The Classical Conversations Blog - Post Library

Classical Conversations Protocol is the etiquette and cultural capstone event for the Challenge II academic year, and it always includes two required parts: a formal meal and a cultural event, such as the symphony, ballet, or opera. For many Challenge II parents, the real question is not what Protocol...

Each month, Classical Conversations publishes a Parent Connections newsletter for CC families — a curated blend of encouragement, curriculum updates, member benefits, and community resources. The August 2026 issue lands right at the start of a new academic year, opening with a message of encouragement for returning and new...

A homeschool schedule works best when it is built from vision to details: start with the academic year, then narrow to the week, then to the day. Jennifer Courtney learned this firsthand as a state manager and Practicum speaker for Classical Conversations, fielding this exact question from parents again...

National Memory Master celebrates the memory work that a Foundations student has practiced for years, with a final tour before Challenge A. This year, that celebration set sail. Sixteen finalists gathered aboard the CC Family Cruise in the Caribbean, and after two rounds of heats, maps, and stories pulled...

As a parent, do you ever ask the quiet question, “What is shaping my child’s heart?” In a world where screens and algorithms compete for a student’s every glance, cultivating wisdom can feel like swimming against the current. Timothy Knotts, Director of Challenge Development for Classical Conversations MultiMedia and...

Classical Conversations Capstone Events: A Parent FAQ Every level of Classical Conversations, from Foundations through Challenge IV, ends its year with a capstone event. Here is what that means, why it matters, how the events connect to each other, and what each one actually looks like. What is a...

A homeschool rhythm looks less like a printed schedule and more like the flow of turning evening to morning, work to rest, and celebration to charge. Many homeschool parents build their days around a strict timetable, only to watch that timetable crack under the weight of sick days, sibling...

At some point, you’ve probably heard the question asked (or maybe you’ve asked the question): why homeschool when your child can go to a public school funded by the government? But perhaps we should flip that question around. Homeschooling has grown in popularity with families throughout the United States. Several...

Classical Conversations July 2026 | Parent Connections Newsletter Two hundred and fifty years of American freedom are worth more than a moment of reflection. Two hundred and fifty years of history call for real celebration, and Classical Conversations is inviting families nationwide to commemorate this milestone through meaningful service...

America turns 250 this year, and as we celebrate, we carry forward the viewpoints and values the founders built. Modeling community service for kids is one of the most tangible ways a family can answer that call. Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations and homeschool dad, draws five convictions...

Classical education in India is growing, and the families who have found it are not going back. Namitha, a Classical Conversations mom homeschooling in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges, writes from the middle of that story. In this article, Namitha traces how four years of classical Christian education...

Every family that has ever wondered how to start homeschooling has faced the same moment: the desire is there, but the path forward is not yet clear. Classical Conversations has walked that path with thousands of families, and in this guide to homeschooling for beginners, we share what we...

Every homeschool dad shapes his children’s future, whether he intends to or not. Alex Newman is a journalist, author, and Classical Conversations father of six whose work has taken him across continents, but whose most consequential assignment has always been at home. In this article, Newman draws on Scripture,...

Every homeschool dad shapes his children’s future, whether he intends to or not. Alex Newman is a journalist, author, and Classical Conversations father of six whose work has taken him across continents, but whose most consequential assignment has always been at home. In this article, Newman draws on Scripture,...

Raising mission-minded children begins with authentic family worship and parents who model a genuine heart for the nations. It’s funny how much being a parent changes your perspective on things. Everyone tells you it will, and you believe them. Then it happens, and you are still amazed at the...

For many homeschool dads—especially those stepping into the role of stay-at-home parent—the search for a meaningful alternative to public school can feel overwhelming. You want your kids grounded in truth, surrounded by godly families, and shaped by something more lasting than test scores and deadlines. Maybe you’ve felt the...

The Mission of a Good Dad What makes a good father in today’s busy world? Being a dad means more than providing financially—it’s about being present in the moments that truly matter. Many of us grew up with hardworking fathers who missed opportunities to fully engage in our daily...

If you are thinking about starting your homeschool journey, it can seem like a lonely endeavor. Making the switch from traditional public or private school to home education is a big transition, but reclaiming family-centered learning doesn’t have to be in isolation. Homeschooling is better with a friend. At...

Meet Nathan Williams. He serves as one of three pastors at Northshore Church of Christ in Mandeville, Louisiana—and he’s a long-time homeschool dad! Here’s this homeschool dad’s perspective on how homeschooling with Classical Conversations has helped his family navigate classical, Christian education. A Homeschool Dad’s Perspective on CC: A...

Moms and dads are different, and not just in terms of biology. As we ponder the dad’s role in the home school, keep the three “I’s” in mind: influence, impact, and involvement. Dads can exert a positive influence over the home school, impact their kids’ character, and find ways...

“There is the great lesson of “Beauty and the Beast”; that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.”  “Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.” G.K. Chesterton Orthodoxy I used to believe that homeschooling was not for everybody. I...

Classical Conversations Protocol is the etiquette and cultural capstone event for the Challenge II academic year, and it always includes two required parts: a formal meal and a cultural event, such as the symphony, ballet, or opera. For many Challenge II parents, the real question is not what Protocol...

A homeschool schedule works best when it is built from vision to details: start with the academic year, then narrow to the week, then to the day. Jennifer Courtney learned this firsthand as a state manager and Practicum speaker for Classical Conversations, fielding this exact question from parents again...

As a parent, do you ever ask the quiet question, “What is shaping my child’s heart?” In a world where screens and algorithms compete for a student’s every glance, cultivating wisdom can feel like swimming against the current. Timothy Knotts, Director of Challenge Development for Classical Conversations MultiMedia and...

A homeschool rhythm looks less like a printed schedule and more like the flow of turning evening to morning, work to rest, and celebration to charge. Many homeschool parents build their days around a strict timetable, only to watch that timetable crack under the weight of sick days, sibling...

At some point, you’ve probably heard the question asked (or maybe you’ve asked the question): why homeschool when your child can go to a public school funded by the government? But perhaps we should flip that question around. Homeschooling has grown in popularity with families throughout the United States. Several...

Every family that has ever wondered how to start homeschooling has faced the same moment: the desire is there, but the path forward is not yet clear. Classical Conversations has walked that path with thousands of families, and in this guide to homeschooling for beginners, we share what we...

Classical education is not the enemy of creativity in education. It is the very soil where it grows. Jennifer Courtney has spent decades studying classically alongside her children and serving as Chief Academic Officer for Classical Conversations MultiMedia. In this article, Jennifer addresses one of the most persistent myths...

The reasons not to homeschool are real, and most parents considering the decision can name several without much effort. Laura Kooistra, mother of six and a Classical Conversations home educator with more than twenty years of experience, has wrestled with those same doubts year after year. In this article,...

The classical education movement is gaining momentum. Let’s start with some numbers. According to a market analysis conducted by Arcadia Education in 2024, over 677,500 students were enrolled in classical schools nationwide during the 2023–2024 school year (and this number includes homeschoolers following a classical curriculum). The analysis also...

Cycle 3 Foundations Hands-On Science gives students twenty-four weeks to explore three of God’s great mysteries: the design of the human body, the hidden order of chemistry, and the mathematical patterns that govern what looks like chance. Amy Jones, a long-time Classical Conversations parent and Curriculum Developer for Classical...

The spiritual disciplines for the Christian life are not reserved for the settled years of adulthood. They take root, or they do not, in the seasons that form everything that follows. Dustin Bruce, dean and professor at Boyce College, draws from Ephesians 5:15-17 to identify four habits that equip...

Homeschool programs for high school ask more of parents than many expect, but differently than the early years did. Courtney Sanford has lived this from both sides as a Classical Conversations mom and co-author of Marvelous to Behold, a book woven into the Challenge curriculum. In this article, she...

In the Beginning Was the Word: Introducing the Common Latin Curriculum The search for a Latin homeschool curriculum often ends with grammar drills and not much wonder. Jennifer Courtney, Chief Academic Officer of Classical Conversations and a veteran Latin educator, offers a different vision: Latin as a window into...

Each month, Classical Conversations publishes a Parent Connections newsletter for CC families — a curated blend of encouragement, curriculum updates, member benefits, and community resources. The August 2026 issue lands right at the start of a new academic year, opening with a message of encouragement for returning and new...

A homeschool schedule works best when it is built from vision to details: start with the academic year, then narrow to the week, then to the day. Jennifer Courtney learned this firsthand as a state manager and Practicum speaker for Classical Conversations, fielding this exact question from parents again...

Classical Conversations Capstone Events: A Parent FAQ Every level of Classical Conversations, from Foundations through Challenge IV, ends its year with a capstone event. Here is what that means, why it matters, how the events connect to each other, and what each one actually looks like. What is a...

Every family that has ever wondered how to start homeschooling has faced the same moment: the desire is there, but the path forward is not yet clear. Classical Conversations has walked that path with thousands of families, and in this guide to homeschooling for beginners, we share what we...

Every parent wants their child to discover what they are made of. Jennifer Leeds has spent years watching that discovery unfold within Classical Conversations communities, not in moments of ease but in moments of effort. In this article, she introduces the National Number Knockout competition and makes the case...

Homeschool history curriculum for elementary students works best when it moves beyond the page and into real life through stories told aloud, timelines drawn by hand, and afternoons spent making things that bring the past forward. Lisa Bailey has spent more than twenty years as a homeschooling mother, a...

Homeschool art activities tied to American history build technique, and give children a language for the story their country is still telling. Writer and educator Kelli Wilt explores how four distinctly American artists featured in Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 illuminate different facets of the American experience, each paired...

Homeschool myths spread faster than the truth about home education. Families who have built thriving academic environments at home, many of them through the Classical Conversations community, face the same questions year after year: about socialization, college readiness, cost, and whether parents are qualified to teach. This article addresses...

Learning how to do homeschool well starts long before you open a curriculum guide. Classical Conversations has walked alongside tens of thousands of homeschool families for more than two decades, and the patterns of what makes homeschooling both possible and meaningful are clear. These 11 practical keys are drawn...

Each month, Classical Conversations publishes a Parent Connections newsletter for CC families a curated blend of encouragement, curriculum updates, member benefits, and community resources. The May 2026 issue arrives just in time for Mother’s Day, featuring a message from CC founder Leigh Bortins, new Latin merchandise, summer field trip...

Planning Orlando homeschool field trips beyond the theme parks? You’re going to love what Central Florida has to offer. From launching rockets at Kennedy Space Center and floating down crystal-clear springs to exploring early Florida settlements and observing alligators in their natural habitat, Orlando delivers adventures that connect beautifully...

A homeschool daily schedule is less about filling every hour than it is about ordering your days around what matters most. Discover how three seasoned CC moms, with more than three decades of combined experience, have spent years building, rebuilding, and refining their home rhythms to accommodate the demands...

Reasoning Together is a Classical Conversations curriculum series designed to sharpen students’ minds through puzzles, analogies, fallacy detection, vocabulary, and philosophy, building the reasoning skills that carry through the Challenge programs and beyond. Philosophy Challenge III Puzzles Challenge A Fallacies New Challenge B — Available April 7, 2026 Analogies...

National Memory Master celebrates the memory work that a Foundations student has practiced for years, with a final tour before Challenge A. This year, that celebration set sail. Sixteen finalists gathered aboard the CC Family Cruise in the Caribbean, and after two rounds of heats, maps, and stories pulled...

America turns 250 this year, and as we celebrate, we carry forward the viewpoints and values the founders built. Modeling community service for kids is one of the most tangible ways a family can answer that call. Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations and homeschool dad, draws five convictions...

Classical education in India is growing, and the families who have found it are not going back. Namitha, a Classical Conversations mom homeschooling in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges, writes from the middle of that story. In this article, Namitha traces how four years of classical Christian education...

Every homeschool dad shapes his children’s future, whether he intends to or not. Alex Newman is a journalist, author, and Classical Conversations father of six whose work has taken him across continents, but whose most consequential assignment has always been at home. In this article, Newman draws on Scripture,...

Every parent wants their child to discover what they are made of. Jennifer Leeds has spent years watching that discovery unfold within Classical Conversations communities, not in moments of ease but in moments of effort. In this article, she introduces the National Number Knockout competition and makes the case...

Homeschool history curriculum for elementary students works best when it moves beyond the page and into real life through stories told aloud, timelines drawn by hand, and afternoons spent making things that bring the past forward. Lisa Bailey has spent more than twenty years as a homeschooling mother, a...

Homeschool art activities tied to American history build technique, and give children a language for the story their country is still telling. Writer and educator Kelli Wilt explores how four distinctly American artists featured in Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 illuminate different facets of the American experience, each paired...

Cycle 3 Foundations Hands-On Science gives students twenty-four weeks to explore three of God’s great mysteries: the design of the human body, the hidden order of chemistry, and the mathematical patterns that govern what looks like chance. Amy Jones, a long-time Classical Conversations parent and Curriculum Developer for Classical...

Families thrive in Classical Conversations Foundations not by doing everything perfectly, but by staying consistent, trusting the memory work, and rooting daily rhythms in what matters most. If you are new to the program, you may find yourself asking, Am I doing this right? Am I doing enough? These...

Homeschool programs for high school ask more of parents than many expect, but differently than the early years did. Courtney Sanford has lived this from both sides as a Classical Conversations mom and co-author of Marvelous to Behold, a book woven into the Challenge curriculum. In this article, she...

Classical Conversations Parent Practicum is one of the most valuable days a homeschool parent can spend before the academic year begins. Each summer, CC hosts free, one-day events at locations around the globe, drawing parents at every stage of the homeschooling journey to practice the classical arts of learning,...

What if we viewed education as a giant treasure hunt through God’s universe? What if we looked for all of the ways that our academic subjects add to our knowledge of God’s attributes? What if we viewed the twin goals of education as falling down in worship and rising...

America’s 250th anniversary arrives on July 4, 2026, and for homeschool families, it is an invitation to do more than watch fireworks. This milestone calls for something more deliberate: connecting what your children have been learning to the story of a nation still being written. Classical Conversations families are...

Classical education in India is growing, and the families who have found it are not going back. Namitha, a Classical Conversations mom homeschooling in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges, writes from the middle of that story. In this article, Namitha traces how four years of classical Christian education...

Every homeschool dad shapes his children’s future, whether he intends to or not. Alex Newman is a journalist, author, and Classical Conversations father of six whose work has taken him across continents, but whose most consequential assignment has always been at home. In this article, Newman draws on Scripture,...

America’s 250th anniversary arrives on July 4, 2026, and for homeschool families, it is an invitation to do more than watch fireworks. This milestone calls for something more deliberate: connecting what your children have been learning to the story of a nation still being written. Classical Conversations families are...

Raising mission-minded children begins with authentic family worship and parents who model a genuine heart for the nations. It’s funny how much being a parent changes your perspective on things. Everyone tells you it will, and you believe them. Then it happens, and you are still amazed at the...

Can you become a Classical Conversations Director, even if you’ve never taught beyond your own children? The answer is yes—and the benefits reach far beyond what you might imagine. When you become a CC Director, you step into a role that catalyzes your personal spiritual growth, transforms your family’s...

A small Classical Conversations community offers priceless benefits your family simply can’t find in larger programs: deeper relationships, more individualized attention from Tutors, and leadership opportunities that help every child flourish. I know what you’re thinking—won’t my children miss out with fewer students in their classes? Won’t they need...

What is Memory Master? Who should participate? What are some fun and diverse ideas for practicing? Read this post for answers to all of these questions - and more!

An Excellence in Education event allows the community to share the blessings of classical, Christian education with legislators, civic leaders, clergy, grandparents, and neighbors. To say Classical Conversations students accomplish a lot over the course of their education is an understatement. From memorizing the Timeline Song in the Foundations program to participating...

There are different types of partners for just about everything. I’m sure we can all think back to a time when we’ve partnered with a friend to start a bible study, pursue a new health goal, or maybe even launch a new business venture. Whatever the scenario, we found...

For many homeschool dads—especially those stepping into the role of stay-at-home parent—the search for a meaningful alternative to public school can feel overwhelming. You want your kids grounded in truth, surrounded by godly families, and shaped by something more lasting than test scores and deadlines. Maybe you’ve felt the...

The Mission of a Good Dad What makes a good father in today’s busy world? Being a dad means more than providing financially—it’s about being present in the moments that truly matter. Many of us grew up with hardworking fathers who missed opportunities to fully engage in our daily...

As the mom of two Classical Conversations graduates, I never thought we would ever reach the day of graduation! I started homeschooling them at 7 and 10 on a wing and a prayer. Where on earth did that saying “a wing and a prayer” even come from? According to...

Since its legalization in South Africa in 1996, homeschooling has experienced a resurgence, offering families a powerful alternative to public education. In this evolving landscape, one mother’s search for a meaningful education for her children led her down an extraordinary path. Chantelle Miles, a South African parent of ten,...