Classically Catholic Memory as a Program

Our co-op program has set this up so that we meet every other Wednesday.  The curriculum has 18 weeks in it.  We are to spend one week before the co-op meeting working on this week's topics.  We then meet and review or enhance with the kids.   Then we spend the next week going deeper.  Wednesday on the off week we dive into the next topic.  We spend time at the library with documentaries or any other way we individually (as a family) choose to approach the topics.  Some families use this as their core and other just as an add on and just memorization topics to another program with Wednesday being just a reminder for their memory work.

The program offers:   

1. Religion - catechism or gospel passage
2. Latin - song or prayer used for our Catholic faith
3. History - 2 or 3 sentence blub. all history is broken into 4 years worth
4. Science - various topics broken to basic memory work
5. Math - multiples and basic facts committed to memory
6. Timeline - 144 topics/cards (8 each week) in total giving a general understanding of time
7. Geography - countries, rivers, capital and other major locations
8. Great words I - simple poems for memory or Great Words II - speeches to for memory
9. Presentations -  the kids practice giving small presentations in front of class

 

We were prepared and every excited about our first week at co-op.  Uniforms were laid out and notes of encouragement from Sugar were put out for our early morning.  (We homeschool - we are used to sleeping in.)

After their first day at co-op, they were all still smiling.  Pickle, Princess and Bagel are in the same group and they are enjoying it a lot.  Jumba is by himself but with his friend C so he is also pretty happy.

For us we are using this CCM Curriculum as a core.  I still want to get even better at it.  So far we have enjoyed the timeline.  This general over view of history committed to memory helps to create a strong understand of all history and where things go in relation to others.  I have always loved this idea and worked on individual timelines with the older I have been instructed by the older kids that I really should make the time line books for the younger ones.

 To add to the timeline we are listening to Susan Wise Bauer with The Story of the World.  I am loving the audio versions.  We are flying through history to keep up with the timeline but the plan is to continue using this program and having bits and pieces of getting closer with the history statements over the next four years. 

We are still using IXL (mostly with a little CTC) for math and so far science other than the memory work has been Wild Kratts and Magic School Bus.  These shows are fantastic at teaching but we still want to go deeper. 

We also need to continue our reading the poems program which we stopped in August.  We are half way through but need to pick it up again.  They grew so much in reading do this silly program and they have asked for it back.  (This was what we used in Summer Reading called Giggle Poetry.) 

Another plus about this generation of streaming TV kiddos is that they have so many documentaries at their fingertips.  I catch them learning about our topics all the time.  Curiosity is still the best teacher and motivator. 

I Hate Co-Ops but I joined one

First I copied this from my family blog because I wanted to share with my homeschool friends.  I will continue to update on how this is working for us.  We are still using the Kindles for reading, audio and math.  I will continue to update kid blogs and share those eventually. 

I hate the idea of sending kids to a school setting in anyway.  I am a homeschooling purist.  I guess after 19 years of homeschooling I wanted to try something different.  I found a co-op option that can only do minimal damage as the kids are in school for only 2 hours every 2 weeks (and I am teaching them 30 minutes of that time.)  A few years ago we tried a program called Classically Catholic Memory in which different material is presented to be memorized over a 2 week period for the school year.  This is from the website for the program.

What is Classically Catholic Memory?
Classically Catholic Memory is a memory work program that is both Catholic and classical in nature.

What is memory work?
Memory work is simply the mastery of core facts in a given subject, or the mastery of a certain body of work (poetry or Scripture, for example) using the tool of one’s memory.

We didn't stay on track that year because I got pregnant, then sick, then had twins.  We did a little of the work but got distracted by the history topics and couldn't stay on track.  I loved the program but forgot about it with the twins and the chaos that followed.  This year I was asked to join a new/old group that were using this program and meeting every other week in a co-op format for one morning to keep each other on track.  I had not joined the group before because it was kind of far away and I didn't think my kids could handle the set up at the time.  That group fell apart and new one immerged starting with year 4 of the program.  This group was meeting at my parish - so very close- and was less structured and demanding that any I had ever scene.  On a whim I asked the kiddos if they wanted to try.  I like the program already but had not decided to use it.  After a summer of mom working them hard on reading, writing and math they wanted to give this a go.

 So we planned to go to the welcome meeting for the Divine Mercy Co-op using the CCM delta year. 

 Pickle loved being able to serve for the morning Mass for the homeshoolers and loved that if we signed up he would be able to serve on Wednesdays.

 I wasn't too sure about the co-op but I liked the other families involved and if the kids were in I agreed to give it a try. 

 No matter what happens, one thing I know for sure!  The Texas T kids will make the most of it, they will honor God while doing it, and enjoy their time together.

 Their older sibling are a little worried, they feel that we have done a great job with them and we should not try to find an easier approach now.  I have assured them that I am just using a program I enjoy whie keeping my self on track with the co-op. 

 I hate uniforms as well.  I am not sure we will continue based on uniforms alone!