Essentials - Mechanics of IEW, TWSS, HBW
When you start Essentials many new terms and acronyms get used. This video will explain all the terminology of the writing portion of Essentials. It will also break down the materials you need for the IEW portion of the class.
“Thinking is asking yourself questions”
Art and Humor in Challenge A
In the Reasoning strand, there are catechism questions your student will memorize. The catechism questions are facts and snippets derived from It Couldn't Just Happen. These pegs of information are deemed worthy of memorizing. You need to learn and review these catechism questions just like you would Foundations memory work in a question and answer format. Regular review of these questions is needed through the entire year.
The most popular way to do this is by creating flashcards for the catechism questions. We felt that the flashcards were cumbersome and didn't allow for much creativity. Many Challenge A students are already making a myriad of flashcards for Latin and we needed to find something different. One great tool to be aware of is Quizlet. Quizlet is a flashcard App and you can get anything and everything on it. However, after using it for a few weeks, we realize that electronic flashcards did not help with long-term retention. Our solution was to get creative and have fun with our catechisms.
Each week The Challenge A Guide will assign you three to five catechism questions. They are all listed on pages 160 and 164 of the guide. We made a notebook page for each catechism question. I am not joking when I say we started simple; a piece of paper and some crayons. As we had more fun with it our art skills and storyboards became more elaborate. Here are some examples:
Here is one of my favorites I created for my daughter.
Catechism Question number 3 is about the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states things left to themselves will decay. As you can see, I used my awesome art skills to draw a little picture of what her room looks like clean and what it looks like a couple of days later.
She decided to get a little bit more silly on number 34 where the questions is a fact about termites. She did a cartoon about a termite having gas and disrupting the temperature of the termite mound. Everyone had a good laugh. She loved sharing her creations with her brothers and me.
“Humor can be one of our best survival tools - Allen Klein”
The second semester we brought in some technology and we used her iPad and Apple Pencil. She started creating her pages on an App called Notability. This option was fun because she was able to import photos and other images such as memes. For one question, she has a picture of Jesus riding a dinosaur. It makes zero sense to me but it makes sense to her.
Making sure you review your catechisms on a weekly basis. Reviewing previous weeks work is key to long-term retention. After the first semester, you will have a good amount of catechism questions. At this point, we started reviewing them by category, bible, theory, animals, miscellaneous. I
In conclusion, you want to do what works for your student. You want your student to discover what form of studying works best for them. If your kid is a visual learner then get them doing something visual. If you have a kinesthetic learner have them make up hand motions. If songs are your student's thing find songs. ( I have not found all of the catechism songs on CC Connected.) Take all your Foundation skills and apply them here and find a method that works well for your child. Help them discover what ways of studying make the most sense to them.
Challenge A is a lot of hard work but don’t forget to have fun!
# 1 Challenge A Prep Hack
Challenge A is known for its quantity of work. The goal is not to burden the student, but to help them learn time management and self-discipline. The mission statement of Challenge A is... "We believe that when students take ownership they can achieve great things." As a parent, our number one job is to help our students learn how to manage their workload, and take ownership of their education. The first thing I recommend is that you front-load the reading. For the strand of Exposition and Composition, you will be using the curriculum Lost Tools of Writing (LTW)
Throughout the year you will read eight to nine books, and write eight to nine papers on those books. Week one is a little tricky. Students need to have read most of the first book before class, or be close to finishing it. They are going to start the first paper the first week. Traditionally, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” is the first assigned book. From that point forward, students will be writing an LTW paper on a new book every three weeks.
They'll take three weeks to read a book, and three weeks to write a paper. This is a much slower pace than those who have been through IEW. The trick is that while writing on one book, they're going to have to be reading the next book. The Guide doesn't assign reading pages, you as the parent have to assign pages and set the pace for your child. To lighten the load during the first nine weeks of class I recommend you read at least the first three books during the summer if not all of them. Usually, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, Carry on Mr. Bowditch, and The Magician's Nephew are assigned first.
They are going to start the first paper the first week. However, it will be weeks before they start writing papers on some of the other books. They're going to forget important details.
What I recommend is that you use the resource Words Aptly Spoken. You will notice in your Challenge A Guide that Words Aptly Spoken is never mentioned or assigned. This can make you feel like this was a wasted resource or a waste of money. It’s meant to be used as a tool for directors and parents for conversations with their students. The goal is to engage in dialectic discussion with your student and use these questions to help launch those discussions.
In Words Aptly Spoken, there are Review Questions and Thought Questions.
To "front load", take a book, and read it. Then I recommend your student answers the Review Questions from Words Aptly Spoken, You can do this in one of three ways. One, you can actually write in the Words Aptly Spoken book, in a keyword outline style. You will have to write small, so that may, or may not work for you. Two, you can make copies of the pages, and then your student could fill in the answers. Three, you could have your student write the answers on notebook paper.
I recommend that you go chapter by chapter. If your student reads the whole book and then goes back and answers the questions, the details get lost in that process. I am not going to lie my kids did not like doing this process. However, it has taught them to read actively and look for details. When it comes time to write the paper, they can revisit their questions and answers to remind themselves of the details.
Christmas break is another great time you could front load the next set of reading.
As a parent, I pull out the Words Aptly Spoken when we start a new book. I take about 15 to 20 minutes and talk with them through some of the discussion questions. This is where the richness lies in the discussion with them. It is where you will learn how your student sees the world, how they view different issues, and what their thought process is.
Challenge A is called Challenge for a reason. Be tenacious, work hard, and know when to give yourself, and your child grace.
Enjoying Your Teenage Daughter
Teenage girls can get a bad reputation. Sure they are moody, filled with attitude and hormones beyond control but under all that there are golden nuggets of enjoyment. Being able to enjoy little day blessings about your teenager will make it so that when you look back on these years there will be fond memories. Here are some fun advantages to having a teenage daughter.
1. Back Up - As a woman, we have all been caught off guard by our monthly visitor, "that time of the month." Once your daughter has entered this stage she serves as a constant product back up. No more late night trips to the grocery store for you or your husband. Raiding her stash is a life saver. How about cash? I swear my kids have more money than I do. Without fail, I hit them up for change to pay the parking meter or tip the valet. Little life-saving moments like these make me glad to have teenagers.
2. She can use my credit card - Yes, I said this is a good thing. It is so nice to pull up to the grocery store, hand her my card, and tell her to run in for the milk. I pull into the parking stall and close my eyes for just a minute.
3. Makeup Tip- I know there are different ideas about when young girls should wear makeup. Mine loves costuming and makeup so she has a pretty good stockpile of products - and good stuff too! Recently we were on vacations getting ready in the bathroom together. Alas, I forgot to pack my mascara. So I borrow hers. I later notice her eyeliner was amazing. I ask to use it. I was given a long look that says, "mom stop stealing my stuff," but I take it anyway. I now have the best eyeliner.
4. The Conversations are Interesting - Gone and never to return are the days of playing kitchen and being made fake food. Sniff. Sniff. But replacing it are actual interesting conversations. I love hearing how she thinks, and why. She see the world from a different perspective. I won't lie, sometimes I have to grit my teeth and smile but overall I am glad she are talking to me.
5. Her Chores are Helpful- For over a decade, I am have been training her on how to do her chores properly. I remember when she would load the dishwasher and be so proud of her accomplishment. After she walked away I had to redo it all but not now! Dishes getting cleaned, counters get washed, bathrooms get scrubbed. The training investment is paying off. Now if I can get her to do it without the constant reminders.
6. She is funny - At this age she understands humor. Everything is not potty humor, that's my boys. When she wants to show me a funny meme or youtube video I jump. She says and does funny things. Laughing with my teenager reminders her that I am human and I do have a sense of humor.
7. Fashion Advice - Having a second opinion around is refreshing. I can ask her, "does this make my butt look big," or "do I look fat in this." and I will get honest advice. She keeps me in my age appropriate wardrobe lane and encourages me to step out of my mom zone and add a little pizzaz.
8. Starbucks Partner - I swore I would not have one of those Frappuccino loving teens and guess what? I have one of those Frappuccino loving teens. Never say Never! But hey I am ok with it. I can either send her in for my drink (see number #2) or I have a guaranteed coffee date. A 30-minute rap session over coffee makes her feel cool and I get to soak a few moments with one of my favorite humans.
If you have a teenage daughter, pray for her like crazy. Enjoy every moment for what it brings. Hug her a little tighter. Tell her you love her!
Tell her Often - She is Beautiful !
Sown NOT Thrown
Mark 4:30-32
Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
This passage is giving us a picture of the kingdom of God, but today I would like to compare it to the Motherhood. Motherhood is an aspect of the kingdom of God. We all start in life as a little mustard seed.
In the first season of life, we are young and single, these are days of independence, adventure, and freedom. Doing whatever we want whenever we want. For some these days are filled with great happiness and others with great sadness. However, good or bad we grow. Can I implore you to make these days count. Let every opportunity and year add value to your life. Make good decisions, invest in your life, serve others, build a foundation that will last.
As we age and enter the second seasons, we experience the process of “being thrown to the ground.” The early days of motherhood from pregnancy forward can feel like a time when you get thrown to the ground. Life as you know it changes. Your body is no longer your own, you have to share. Your schedule, bedtime, bathroom time and meal times all have intrusions and demands. Your career has to share or take sacrifices you never anticipated. I remember most days as a young mom I felt like I had been thrown to the ground. These days are days of humility. We can willing yield to this beautiful process and kneel at the throne of grace or fight in our own strength. I say, yield to pouring our lives out for someone else in ways we never imaged. Learning to serve selflessly. Learning to choose carefully how we spend our time and what we value most. Being sown on the ground is a necessary step to flourishing. It is an inescapable step of growth. There is no shortcut or way around it. It is here that you die to yourself, you let your dreams go, you become desperate for God and God alone. His presence becomes the only thing that will sustain you. It is a place of brokenness where you realize your strength comes from the Lord. Anything you are going to do or become in the world you can not do apart from Him and His grace.
One day you look up from the diapers, the stretched out clothing of nursing, the gooey hands and left standing there is a woman God can use. The world does not acknowledge her beauty. There are a few extra rolls in the midsection, stretch marks, and crows feet. There is a career that has died or survived on a shoestring. An education that has become obsolete, unfinished or unused. And yes you are a hot mess but a hot mess God can use. You are not one of the women that the world idolizes. One who is airbrushed, spandex up, sucked, nipped and tucked. You are a beautiful seed. You have been sown on the ground of life and are for ready and capable of growth beyond your wildest dreams.
“I have a mustard seed and I am not afraid to use it.”
Please note that the word used in the scripture is sown not thrown. You are not throwing away your life just because you get thrown up on multiple times a day. You are not throwing away your career or education because the last book you read was the “Little Engine that Could.” You are sowing not throwing. You are building layer upon layer into the little lives you care for. I have had moments of deep revelation over children books and movies. God sees right where you are and can meet you and speak to you through any medium. Yes, even Veggie Tales! He is El Elon the God who sees. Hagar was a young desperate mother and God saw her pain, isolation, and struggle. He met her right where she was at.
Before kids, I had great daily spiritual discipline. I read my bible daily, prayed for an hour and fasted somewhat regularly. Its been 13 years and I am just now started to figure out a new normal. I had to give in and count reading the “Preschool Bible,” with my son, while teaching him to read, as my daily bible reading. Or memorizing AWANA scripture with my kids as my memory disciple. I used what I had and the spirit of God was faithful to show up. I remember crying while reading the Velveting Rabbit with my boys as a revelation of “becoming” became very real for me. I received one of the strongest Rhema words for the next major season of my life while helping my daughter prepare a presentation for her class. It's in these moments that God takes our humble hearts and breaths his grace and fulfillment on our life.
The third season in this passage is when the seed has grown. It becomes greater than all the herbs and provides for others around it. I'll be honest, I am not sure I have achieved this status in my life. But I have witnessed and been mentored by women who have reached this place. It's a place of maturity. We are no longer surviving all that life throws at us we are thriving. Our lives become a haven for others. Our age, life experiences and perspectives keep us from being shaken. We are steadfast and strong.
I applaud the women in the workplace and women who pioneer opportunities for all of us. But today I applaud the women in the trenches with the little ones. What you do is unseen, unlovely, unrewarded and the unpopular. I would argue that what you do is the most important job in the world. It is not just for them, the kids, it's for you. The boot camp of motherhood produces strong, resourceful and insightful women.
Meaning in the Mundane
Are you an Average person who wants to live an Extraordinary Life? Find Meaning in the Mundane. I know that doesn’t sound exciting but Meaning in the Mundane is where you will find some of the most extraordinary moments of life. Mundane by definition is characterized as practical, ordinary, or commonplace. Tasks that are mundane never seem extraordinary at the time you are doing them. Seasons that are mundane never seem to be extraordinary when you are walking through them. How does mundane become extraordinary? Let me explain.
Let’s look at a financial example to explain this principle. When you save money and you start early in life you enjoy the benefits of compounding interest. Compounding interest rewards your minuscule monthly savings with a massive payout in the end. Compounding interest does the hard work to get you the gains you need. Once you have made the deposit it continues to grow,. If done correctly the payout at retirement is larger than any amount you could have saved for in a lump sum. The mundane task of saving means you have an enjoyable retirement
How about a mom example. You have a baby. They are cute, cuddly and poop a lot. For years, day and night you change their diapers, wipe their too-shies and get peed on as a reward. It's a dirty mundane task but someone has to do it. Then one day it’s time to potty train. You read the potty training book. You purchase stickers, treats, and fancy “big kid” underwear as incentives. You read books to your kids about pooping in the potty! All of this is mundane. Last time I checked there are no awards for moms potty training their children. Yet it is an incredibly important skill. Without it, the world would be a stinky mess! The day arrives and you start the process of training. There is poop, pee, laundry, tears and laughter. Asking every 2 min, “Do you have to go potty?” Sitting on the potty with no results? Finally, it happens your kid goes poop in the potty. Your mundane process has yield a result that every mother agrees is one of the hardest earned rewards. Mundane become extraordinary. During the mundane process of potty training my kids it was not fun. It was downright gross! But now I look back and laugh, those moments are priceless. I am glad I was present for them.
Moments such as these fill my memories. I can say that early motherhood was a joyful time and my children had a happy childhood.
“When I fulfill the daily will of God I will not miss the specific will of God.”
What tasks in your life are mundane. What do you have to do every day? Make a list! Take a moment to reflect on how those mundane tasks lead to significant forward progress. Those commonplace tasks might be laying the foundation for something extraordinary. In the future when my kids are walking in the greatest moment of their destiny, I am going to remind them that I potty trained them. Without me, they would still be in diapers!
Why You Should Tutor Foundations
I am outgoing. I like talking. I don’t mind being in front of a group. All these things made me a natural fit to be a Classical Conversations FOUNDATIONS Tutor. If you have been asked to tutor and the answer is an immediate, YES, then good for you! However, for most tutors, it is not that easy. I wanted to share with you some of the Affirmatives and Negatives (you will understand when you get to Challenge) of tutoring.
Affirmatives -
1. You will receive training - Classical Conversations will train you in a 3 day summer practicum. After 20 years Classical Conversations has packaged up the best of the best, hashed out the bumps and created a streamlined way to equip you. A veteran tutor will take you through the material and answer all your questions. You will get to spend 3 days collaborating with other tutors about fun creative ideas.
2. You will understand the why behind the what. - When you dive into tutoring you will gain a greater understanding why Classical Conversations works the way it does. I remember my first year, when I wasn't a tutor, I thought my kids tutor was mean. She did not allow them to tell their long drawn out story about visiting Mt. Rainer when she was introducing it in Geography. Only after receiving training as a Foundations tutor did I understand all that has to happen in such a short time.
3. They will pay you - You won’t exactly be bringing home the bacon but yes Foundations tutors do get paid. For many this helps offset the cost of tuition or buying books. Classical Conversations understands that many families are single income household. Tutoring is meant to be a blessing. You will put in some extra effort and a bit of energy on your community day.
4. Watching gets boring - My 7th year in Classical Conversations due to some life events I ended up not tutoring at all. At the beginning of the year I would plant myself in the back of my oldest kids class (the tutor didn’t need much help) sip my coffee, check my email (which you are not suppose to do) and enjoy a few quiet productive moments. When the opportunity to tutor came up at the semester, I jumped to do it. You are already committed to be in class on campus for the day so why not contribute and meet a need. I must acknowledge that helpful, quality, non-tutor parents are necessary in the classrooms and we tutors love them.
5. You do not have to be a gifted speaker or presenter - One of the key skills practiced in FOUNDATIONS is how to do a presentation. If you are nervous about talking in front of a group this is your opportunity to be a Lead Learner. If you have a shy child, who dislikes Presentation time, your example with encourage them. No one is asking for perfection, your audience is at max 8 kids under 12 years old. Parents watching can step up and tutor if they think they can do a better job. As Christians we always need to be prepared to share the Gospel. You will only grow in your ability to share Jesus with others.
6. You do not have to be extremely creative. - Classical Conversations philosophy is simplicity, also known as “the stick in the sand” method.” Get your class moving, shaking, chanting, singing, signing, picture drawing or whatever suit your style. There are an amazing amount of resources available to aid you if needed. CC Connected, Pinterest, Youtube and the list goes one. Beware of the time vortex that can suck you in. Keep your planning simple, guard your time, and don’t compare yourself with other tutors.
7. You get to know the kids and families in your class/community better - This is one of the greatest rewards. The purpose of Classical Conversations is community. Kids I tutored 5 years ago are some of my kids best friends. I know the kids and their parents better because we spent 24 weeks together. I know which kids are sassy and wild and which ones are sweet and well behaved. I know the hearts of the moms and how they parent and handle situations. Which as my kids become teenagers makes it so much easier to let me kids go hang out with friends.
8. Kids Teach You a Thing or Two - My daughters tutor for her 5th and 6th grade year would take notes during the kids presentation. At the end of the year she shared how much she had learned from the kids. Countries they had research, books they had read, She felt like it kept her current with bands, movies, TV shows, APPs and lingo of the younger generation. Her testimony was that being their tutor was an enriching experience for her.
Negatives-
1. Tutoring does require energy on your community day - You have to be awake and ready to lead a small band of excited students. But hey you are there anyway!
2. You have to attend a quarterly tutoring meeting with your fellow tutors and director. Usually, tutor meetings include fun discussions with like-minded tutors, chocolate, and a few hours away from your kids. So if that is not your thing you should strongly consider not tutoring.
3. You do have to prepare - My first year I spent about 3 hours preparing for each Foundations Community Day. It now takes me about 30 min. It's just a few minutes to preview what I am introducing and rounding up anything I want to bring to class. There are so many blogs and website to help with planning. Some tutor plan 6 weeks at a time, others a semester at a time. You can do what works for you. I promise it is very doable.
Tweens & The Struggle for Control
I have 2 modes, 100% in control or 100% going with the flow. Sharing control, planning, decision making or task 50/50 or even 30/70 challenges me to the core. As a parent, when our children are little, birth to about 10/11ish, we are pretty much 100% in control. After our kids turn 18 in the eyes of the law we are 100% no longer in control. It's those in-between years, 11-18 years old, where there is a shared responsibility that tensions and struggles seem to abound. Why? Because we, the parents are no longer 100% in charge and yet we are still 100% responsible.
In Galatians 3:23-25 Paul is on roll about the law and faith. The difference between the two, why we have each of them and which one is best. Without diving into a deep theological discussion, I would like to use this scripture to illuminate how we can navigate the 11-18-year-olds in our lives.
Galatians reads “But before faith came we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
100% in control -
Notice how the scripture says that we are “kept under guard by the law.” When our kids are little, we have many laws/rules for them to follow. Hopefully, you have set rules about bedtime, nutrition, and behavior. During the little years, we spend much of our time saying, “No, no,” enforcing the laws of our house. Our hearts as parents is to “guard our kids.” We are not trying to keep them from having fun or experiencing life. We want to protect them until they can learn to protect themselves. If you do not have clear boundaries establish for your child you need to establish some. These laws/boundaries will help guard your child and your sanity.
The law is also called our “tutor.” Good rules and boundaries will teach our children right from wrong, good from evil. The law that we must look both ways before crossing the street keeps our child safe. Think of the rules/laws in your home, what are they teaching your children? Rules without purpose will break your child's spirit. Rules with a purpose with tutor your child to grow and learn to make good decisions for themselves.
100% not in control-
Galatians is clear that the purpose of the law was to guard and tutor us because there is something that comes after that is so much better, faith. If we have allowed the law to do it job our kids should move from a place where law rules to where faith rules. Consider this, for pre-school I decided when and where my kids would go to school. They had no choice and no say - that was me setting the law for them. Now when the choice comes for college hopefully they have reached a place of faith to make the decision for themselves. By this time in their life, they should know how to make good decisions. If I have to go to my kid's college admissions office or sit in their first job interview I have failed. All the rules and laws that kept them safe when they were little did not lead them to a place of “faith” for their own lives.
50/50 the in-between - 11- 18-year-olds
Here is the heart of what I see in this passage. We must set laws that guide and tutor. Then we must relinquish control in order for our children to grow into their own faith/lives. The back and forth process of keeping and relinquishing authority can only be done with discernment. Moms, we cannot make this about us, or our feelings. It is about our kid's growth. In every little area, I am constantly evaluating if my kids need law or freedom. My oldest has a healthy respect for the laws of our home and as a result, I can give her more freedoms. I can allow her to make more of her own choices. For example, she has a passion for acting. I am a little hesitant about putting her in this industry. However, she has proven to have good judgment, a solid conviction about truth, and is willing to be open with me about her life. After much discussion, we have allowed her to start taking acting classes. On the other hand, if she had it her way she would be a pasta-tarian, eating pasta only. Since she has yet to demonstrate well-rounded eating habits, she is required to fulfill the food laws of our house. As she demonstrates more wisdom in eating, I will decrease my input.
Some days we are giving control and other days we are keeping control. Letting the process of the law guide and tutor our kids. Praying for faith to take root and wisdom to begin to reign in their lives. And finally seeing faith come so that their lives are no longer ruled by law but rather by grace. Parents, we must hold the scales of law and faith in our homes. Balancing them in order to bring our children to Christ and a Christlike life. The law will bring them to Christ, or back to Christ and by faith they will be justified.
Why write a book?
Growing up I read mostly historical fiction. I loved it! However as my oldest daughter started devouring books, I realized I had missed out on a huge section of wonderful literature. Fantasy! I will admit it - I had never even read the Chronicles of Narnia. I didn’t understand symbolism, themes, or literary devices. When I found Teaching the Classical, a whole new world opened up. My best conversations with my kids have come from discussion literature. It has allowed us to enter worlds and situations far beyond our experiences. Quickly, we discovered that the literary world needs more fantasy fiction/action adventure for Tweens.
One day I opened my mouth and said to my daughter, “Let’s write a book.” You come up with the characters, setting, main plot and I’ll figure out how to put it all together. From that day forward we have discussed villains, conflicts, heroes, worlds, and everything else under the sun. As we embark on this process, we want to invite you to come along with us. Help us name characters, frame worlds and create an epic tale of adventure and bravery. Stay tuned to your social media accounts for progress and voting opportunities. Note - this process could take us a while.
The Library of Congress - picture for a recent trip
First Year Essentials Management
If you are embarking on your first year of Essentials I want to encourage you. YOU CAN DO IT! I am sure there are a few of you who got this. But the other 99% percent of us might be hyperventilating. This Essentials stuff is where the rubber meets the road and homeschool starts to get hard! Here are a few tips and tricks to get you and your student through.
1. During the first year focus on the Charts. Memorize the charts. Learn the charts. Quiz the charts. Spend 15 min on each of your school days learning theses. Copy them, sing them, chant them, create dance moves for them. Do whatever works for your child. If you put in the work to memorize the charts it will pay off in the years to come. Did I say only spend 15 min working on charts? Yes! Make a deal with your student if they will focus on the task at hand for 15 min they will be done, with that task.
2. After week 3 you will be completing an Analytical Task Sheet with 1-5 sentences a week. Your goal should be sentenced numbers 1-3 for this first year. You will be focusing on the charts, add in 1-3 sentences per week. Allow another 15 min to complete the assigned sentence on each of your school days.
Note: Your total time on Essentials is at 30 min.
Note the page number in the picture is 467, newer guides it will be 469
3. Don't forget spelling. There is a spelling program in the Essentials Guide and you can use that or use one that works for you. Remember that your student still needs a solid foundation in spelling. (Spend another 15 min to work spelling)
Now your total time for Essentials is 45 per school day. I allow an additional 15 min a day for further discussion, going off schedule or a possible slow work day. This is a 1 hour total for Essentials grammar 2-3 times a week. This is enough time to cover all you need to do in your first year.
The next step is managing the IEW workload!
Classical Conversations K4-3rd Grade - Foundations
My youngest began Classical Conversations 3 days after his 4th birthday. A little K4 boy who could barely pronounce the words he was learning. It was so cute! Pausing for a tear of days gone by. If you have a child that will be in the Foundations program I would like to offer some words of wisdom from my perspective. I am heading into my 8th year in the Foundations program! (Yes, I still love the timeline!)
The focus for your child during their young years should be learning the memory work. It is enough! Your focus during your child’s young years is studying them. Learn how your child learns best. Discover your child’s strengths, weaknesses, and passions. Do not try to conform them to a curriculum or schedule. Mold them to love learning.
Do not enroll your child in a community day program before they reach the age of four. This is Classical Conversations recommendations and it is for a reason. It might be cute. You might feel the pressure to do “pre-school” but, there are so many great things to do to prepare your child for formal learning. Studies have shown that more free play and delayed formal learning is helpful for developing brains.
“Learning should breath life into us - ignite our imaginations and inspire us to share the ideas we learn with the people we love “ The Core pg 14 Leigh Bortins”
The Classical Conversations catalog will tell you the curriculum and supplies you need. So always check there as it might change after I write this article. The basis are; The Foundations Guide, Tin Whistle and a Trivium Table Map for the Cycle you are starting in the fall. Everything else is fun and fluff. Don’t get me wrong it is all helpful and I own most of it but it is not required. If I could only choose one additional resource it would be the Timeline cards and the App (Opps! I guess that is 2 things)
In addition to the Classical Conversations Memory work you are going to need to add 3 elements to your homeschool academic planning.
1. Math - CC Memory Memory work teaches 24 math pegs, but it is not a compressive math program. Pick one that works for you and enjoy!
2. Reading - CC will not teach your child to read. Teaching your child to read can be daunting, but there are dozens of excellent resources. A good program will teach you how to teach your child to read. Work with your child’s learning style and make it fun.
3. Books- You can purchase or use the library! Use this exploring age to read like crazy to your kids. Read aloud to them, listen to audiobooks, let them read at night till they fall asleep just READ READ READ! Read with variety: history, literature, geography, music, science, art, how to’s, fantasy, and humor. I made the mistake of burning my kids out on history and historical literature. (Don’t even ask them about the Pilgrims) Some moms go book list crazy and line books up with each weeks memory work. If you can do this great! However, when your kids are young this can be a tough schedule to follow. I recommend following the cycles. For example, in Cycle 3 US History, read all things related to that Cycle. If your child sparks an interest in a particular area, dive a little deeper. This is where you can cover history, science, art, health or any other subject you feel the need to teach. You do not have to have a formal curriculum for your child to be learning.
Two other common subjects at this age are Spelling and Handwriting.
1. Spelling might be covered in your reading program or you might need to plan that in an al-a-cart fashion. There is a stream of thought that it is not necessary to introduce a formal spelling program until 2nd-3rd grade. You have to make that call. I say focus on reading then spelling.
2. For Handwriting find a simple program with some workbooks to help your child learn to write. Handwriting is a necessary focus but integrate this into practicing memory work. Or copying a sentence from a book you are reading. We have shed way too many tears over handwriting.
Keep your schooling simple, organic, and natural. Focus on routine nor rigorous schedules. The floor and couch are great “desks.” Have fun! Go explore! Play! Bake! Build Forts! Let them be little!
Finishing is Possible
God finishes things, and so can I. If you're like me, you always have a to-do list. I've used the Reminder app on my phone. I've used apps such as Evernote and Asana, and in the end, I seem to go back to an old pen and paper format. Keeping a list nearby is a must and adding to it as I remember what I need to do. Each week, I regroup. I move items forward onto a new clean list, and some items I've been moving forward for almost a year. I get satisfaction from crossing items off my list. For every item I cross off, I swear five more new ones hit the list.
I'm always driven to try and finish this list. I've finally realized it just ain't going to happen. One day when I was overwhelmed, God spoke to me and said, "Paige, I finish things. Why can't you?" Boom! It hit me. I began to meditate on this idea. God finished creation. At some point in the process, over the course of six days of creation, he said, "This'll do. I'm done." I don't know, maybe he had more he wanted to create. Different creatures, different plants, but he was done. He stopped, and he rested. God doesn't ask me to do anything he hasn't shown me how to do. God's not asking me to work endlessly and tirelessly without resting.
“Finished Last” will always be better than...
”Did Not Finish” which always trumps...
”Did Not Start”
God wants me to enjoy the satisfaction of completion. He wants us to experience fulfillment in finishing. Yes, there are many processes in life that will never end. In my house, it's going to be laundry. Well, unless we join a nudist colony. Things like meal planning, shopping, and prep, they're going to be ongoing in life, but seasons come and go. Seasons have starts and finishes. Think about the natural seasons. Trees are not in a constant state of blooming, nor are they in a constant season of bearing fruit. There's a season of rest. There's a season of restoration.
We fail to achieve and complete what God has called us to because we keep adding. Things are never good enough. We keep pursuing perfection, not completion. For God, completion and perfection are the same thing. Think about raising kids. Technically in the eyes of the law, at the age of 18, my job as a mom is finished. I'll still have things that I need to do to help my adult kids. However, my job of raising my kids will be complete and a new season will begin. It certainly won't be perfect, but it will be complete. I will have to stop and rest in the fact that I did the very best job I could.
After you start a new task, a new calling or a new passion for God, there will come a time when it's done. It may not be perfect, it may not have been everything you wanted it to be. You may or may not have accomplished all that you desired to do, but when a season of completion comes, it's time for us to stop and to rest. Maybe someone else is going to come after you, pick up the unfinished task and take it to the next level. You can reach completion. You can reach a point where you can rest and say, "God, I did my best. I did all that you asked me to do." You can enter into rest knowing that his grace is sufficient.
An Average Person with an Extraordinary Life
Average. Average. It’s not even a fun word to say. It’s bland, lacks luster, and well, average. No one wants to grow up and be average. No one hangs their hopes and dreams on average. No one wants to hear that they are average. To describe something as average implies that there is nothing special, unique, or creative about it. In fact, if you say it enough times, average, average, average, I just might depress you. You might put this down and walk away to something more exciting, less average.
Average is actually a mathematical term used as an equation to calculated “central” value. Statically average is a good thing. It is a measurement by which we can know where were stand in comparison and ideally show us how we can grow. If you can run a mile in an average of 6:45 minutes, that is a good average. Now if you are trying to beat a 1600 meter Olympic runner your average is not so great and you have a lot of work ahead of you. If you use the word "average" as an adjective, a word that describes a noun, it no longer carries that same feeling that it does when it is just a statistic. No one likes to hear they are an average employee or have average looks. When was the last time someone complimented you by saying, “Hey, you look average today!”
““Doing Average Well in the Small Things is the Process to Becoming Extraordinary.””
We live in a society where being average is not honored! The dad who gets up every day works hard, brings home a paycheck, it present for his wife and kids, and has the average “dad bod” is no one special. He goes unnoticed and uncelebrated. Honestly, when was the last time you read a biography about an average person. Let's face it we celebrate those who stand out, those with extra special talents that shine and sparkle. Deep inside we all long for the attention and the affirmation that we matter and that we make a difference in this world. The conundrum of this dilemma is that by mathematical calculation the majority of the population must be average. Does this relegate us to a boring insignificant life? I say not at all!
All my life I have been an average person! I am not being harsh on myself or trying to garner compliments, it's just the truth. If I am honest with my self I am an average Joe. In Jr High and High School athletics, I worked hard at practice, attended special training clinics, went to camps and worked extra on the side at home. Most of the time I was on the JV team or sat on the bench. In academics, I studied twice as hard as most and did average. I graduated high school with a 3.5, and graduated college with a 3.0 - all average! Even per the Body Mass Index calculator, I am average in height and weight. However, inside this average human being is a desire to live an extraordinary life, filled with adventure, excitement, and significance. Average skills, average pay, average looks, and average intelligence does not decide the kind of a life you will have. The only average that can hold you back is an average mindset. Join me as we explore how you can be average yet live an EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.
