Welcome to the first edition of the Classical Conversations Blog Carnival here at Homegrown Learners! I've been a bit nervous taking over this task from Brandy at Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood, but the new friends I have made through the carnival and the many wonderful blogs I have read far outweigh any fears or nervousness.
Our journey in Classical Conversations began last year, when my son entered Foundations and my daughter entered Challenge A. Our year was FABULOUS. I cannot speak highly enough of the quality of material my children learned and the caliber of friendships we have made in our community. Our entire family is also thinking much more deeply about education - thanks to the Classical approach to learning.
Classical Conversations was an answer to prayer.
To read all of the posts about CC here at Homegrown Learners, click on the image below.
Most of the posts in this month's carnival are plans for Cycle 3 - many of them including free printables and resources. It's been such fun to peruse blogs and get ideas. Many of these blogs are new to me.
There are A LOT OF SMART AND GENEROUS CC MAMAS out there!
One thing I so appreciated reading last month was The Freeing Thing About the Grammar Stage. I think I was working WAY TOO HARD when my kids were in this stage. Sometimes you need to be reminded that memory work really is enough!
I also had the pleasure of getting to know Amy, from Six More Summers. Amy has a Challenge A daughter (well, she is headed into Challenge B now) just like me. She put into words what I could not about the blessing Challenge A has been:
How Classical Conversations Revolutionized Our Homeschool
But, I digress... let's get on to the submissions themselves:
From Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood:
Of course you know Brandy is just a huge blessing to all of us. There's lots of goodness this month from her
- Reorganization & Free Resources for Cycle 3 (Brandy has reorganized her blog and includes a site map so you can find all of her wonderful things more easily. Make a cup of tea and take some time with this link!)
- Updated Fine Arts Notebooking Packet for Cycle 3 (a free download)
- John1 Latin Flashcards & Games (another free download)
- Reviewing Geography with LEGO (can be applicable to any cycle or just geography in general)
- Utopian Plans vs. Everyday Reality - You know the saying, "The best laid plans...." - just read this post!
From The Cork Board:
- 2014-15 Game Plan - If you like checklists and detailed plans, Melissa has a few downloads for you!
- US State Capitals Tour - you can add pictures from your home state here and use this site as a resource for touring the 50 states during Cycle 3. This will be a growing resource as the year continues. Cool idea!
From Simple Things:
- The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill - Stephanie reviews a book that would be a great read aloud for Cycle 3!
From Running with Team Hogan:
- US Geography Activities & Resources - Becky shares activities and resources she will be using this summer and during Cycle 3
- US History Books from Columbus to Colonial Times - a comprehensive booklist - thank you, Becky! (Keep your eyes on her blog because this will be a series of posts.)
- Hot Molecules Move Faster, But How Can We See It? - I like how this uses the scientific method and also is a tie in to the 3rd law of Thermodynamics (Cycle 2).
From Suzanne Shares:
- Classical Conversations Parent: Year 1 vs. Year 2 -- I appreciated Suzanne's wisdom here - I REALLY appreciated it!
- Classical Conversations Tutor: Year 1 vs. Year 2
*a note from Suzanne:
In both posts, I shared the major mistakes I made in year 1 as a Tutor and as a Parent, which led me to the point of burn out and exhaustion. Having just concluded Year 2, I shared how I made significant changes as a Tutor and as a Parent based on our Year 1 experience; these changes resulted in a more glorious year. Thanks be to God!
As I was trolling the internet for helpful posts, I came across some CC blog posts that I just wanted to share with you:
- What I Had Wish We Had Known Before We Started Classical Conversations from Aurie at Our Good Family
- My Top Five CC Products from Classical Conversations at Home
- Cycle 3 Book list - also from Classical Conversations at Home
- Our Weekly Routine for Foundations from Rachel at Rachel's Reflections
- God Integrated Into Subjects from Solagratia Mom
- Preparing Your Child for Challenge A from Six More Summers
Classical Conversations Writers Circle:
I hope you read the CC Writers Circle. I look forward to these thoughtful articles a few times each month:
- Who Is Your Hero?
- The Practical Classical Education
- Graudation & Getting There
- Poolside Latin, Anyone? Summer Studies
A huge thank you to all of those bloggers who submitted articles. The next carnival will be published on or around July 1. Please see the blog carnival page for more details!
