About

The Classical Conversations Mission

The purpose of education is to know God and to make Him known.

Our purpose is to lead the home-centered education movement by equipping parents and students with the classical tools of learning needed to discover the order and beauty of God’s creation and to inspire others to do the same.

We believe parents are their children’s primary teachers not because parents know everything but because each child is uniquely (and wonderfully!) made and because the people who know and love a child best are the ones most motivated to help that child succeed.

We empower and support parents not only through our Classical Conversations Communities across the country but also through our specially designed C3 online community, Parent Practicums, academic retreats, and our Certified Instructor Program. All of these services ultimately equip parents to educate their children with the classical tools of learning and a biblical worldview so that they might impact the world for God’s glory.

The Classical Conversations Model

CC combines classical learning and a biblical worldview.

Classical Conversations’programs model the three stages of classical learning—grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. Using age appropriate methods, children are taught the tools for studying any subject.

The Classical model emphasizes mastery of facts during the early years. This gives students a foundation on which to build later learning and a solid framework where ideas can be categorized and compared as students mature. (For more information on the classical education model, read Dorothy Sayers’ essay The Lost Tools of Learning.)

Proverbs 24:3-4 identifies three stages of learning:
Knowledge
Understanding
Wisdom

Classical education calls these stages:
Grammar
Dialectic
Rhetoric 

Classical Conversations models each stage in:
Foundations, Essentials
Essentials, Challenge A & B
Challenge Levels I, II, III, & IV

The Classical Conversations Method

In CC Communities, parents equip parents.

Across the United States, Classical Conversations Communities exist to complement your home-centered education and connect you with like-minded families. Each community is facilitated by a trained parent-director, and classes are led by trained parent-tutors who model the classical tools of learning. Tutors have the privilege of encouraging students toward becoming lifelong learners while also encouraging parents in the classical teaching of their children.

Our three curriculum programs support your home-centered education by providing teaching tools for you, the parent, and quality educational materials for your student. Our guides, books, timeline cards, and multimedia resources have been thoughtfully crafted and selected. The math, science, literature, Latin, history, geography and fine arts studied in our Foundations Program represent a broad and interesting body of information. Our Essentials Program students work toward mastering English language skills and improving their writing technique. As students move into our Challenge Program and work toward becoming independent learners, they read, discuss, debate, analyze and write about award-winning literature—always within the framework of history and a biblical worldview.

One of the greatest benefits of joining our CC Communities is they provide a place for your students to enjoy other students. Kids love the chance to interact, play, and have some FUN as they are—incidentally—building a scale model of the solar system. Or making beautiful music on the tin whistle. Or learning Socratic logic. And let’s face it: Homeschooling is hard work. Parents need a place to plug in and support one another, too!

Our Foundations Communities serve children in the early stages, roughly ages 4 to 11. Foundations parents and students meet once a week for 24 weeks during the school year. Once late-elementary students enter the dialectic stage of learning, they join peers in our Essentials Communities, which usually meet in the afternoons after Foundations. In the middle and high school years, students hone their dialectic and rhetoric skills in our Challenge Communities.

Classical Conversations values your time and commitment to quality classical Christian education for your family. We honor your desire to train your children in the way they should go. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of joining you on the journey!

For more information about Classical Conversations you can visit www.classicalconversations.com