It feels so good to have all of the planning and organization COMPLETE for this year's CC Cycle 1.

For the past couple of years I've been creating videos and posts to share how our family approaches the Foundations memory work.

This year I've done the same. Please enjoy, and know that this is only ONE WAY to do CC -- I know of so many different approaches and resources.

My philosophy with CC (as well as with homeschooling in general) is LESS IS MORE. You will find that I keep it all contained to one bookshelf and really try to minimize excess STUFF! I have a few tried and true resources that we return to each year.

Classical Conversations is such a blessing to our family.

What an honor and joy it is to KNOW GOD and MAKE HIM KNOWN!

Organizing & Planning for Classical Conversations Cycle One

This post contains affiliate links.

Favorite "Tools" for Organizing Foundations

The key (for me) to success is ORGANIZATION.

The materials from previous cycles all get stored in their own see-through bin. (I also store Challenge materials in their own bin, but that will be another post!)

I label the bins clearly so that we can get to them easily the next time they are needed. It really isn't hard to just throw everything you used (CDs, maps, books, etc...) into a bin and slap a label on it.

I use the DYMO Hand Held Label Maker (just $18) - it is the BEST investment I've made in a while!

Favorite Tools for Organization Foundations

We also stock up on plenty of BINDERS - binders with see through covers are best, because I make pages for the fronts of each subject area binder.

Finally, I love to always print the Memory Work Flip Chart from CC Connected. (Thank you melodystroud for making these for each cycle. They are a HUGE blessing.)

Morning Time & Memory Work

Each morning at breakfast time we do the following:

Devotion
CNN Student News (this is a non partisan 10 minute news show that my kids LOVE)
Memory Work Review (using the flip book mentioned above)
Picture Study or Music Appreciation (using SQUILT, of course!) -- according to the Foundations Guide

Also, if there are mornings when I need to give Anna (my Challenge 1 student) direction before her day starts, Grant will take a few minutes and review with the Cycle 1 app or going through the timeline song with the timeline cards.

History Resources & Notebooking Memory Work

This year we are keeping it simple. I've already outlined how we will approach the history work in this post, but I'll repeat a bit here.

The following are the resources we will use to reinforce the history memory work:

Veritas Self-Paced History Course
Pages of History
Story of the World Volume 1 (We will also listen to the CDs)
Notebooking Pages for each history sentence

The history notebook, as shown in the video below, consists of notebooking pages I have printed from my Notebooking Pages subscription. There is a notebooking page for nearly EVERY HISTORY SENTENCE in Cycle 1. If there is not a page, I have just printed a generic notebooking page.

(You can watch my son explain how he notebooks through CC memory work in this video.)

Using Notebooking Pages with the Foundations Memory Work

The nice thing about this notebook is that it gives my son a PROJECT, and then he can also use these pages for presentations on community days.

The notebook also serves as a great keepsake and record of his learning.

Notebooking Pages are such a simple, effective way to reinforce the history memory work!

Math Curriculum & Memory Work

We will review the math memory work each morning using the flip book and the Cycle 1 CDs.

Sometimes I find worksheets on CC Connected to reinforce the math work, but generally verbally reviewing the math memory work is enough for my math guy.

As far as math curriculum....

Grant has always used Saxon Math and it works well for him. We will continue on that course this year.

An INVALUABLE resource are white boards.

Using white boards during Saxon Math time

I use a board, and Grant uses a board. We usually complete the Lesson Practice together - it's fun and it also gives me a good idea of his understanding.

Latin Curriculum & Memory Work

This year we are starting a formal Latin curriculum, simply because I have seen the rigorous work required in Challenge A/Henle Latin, and I want my son to be prepared. (My daughter jumped in cold in Challenge A and struggled a bit.)

After researching and speaking to a lot of people about this, we have decided to use First Form Latin from Memoria Press. I feel this Latin curriculum will prepare him for Challenge A. This is going to be an addition for us this year - and probably a time consuming one, but I'm willing to invest that time because I KNOW it will pay off in spades.

Using First Form Latin in Classical Conversations Foundations

We will review the daily Latin memory work - which will also be reinforced through First Form.

I'm most excited about this area of our curriculum this year. It's taken me two years, but I FINALLY feel educated and equipped to teach Latin.

Science Memory Work

We will review the science memory work each day using the flip book, CDs and Cycle 1 app.

I have a few good science book on our shelves for Grant to dig a bit deeper in the science memory work (possibly for presentation?).

We will also check the library and online for any sources to help us learn a bit more about the science for the week.

You could say I'm going to fly by the seat of my pants a bit -- but I would prefer to call it "Interest Led". Cycle 1 science lends itself to some nature study, so I hope we can take part in A LOT of that this year!

Hopefully I will also find some fun experiments and other activities via CC Connected if we have time for them.

We will NOT notebook the science, simply because I don't want to notebook Grant to death!

Geography Memory Work and Map Tracing!

Admittedly, this is our FAVORITE area of the memory work.

Grant LOVES to trace maps and it seems that the geography memory work just sticks with him through tracing.

Normally, after our morning time, this is the FIRST activity Grant likes to complete!

I've created a notebook for Cycle 1, with a map for each of the 24 weeks (thank you CC Connected user MomBrown for the maps!).

Cycle 1 Geography Notebook for map tracing

Here is a video I created so you can see EXACTLY what our geography notebook looks like:

English Grammar Memory Work

Basically, we just review the English Grammar memory work during our morning time.

I trust that Grant is getting whatever else he needs in Essentials (he will be a second year Essentials student this year).

I would like to make better use of some of the songs on CC Connected this year, because I think they will really help him. I have a friend who makes a CD of songs for her kids before the year starts, so that's my next project!

Timeline Review

The timeline is always practiced in our van! We keep this very simple and just make sure to listen to the timeline song at least once whenever we go somewhere.

Also, Grant goes through the timeline cards (I store them in small binders) while listening to the song when he has free time during the day.

SIMPLE.

KEEP FOUNDATIONS SIMPLE!

This is our PLAN for the year.

Sometimes things don't go according to plan, but I appreciate having a plan in place. It just helps our days run smoothly.

If there is one thing I want to convey to you -- it is that THE MEMORY WORK IS ENOUGH. If you do nothing else but review the memory work (and include a good math and reading program), your child will be JUST FINE.

If I can't fit everything for Foundations in ONE bookshelf, then I need to get rid of a few things!

Classical Conversations/Foundations Resources: All on ONE Bookshelf

How do YOU plan for Foundations?

Do you have any tips/ideas to share with me about reviewing/reinforcing memory work?

Planning & Organizing for Classical Conversations Cycle 1

Simple is best.

Educating my children Classically has proven to me that using just a FEW beautiful resources faithfully and well makes our learning most effective.

As we prepare for Classical Conversations Cycle 1, I have been gathering a few things we LOVED during our last study of the Ancients, and I've added a couple new things, too.

Remember, I keep all to ONE BOOKSHELF, and by limiting myself in this way I am deepening our homeschool through SIMPLIFICATION!

(I'm also trying to educate from a place of rest, so simplification is essential!)

Ancient Times: Simple, Effective Resources for Your Homeschool

*This post contains affiliate links.

As my children have gotten older, our plan of attack for history has changed.

When they were younger we did many hands on projects and LOTS of reading aloud.

Now that I have a 9th grader and a 5th grader, times are changing. Our homeschool is changing, too. We are more purely Classical than ever before, and in that spirit we are focusing on memorizing, conversations, and quality literature, along with an intensive study of Latin.

I am having to spend more time redeeming MY OWN EDUCATION - therefore I need resources to be simple and meaningful.

The following resources have been picked carefully to ensure success and retention in our homeschool next year.

A New Approach to Learning History

The biggest change for next year (for my 10 year old) is that he will be learning the bulk of history through Veritas Press' Self Paced History Course.

I have heard such good things, watched all of the promo videos, and asked my son if he would like it (I got a resounding YES!).

I pulled the trigger and purchased the course (for $100 off -- only until May 25). This course will cover Ancient History - it is self paced, includes tests and games, and will give him some much needed independence.

I encourage you to check this out if you want a quality history course, taught on the computer, self-paced, and engaging. It also aligns closely with the CC timeline and history sentences!

History Spines/Texts for Ancients

Next year during Cycle 1 I have not planned everything out WEEK BY WEEK. I have done so in the past, and been lead quickly to disappointment when I fall behind or miss a resource I had put down for a certain week.

Again -- my philosophy of LESS IS MORE is in the front of my mind as I pick just a few resources we will spend A LOT of time with during Cycle 1:

Pages of History Volume 1 - this history text (really full of great stories!) is so exciting to me! It is on the bookshelf just waiting for next year. This will be our family read aloud as time permits during the school year.
The Story of the World Volume 1 - We have used this extensively several years ago and my son wants to go through the book and activity guide again. I imagine we will read this as a read aloud and pull activities from the activity guide as time permits - again --- not committing ourselves to anything, but having it available when we can use it. (Have you seen my page dedicated to SOTW? Lots of information there!)
The Story of the World Volume 1 Audio - We have this from the last time around, and it's particularly good for in the car, or for on those days when mom just wants to rest but the kids want to keep learning. I highly recommend these recordings by Jim Weiss!

Resources for Studying Ancient History in Your Homeschool

A FAVORITE GAME FOR STUDYING ANCIENTS

We are big fans of the card games by The Classical Historian.

This cycle we will be using the Ancient History Go Fish and the Ancient History Memory Game.

That's it. Nothing more, I promise.

(Well, if something out of the SOTW activity guide strikes my fancy we will create that game and play, but I'm not PURCHASING anything else!)

Add to this the memory work games that all Foundations students love to play and I think we will be set!

Quality Read Alouds/Alones for Ancient Times

Again, I will keep it VERY simple.

No fancy booklists - just a few tried and true resources that will take a special place in my son's memory.

I have these books on the shelf that I have committed to read aloud to Grant, and I am sure through library trips we will seek out other books for him to read alone.

Notebooking the History Sentences in Foundations

During Cycles 2 and 3 my son would notebook each of the Foundations history sentences.

This was just good practice in research skills, writing skills, and many times it was used as his presentation for the following week.

I anticipate we will do the same thing again. I will read the History Highlights (found on CC Connected) to him, and - using our Notebooking Pages subscription - require him to write a page about the history sentence.

That's our SIMPLE plan for studying Ancients next year.

I'm BEYOND excited about the ages of my children and the DEEP learning that will take place next year. (I'm also pretty excited that this planning is done NOW, and I can relax a bit this summer in anticipation of a busy and rewarding year.)

Planning & Organization for Classical Conversations Cycle 1