Cycle 2 Week 9 Tutor Ideas for Classical Homeschooling

Week 9 is here, and I’m so encouraged by the progress I’ve seen in the children! They are not only grasping new concepts but also showing more independence and creativity in how they share what they know. It’s such a joy to watch them light up when they make connections or eagerly jump in to answer and lead.

This week, I’ve prepared activities that give them chances to move, and actively engage with the material. My hope is to keep the momentum going by blending structure with fun so their learning continues to feel meaningful and exciting.

As always, I’m not affiliated with any Classical education organization—these are just my own ideas and practices from tutoring over the years. I hope these Cycle 2 Week 9 plans give you fresh inspiration and encouragement as you prepare for your own class or homeschool day.

We love being part of our Classical homeschooling community. Read more about how God redirected our path from private education to homeschooling and Classical education here.

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Are you new to the Classical model and want to know more about it? Keep reading below about how it’s organized, the different cycles, our community time, and MORE!

If you already know about the Classical homeschooling model and you are ready to jump to the actual tutor ideas, click HERE.

A Classical model of homeschooling

We are part of a Christ-centered homeschool program that follows the Classical model. The younger children, ages 4-12, focus on a memorization-based curriculum which acts as the groundwork of learning that is built upon in later years.

Children and their parents learn key facts across the core subject areas including history, science, English, mathematics, geography, and Latin. Tutors use fun activities, games, songs, and lots of energy to introduce the new material. The parents can then expand on that material at home throughout the week.

Cycle rotation

The material is divided into three cycles, which each last one year. The cycles continue to rotate every three years, so most children who start when they are kindergarten age, complete each cycle at least twice. This allows them to develop a deeper comprehension and grasp of the material through repetition.

Cycle 2 material

This year in Cycle 2, we’re learning about pre-Reformation to modern history, ecology, astronomy, and physics; Latin verb endings; English pronouns, adverbs, and conjunctions; skip counting, conversions, and more!

The following ideas are what I’m planning to do with the group of kids I am tutoring this year (ages 4-6). You may use these ideas if you are also tutoring in a Classical homeschooling community, or if you’re a parent who is looking for memory work ideas to use at home.

Also, you don’t have to be part of any particular Classical homeschooling group to use these ideas! These are ideas to help children learn key concepts in the core subject areas. If you are a homeschooling parent, or just a parent who wants to supplement what your kids are currently learning in school, these ideas will be helpful for you.

Community group time

Our homeschooling community has been meeting on Tuesdays. Our leader starts off the morning with everyone together in a big group setting. She typically begins that time with a devotional reading and prayer, and then continues with some announcements, celebrating birthdays, the pledge of allegiance, and anything else she wants to cover with everyone.

After this time, we split off into our different groups based on age. The tutors lead their groups into different classrooms and begin the New Grammar part of the day. This is when the tutor introduces the memory work for each core subject. Check out my post and video about how to make your own tutor board!

Cycle 2 Week 9 Tutor and Memory Work Ideas

Geography – Caribbean

This week in geography we are learning about the Caribbean: Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

We’ll start with a quick review of last week’s places and I’ll have the Caribbean countries outlined on these trivium table maps in different color dry erase markers so they stand out clearly. Since these are small countries on the map, I’ll bring back my tiny hands for extra fun! As I introduce each country, the kids will point to it on their maps with their tiny hand.

I’ll also highlight some fun facts: most of these are Spanish-speaking countries because of the Treaty of Tordesillas we learned about last week. That treaty declared that everything west of the line would belong to Spain. Jamaica, however, speaks English, and Haiti speaks French. To help the kids make connections, I’ll ask a few quick questions: Which two countries share an island? (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Which country is the largest? (Cuba). Which is closest to America—and which state is nearest? (Cuba, close to Florida).

To help cement the new places, I’ll teach them a song to the tune of The More We Get Together. As we sing, the kids will point to each location. Then we’ll make it progressively harder: erase the marker, keep singing and pointing, and finally try it with completely blank maps. See my video below for the song.

English – Interrogative Pronouns

This week we are moving into interrogative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and what. We’ll keep singing to the same tune, Here We Go Looby Loo, so the children can continue linking all of the pronouns together in one long, familiar song.

I’ll introduce this new set of interrogative pronouns and sing them once through with the tune. Then I’ll invite the kids to join me, adding in our new motions: shaking their left hand as they sing. This simple movement gives them rhythm and keeps their bodies engaged while focusing on the words.

Once we’ve practiced the interrogative pronouns on their own, we’ll sing through all the pronouns learned so far—from nominative through possessive pronoun adjectives, reflexive, and now interrogative. By the end, the children will be able to flow through five sets of pronouns as one fun, continuous song!

Here’s the video if you’d like to follow along with the tune and motions:

After practicing together, we’ll sing it a few more times in different ways: quiet voices, loud voices, whisper, etc.

Timeline

The timeline stays the same each cycle, and this week we continue with the next seven cards.

I often use these Timeline Cards in class: Set 1 (Ancient World), Set 2 (Medieval World), Set 3 (New World), and Set 4 (Modern World) I highly recommend investing in them (you should get all four sets) whether you are a tutor or a parent. I consistently use them as a tutor and also at home with my kids.

Since I have the 4-6 year old children, I like to tape the paper letter that the timeline event starts with at the top of the card. I have found these letters at my local Dollar Tree. Some of the children in my class can’t read yet, so this helps them identify the event I’m referring to.

Cycle 2 Week 9 Timeline

Before our class time begins, I put seven pieces of painters tape on the wall where the timeline cards will go, then I hide the cards around the room. I try to choose hiding spots that aren’t too tricky but still make the game fun.

When it’s time to start Timeline, I tell the children to find one or two cards (depending on how many kids I have) and bring them back to their seats. As they search, I sing this week’s part of the timeline song (instead of playing it), so I can set the pace and keep them focused. See my tutor video for the tune of this week’s timeline song.

Once all the cards are found, we’ll work together to put them in the correct order on the wall. For example, I might say:

• “The first card is Byzantine Emperor Justinian. What letter does ‘Byzantine’ start with?”
• A child answers: “B.”
• I’ll respond: “That’s right! Who has a card that starts with B?”

Whoever has the card will bring it up and tape it in the first spot. We’ll repeat this for each timeline event until all seven are displayed.

Once the cards are up on the wall, we’ll play a lively game of Musical Chairs to help the children review the events.

I’ll set up chairs in a circle with the backs facing the center. Each child will stand in front of a chair as we begin singing the timeline song. As we sing, the kids will walk around the chairs in a circle. When the music (or singing) stops, they quickly sit in the chair closest to them.

There are two ways to play:

• For younger kids: we’ll keep all the chairs in place, so they simply enjoy moving and sitting in different spots each round.
• For older kids: we can play the classic way: removing one chair each round until only one child is left!

No matter which version we play, the children will repeat the timeline song many times while moving, laughing, and sitting.

To finish, we’ll sing through the whole timeline section once more with hand motions. See my video below which includes the hand motions for this week’s timeline section:

Math

This week we are skip counting the 15s, and I’ve planned a fun stand-up/sit-down game to keep the kids moving!

We’ll sing the 15s to the tune of The Ants Go Marching (see my tutor video for the tune). First, I’ll circle one of the 15s on my tutor board. We’ll all start standing, and whenever we sing the circled number, everyone will sit down. When we sing the next number, we’ll stand back up again.

Next, I’ll invite a volunteer to choose two more numbers for me to circle. We’ll sing through the 15s again, sitting whenever we say a circled number and standing when we say the next one. Each round, I’ll let the children choose a few more numbers to circle until eventually all of the numbers are marked. By then, we’ll be standing and sitting after every single number. Lots of movement, laughter, and repetition!

This simple game gives the kids plenty of practice with the 15s while keeping their bodies engaged and their focus sharp.

Math is also a great time to use these fun action cards which you can download for free below!

You can download my UPDATED printable Silly Voice and Action Cards for free by entering your email in the form below and I’ll send them straight to your mailbox!

Silly Voice and Action Cards

History

This week in history we are learning about the different absolute monarchs. To make it interactive, I’ll bring printouts of France, England, Spain, Russia, and Prussia.

Each child will stand and receive a country printout (I’ll have several of each so everyone can participate). Before we begin, I’ll make sure each student knows which country they are holding. Then we’ll sing our history song together (see my tutor video for the tune). Whenever the children hear their country named in the song, they will hold their paper high!

After a round or two, I’ll switch things up by trading countries so each child gets a new one. We’ll sing the song again, giving everyone fresh practice with the names and locations.

This simple activity keeps the kids engaged and helps them connect the names of the monarchs to their countries. Grab these printouts of the 5 absolute monarchs here!

Science

This week in science we are learning about the parts of the sun, and we’ll use fun hand motions as we sing a song to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell.

Here’s how we’ll pair each part with its motion:

• Core – crouch down low like the very center of the sun.
• Radiative Zone – wiggle your fingers to show energy radiating outward.
• Convective Zone – turn in a circle like swirling convection currents.
• Photosphere – push your hands out in front of you like the shining surface.
• Corona – spread your arms wide like rays stretching out.
• Solar Flare – jump up with hands reaching high, bursting with energy!
• Sunspots – hold up your fingers as little dots in the light.

As we sing through the song, the children will act out the motions for each part. We’ll repeat it a few times, going faster each time. With singing, movement, and laughter, the kids will leave with a solid grasp of the sun’s parts!

Latin

This week in Latin we’re learning about the first conjugation endings in the pluperfect tense: eram, erās, erat, erāmus, erātis, and erant. See my tutor video for the tune we sing these to!

To make it extra fun and memorable, I’ll bring out my silly voice cards! As we sing through the Latin song, we’ll switch to different silly voices: robot, opera singer, whisper, cowboy, and more. You can download my silly voice cards for free here!

The kids love seeing which voice gets chosen next, and the variety keeps them laughing while giving them lots of natural repetition. By the end, they’ve practiced the pluperfect endings many times without it ever feeling boring!

Trasketball!

Get ready—your group will LOVE this game!

For Trashketball, I’ll set up two trashcans with a “foul line” in front of them. One trashcan will be closer (worth two points) and the other farther away (worth three points). Before community group, I’ll cut papers in half and write the different subjects on each one.

During review time, I’ll divide the children into two teams. Each team will take turns pulling a paper from the pile. If the first team picks “history,” I’ll ask them a history review question.

• If the team answers correctly: one child gets to crumple the paper into a ball and take a shot. If they make the basket, they earn either 2 or 3 points depending on which trashcan they choose. If they miss, they still get 1 point for answering correctly.
• If the team answers incorrectly: the other team gets a chance to answer.

Teams will continue switching off, and I’ll keep track of both the points and who gets to shoot so everyone has a turn. When all the papers are gone, the team with the most points wins!

This game brings energy, movement, and lots of cheering while the kids review all their memory work!

Snowball Review Game

You can also play my new Snowball Game! This game is such a simple, low-prep way to bring energy and laughter into review time. Kids love the surprise of flipping over a snowflake card to see whether they’ve earned points or stumbled on a “snowball” that takes points away.

Before community day, I prep by cutting out and laminating a Snowball sign and snowflake cards (you can download these for free). If you don’t want to print anything out, you can simply draw numbers on a whiteboard and stick Post-it notes on top. On the back of each snowflake are numbers ranging from –20 to +20 in increments of 5.

Here’s how it works:

1. I split the class into two teams.
2. I ask the first child a review question from any subject. If they don’t know the answer, I let their team help.
3. Once they answer, they get to pick a snowflake card. If it’s a positive number, their team adds the points to their score. If it’s a “snowball” (a negative number), those points are subtracted!
4. The game continues until all cards are gone. The team with the highest (or lowest, if you want to switch it up!) score wins.

I like to ask questions on the fly rather than prepping them ahead of time. Here are a few examples I might use (especially since my class is the youngest age group):

• Can you name one of the European mountains we learned last week?
• What are the three types of consumers?
• What is one of the pronouns we’ve learned so far?
• Who can skip count the 2’s?
• Who remembers part of the timeline song so far?

Cycle 2 Historyopoly

One of our favorite ways to review history is with Cycle 2 Historyopoly, a brand new game I created this year.

It is modeled after Monopoly but uses all of the Cycle 2 history sentences. The kids love rolling dice, moving around the board, and reviewing history facts as we play. It turns review into something exciting and fresh, and we will definitely be pulling it out again many more times this year. You can grab this NEW game below!

Our NEW Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book

If you’re looking for a fun way to review the memory work at home with your kids this year, check out our NEW Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book. I created this notebook to give kids a fun way to practice their memory work, without adding extra prep for mom, dad, or grandma.

Inside, there’s one short activity for each subject for all 24 weeks of Cycle 2. When we do geography on Monday, they do the geography activity for that week. When we get to Thursday, they do the science page. It’s so easy to match to whatever we’re focusing on that day.

I love that it keeps things simple and fun. It’s NOW available in digital and printed form, and there is a sample page you can take a peek at if you would like too! Check it out below!

NEW Cycle 2 History and Science Placemats

These brand-new Cycle 2 History and Science Placemats are designed to make memory work fun and interactive for kids, whether you’re using them alongside Classical Conversations or on their own as a way to dive deeper into history and science.

Each placemat is filled with colorful visuals and simple explanations that bring the topics to life. Just print, laminate, and use them again and again during meals and review time. They’re an easy, no-prep way to dive deeper into the history and science topics with your kids. Get your set for Weeks 7-12 below. Weeks 1-6 are also available HERE! Future weeks will be available soon!

Cycle 2 Pronoun Memory Cards

These Pronoun Memory Cards cover all 75 pronouns from Cycle 2, Weeks 4–13 and can be used in three different games. Each card includes a sentence, a colorful image, and the pronoun type, making it easy for kids to connect meaning with usage.

You can sort them by pronoun type, play a classic memory match, or try the fill-in-the-blank version for an extra challenge. My kids loved playing, and it gave them tons of practice without it feeling like drill. This set has quickly become one of our favorite go-to grammar review tools!

Cycle 2 Geography Passport

We also have a fun addition for geography review — the Cycle 2 Geography Passport! Whether you’re a tutor or a homeschool parent, this printable resource helps kids track their Classical Conversations Cycle 2 geography week by week with full-color maps and matching cut-and-glue stamps.

Each page highlights that week’s memory work with clearly labeled locations, making it easy for young learners to connect what they’re memorizing with what they see on the map. Kids love collecting stamps as they “travel” through the world. You can also print these stamps on these sticky circular labels which makes it even more fun!

You can use the Geography Passport at home with your own children, or print it out for use in class. A group license option is available if you’d like to use it with your tutoring class or community group.

It pairs perfectly with the Cycle 2 Memory Work Activity Book, giving your students or children a hands-on, engaging way to practice their memory work all year long. If you’d like both resources, be sure to check out the bundle option available in my shop!

Memory Work Wonderland

Another one of our favorite ways to review is with fun, themed board games. I created a set of Candyland-style games that make memory work review exciting and interactive for kids. These games can be used with any cycle and are a great way to practice all of the memory work subjects together.

We’ve been playing Memory Work Wonderland, a Christmas/winter-themed review game (since Christmas is fast approaching!). It works just like Candyland, but with the addition of memory work review built in. Players move along the board by drawing cards with color blocks or picture spaces. Then they answer a review question that matches the space they land on. Correct answers let them stay put, but if they miss, they move back. The game also includes fun twists with slides and ladders to keep things lively. The first player to reach the cozy Christmas cabin wins!

The best part is that I now have a fall version, a winter version, and a spring version, so you can rotate them throughout the school year. You can grab each one individually, or get the seasonal bundle with all three at a special price.

These games have been such a hit in our home. They are perfect for community review days, family game nights, or just a fun way to end your homeschool week. You can find them all in my shop below.

Printable and Editable Cycle 2 Week 9 Tutor Plans

Here is a printable EDITABLE template of these Cycle 2 Week 9 Tutor Plans. Here is a blank template too! If you want the plans as they are, here is a PDF version (filled out) and a PDF version (blank).

Also, be sure to check out my post about teaching the Tin Whistle these next few weeks! I have a FREE Tin Whistle Plans and Activity set that you can download with lesson plans and activities for each week!

Cycle 2 Week 9 Memory Work Games

Also check out the FREE activities and games that you can use at home to help your kids practice the memory work this week.

I hope this helps give you some ideas and songs to use whether you are a tutor or a parent. Please comment below if you have any questions about anything.

Blessings to you on this homeschooling journey!