To know God and to make Him known

Challenge A

Age 12+

Attention Leads to Ownership

Students learn to own the joys and challenges of this discussion-based program.

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A Challenge A homeschool student, age 12–13, presents her science fair project ("Got Milk?").

Cultivate Curiosity

Students twelve years and older are introduced to the work of the Challenge homeschool program as they learn to own the joys and challenges of this discussion-charged program. Challenge A is a mix of grammar and dialectic materials with an introduction to basic rhetorical skills, all rooted in a Christian worldview.

We purposely limit the amount of reading to give these students time to work on their writing skills. This fulfilling, community-based program prepares middle-school aged students for later Challenge programs by serving as a bridge between the parent-directed Foundations years and more self-directed homeschool learning.

All Great Thinkers Start Somewhere

The Six Strands of Challenge A.

Clearly evaluate the world around you. Build a solid mathematical foundation through Saxon math, then raise questions and reason your way through complex equations during your weekly classroom conversations. Each week in their community group, students engage in conversations around numbers, operations, and laws, setting a firm foundation for higher math studies.

Inquisitive minds ask the right questions and methodically seek answers. During the first semester, students study natural science using a purely classical method. Each week, Directors introduce and discuss different realms of nature. Students research and read about the assigned topic at home, using varied materials of their choice. They record their research, illustrate or make a model of their findings, and present the results in seminar.

The final five weeks of the semester allow students to implement their research skills as they practice the scientific method through their science fair projects. The second semester involves drawing, labeling, and memorizing nine human body systems (anatomy).

Genuine understanding and sharp argumentation stem from critical reasoning skills. Two general topics are discussed during the year: connecting ideas by constructing analogies and thinking and speaking truthfully. Both courses set the function as the foundational premises upon which subsequent Challenges build. Students are assigned weekly readings and exercises, including recognizing analogies, writing with stylistic devices, and identifying fallacies in argumentation. In community seminar each week, Tutors lead discussions on the materials studied, and students share their insights and completed assignments.

Instill an early drive towards excellence. Over time, countries’ political lines are formed by the world’s ugliest form of debate: war. This seminar includes continent cartography and memorization of current political boundaries, countries, capitals, and 150 geography terms. When practiced daily, the content and skills learned establish a powerful framework in the mind of the student.

The goal of this seminar is for students to draw the world from memory. Each week, students practice drawing and labeling various continents of the world. Mastery of the contents of this seminar equips the students with senses of achievement and competency. This propels them to pursue excellence in subsequent middle- and high-school levels.

The classical model emphasizes language skills. In Challenge A, students study Latin with an emphasis on memorization of vocabulary, declensions, and conjugations. In community seminar, Tutors review previous coursework, introduce new concepts, and model parsing and translating from Latin to English and English to Latin.

Students practice the art of persuasive writing by studying Newbery Award-winning literature. They are encouraged to consider both sides of an issue through a “should question” related to the action of a character out of their assigned reading. With step-by-step instruction, they learn to craft a persuasive essay. Over the course of the homeschool year, the essay requirements grow in complexity, as students learn how to ask good questions and how to employ stylistic techniques to enhance their argument, all filtered through a Christian worldview. This is a truly rhetorical writing curriculum.

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CLC has been great in helping me follow a form in preparing my lessons at home . . . I think through the lessons . . . and how to relate them to the students and create a desire to learn the material. The questions have been very helpful in assessing that the students are following the lessons, too.

Angela

The CLC has had the single largest positive impact on my growth as a classical educator. It is the reason my class feels successful on community day, and it has changed how I give assessment.

Laura G.

CLC was the perfect amount of time: every other week for two hours, with six meetings. It was manageable and the cost was well worth it! The lessons my mentor presented each time were great, and it was a growing experience.

Kristen

The encouragement and support from other parents is vital. I enjoy learning from those before me in their journey, encouraging those beside me, and sharing with those coming behind.

Laura
CC Parent

I am a grandmother homeschooling my 9-year-old granddaughter who has been through a lot of trauma with both parents. The moms, Tutors and Director have truly been encouraging and most accepting of this old grandma and her granddaughter. We are going into our 5th year at CC.

Cindy
Grandmother

My CC community breathes flavor, energy, and structure into my homeschool. The steady support, motivation to learn perpetually, and sweet fellowship is vital to me personally and to my family.

Cecile
CC Parent

As a longtime homeschooler, you can find 350 Classically-centered curricula on the market. What sets CC apart isn’t the carefully crafted history sentences, the infectious list of pronouns the kids chant, or the way you can tweak it to be whatever you want at home. It’s the community.

Heather
CC Parent

But what about socialization? I have to admit, I heard this question a couple times when I first decided to homeschool, but most people I come across don’t ask it anymore. If they do inquire about how I keep my kids socialized, I get to tell them about the amazing community God brought into our lives with Classical Conversations.

Wendy
CC Parent

My CC Community has been an integral part of our homeschool experience. I can’t imagine being on this journey alone, as a ‘lone wolf.’ I love how CC covers aspects of homeschooling that I would not get to on my own, such as weekly science experiments and art projects, and memorizing a world history Timeline of events. CC provides a ‘one stop shop’ for all of my homeschooling needs.

Autumn
CC Parent

Community is a very valuable part of CC. What other curriculum has weekly modeling lessons for us parents?

Heather
CC Parent

Our CC family is so much more than a group of fellow homeschoolers. They are the family who can truly understand my daily struggles as a homeschooling mom. They are the family who supported me emotionally and mentally when my husband passed away. They are the family that welcomed me with open arms when we had to move out of state and join a new CC family! There is nothing comparable to our CC family. I am so truly grateful.

Janelle
CC Parent

My director and fellow parents are tutors are more than colleagues; they’re friends. I’m thankful for the support, accountability, and friendship they offer.

Melissa
CC Parent

My community is my tribe. They are an extension of my family and make a difference in my success as a homeschooler.

Niki
CC Parent

We needed accountability and a group. Then CC came to my area. I could focus on enjoying learning alongside my children! My kids flourished, recognizing the education they were receiving in a CC community was different than many of their peers.

CC Parent
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