (CLT), which provides an assessment that seeks to reconnect knowledge and virtue and is accepted by more and more colleges. CC members qualify for a 25% discount with CLT.

Issuing a High School Diploma

Finding help for issuing a high school diploma is easy for CC members. Classical Conversations offers an annual high school commencement experience each spring. Presented by the non-profit Classical Conversations Foundation, pomp and circumstance fills the air at a formal graduation ceremony with student and family recognition.

Graduates receive a diploma provided by Homeschool Diploma, and you can determine on whose wall it belongs—yours or theirs!

How to Homeschool through High School with Classical Conversations

1. Join a local Classical Conversations community!
2. Follow the curriculum:
   1. CC provides a structured curriculum for each academic subject for each Challenge level.
   2. Complete resource lists accompany each level, which include required textbooks, reading materials, resources for discussion, and assignments.
3. Participate in weekly meetings:
   1. Challenge programs meet once a week for thirty weeks.
   2. Parents are encouraged to attend as Challenge Directors facilitate groups of up to twelve students.
4. Supplement with independent study:
   1. Although not a requirement for graduation from the Challenge program, consider disciplines like physical education, music lessons, drama, robotics, and more. The list is expansive!
   2. Encourage areas of interest, pursue internships, mentoring, or concurrent enrollment for college credit.
5. Optional: Prepare for college admissions.
   1. Ensure students meet college admission requirements and are prepared for the standardized admissions test as needed.
   2. Keep records, prepare transcripts, and assist with applications.

Remember the Highest Aim of Homeschooling through High School

We raise our sons and daughters to become brothers and sisters in Christ. Parents have the divinely appointed duty to love and train their children in the way they should go, embodying Christ’s love in all things and in every circumstance. Just as we commit to studying God’s Word personally and as a family throughout our lives, we should apply this to our high school students’ years.

You are already well on your way! As a parent, you have been influencing your child from his or her arrival. Classical Conversations believes that you are the very best educator for your child.

Yes, you can homeschool through high school, God helping you!

The post How to Homeschool through High School appeared first on Classical Conversations.