If you’re new to Classical Conversations, I bet you are feeling excited but also a bit overwhelmed. At least that it how I felt when we first started three years ago.

I remember meeting my director for the first time. She mentioned things like memory work, Foundations Guide, new grammar, tin whistle….I had no idea what any of that meant.

There is a lot of information, and it can seem unclear what you actually need and how things work. I want to share with you a few tips I’ve learned the past few years. Also, I made some mistakes in the beginning that I want to help you avoid.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

What you actually should buy

My first year, I bought more than I needed to. The ONLY things you really need to buy are the Foundations Guide and a tin whistle. You can get the tin whistle from the Classical Conversations bookstore, or from amazon. That’s it. Really! You don’t have to get all the other tempting items from the catalog unless you want to.

However, there are a few more items I would recommend considering…

• The Foundations Cycle 1 Audio CDs: These CDs have all the memory work, including the history, latin, and skip-counting songs. They also have the entire timeline song, orchestra song, president’s song and more. My kids love listening to the songs as we drive or as I’m cooking dinner. I just import the CDs onto my computer and then transfer them to my phone. This is such a fun and easy way for you and your kids to start learning the timeline song, history songs, and some of the other songs specific to this cycle.

• Geography placemats: I using these beautiful placemats to spark conversations about the geography memory work while eating meals with my kids. Such an easy and fun way to practice geography throughout the week!

• Timeline cards: These cards aren’t necessary, but I’m very thankful I have them. They are fun to hang around your house and use when you practice the timeline song at home. I use them a lot as a tutor as well. One important thing to know is that you do need to buy all four sets if you want the cards for the entire timeline song. We do work on the entire timeline song each year. Here is where you can find all four sets: Set 1 (Ancient World), Set 2 (Medieval World), Set 3 (New World), and Set 4 (Modern World)

My first year, I also bought some of the Story of the World books and the activity books. I’m hoping to read more from SOTW with my daughter this year, but my kids were too young for them our first year. I did use some activities from the activity book, but it definitely wasn’t necessary to have. I also bought the Song School Latin Book and DVD set which I still haven’t used with my kids. Hopefully we will in the future!

Helpful resources to grab

Once you are enrolled in Classical Conversations, you can access ccconnected.com. Here you will find all kinds of helpful resources that you can use throughout the year. However, it can feel overwhelming if you’re not sure how to navigate around the site. Often, people don’t even know what they should look for. Here are some things I would start with:

• The Sandbox Ezine: Log into ccconnected.com and on the left hand side of the screen, click on “Learning Center.” At the top of the screen click on “Foundations.” Click on “Cycle 1 Week 1” and scroll down until you see “The Sandbox Ezine – Cycle 1 Week 01.” This is the Classical Conversations weekly magazine with all kinds of resources and activities to help with the memory work. I would download this to your computer and save and/or print the pages you think you might want to use. There is a Sandbox Ezine for each week! I show which pages I print and how I prep for the entire school year in the video below:

• Fridge Facts: These are handy printables with all the memory work for each week. You can put them on your fridge or just laminate them and have them on your kitchen table. I like to easily see what to review with my kids each week. They are really pretty too! You can find these by going to ccconnected.com, on the left side click on “Forums,” click the search icon at the top right of the screen and type in “Cycle 1 Fridge Facts.” Here is a link to them also (you must be logged in to use the link). Cycle 1 Fridge Facts Weeks 01-12 Cycle 1 Fridge Facts Weeks 13-24

• Cycle 1 Flashcards: Kimberly Vieley from HopeandHomeCo creates gorgeous flashcards for the Foundations Memory Work. She has flashcards for history, science, geography, latin, english, and math! She also has hymn cards that have the words of the hymns and history behind them. These follow the hymns suggested in the Sandbox Ezine for each week. I love her work and I would highly recommend checking these out! I print and laminate these, then put them in a prominent spot in our kitchen so we can use them to help us review.

• Memory Work Coloring Pages: I have loved using these coloring pages with my kids the last two years. They are beautifully done and my kids just love them! It’s another fun way to learn the memory work each week.

• Foundations of the Bible Study: Lindsey from Driven By Grace created a Bible study to expand on the Bible memory work for each Cycle. She has a teacher’s guide and an activity book for kids. I have done these Bible studies with my kids for the past two years and I highly recommend them!

What to expect from community day

Every community does things a little bit different, but in general you will meet with together one morning a week. It’s a big day! Get a good night’s sleep the night before and expect to be exhausted by the end of the day (in a good way).

Our group begins at about 9:30am with our “big group” time. Our director begins our time with a devotion and prayer. She shares any announcements and talks about field trips coming up. She recognizes any birthdays coming up (the summer birthdays get celebrated too!). We say the Pledge of Allegiance together and the Pledge to the Bible.

Family Presentations

It is during this time that families rotate giving a “Family Presentation.” This is such a fun way to learn about the other families in your community. In our community, a few examples of topics families have presented about are: a trip they went on, games they play together, their favorite books to read together, etc.

New Grammar

Our director then dismisses everyone to their smaller age-based groups: Abecedarians (4-5), Apprentices (6-7), Journeymen (8-9), and Masters (10-11). My oldest is five years-old, and I currently tutor the Abecedarian class. Each group has a tutor who introduces the memory work for that week to the children.

What is new grammar (memory work)? When I first started, I didn’t know what that meant either. Basically, “new grammar” means the key facts that children will learn 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, which then the parents can expand on at home throughout the week.

Presentations

Also, during this small group time, each child will give a presentation. This might be my favorite thing about Classical Conversations. I think it’s AWESOME that the kids give a presentation in front of their small group EVERY WEEK! It was pretty amazing to watch how my daughter grew in her ability to talk in front of others as the year progressed.

Science experiment and fine arts

As a community, we also do a science experiment and fine arts each week. Sometimes we do this as a big group and sometimes as smaller groups. It just depends on what we are doing. Fine arts includes learning how to play the tin whistle (that’s why you need one!), different artists and composers, instruments in an orchestra, and more.

Stay for lunch!

We usually break for lunch around 12-12:30pm. I would STRONGLY encourage you to stay around for lunch if you can. I often have to get my youngest two home for naps, but I’m trying to stay more often when I can. It’s so good for building community to stay. Plus you have to eat, right?

So what about at home?

The rest of the week after community day, you get to practice the memory work at home. This might sound like a lot, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you’re first starting out. Here is what I would focus on:

1. Sing the songs together! Remember there are lots of songs on the Foundations Audio CD, and you will learn others from your tutor each week too. Make a playlist of the songs on your computer and play them when you’re at home or in the car. You’ll be amazed how much your children memorize by learning these catchy songs.
2. Look at placemat maps during meal times. This is such an easy way to talk about the geography memory work each week.
3. Read books together. Check out related books from your library and read them together. Did you know that you can make a list of books for each week in your Public Library website? When you find a book you like, save it to that week’s list, and then you’ll know for the next time you do that cycle. Homeschooling has made me so much more thankful for all that libraries offer.
4. Do puzzles and play games. I love finding puzzles of the geography we are learning about, or related games. Another fun way to practice the new grammar at home.

Last tips to add

Trust the process

It’s hard to know what will come from all the facts your little children are memorizing. I have heard from many families who are farther along in this journey, that memorizing is extremely important for enabling kids to develop a deeper understanding of these concepts when they get older. This style of learning has been proven to work again and again.

Field trips

Go on field trips with your community! Your amazing directors plan really fun educational trips for parents and their children to experience together. It’s a great way to build community with your group too.

I hope you found this post helpful and encouraging.

Blessings to you on this homeschooling journey.