Friday Feature: Classical Conversations

Colleen HroncichOne of the great things about homeschooling is it lets you use a variety of educational styles —project-based, classical, Montessori, unschooling, and more. Plus, you can incorporate as much or as little of each as you choose. While that flexibility is wonderful, it can also be intimidating for parents who are considering homeschooling. Fortunately, no matter which path you choose, you don’ t have to do it alone.That ’s where a program likeClassical Conversations comes in. Started in 1997, Classical Conversations (CC) is a Christian program that meets weekly to help students grow in the classical skills of recitation, logical thinking, and persuasive rhetoric.Classical Conversations is divided into Foundations (ages 4+), Essentials (9+), and Challenge (12+). Each program has a specific purpose within the classical education framework. Foundations lays the factual basis; it focuses on memorization, public speaking, and science experiments. In Essentials, students learn language structure and analysis, the structure and style of writing, and arithmetic speed and accuracy to help prepare them for the Challenge levels. Then the Challenge program helps students progress from knowledge to understanding to wisdom.Laura Amon is a Challenge director in western Pennsylvania. She started her local Classical Conversations chapter in 2013. Laura and her family used to live in Florida and her children attended the local public school. When it ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs