Why Foundations Memory Work Is Enough
Monday, October 7, 2013 at 5:00AM 
I wouldn't take our Classical Conversations community director's word for it when she said, "Trust me. The weekly memory work is ENOUGH."
In my efforts to make sure my Foundations student was getting "enough" for school, I added a grammar program, writing program, and other various curricula.
After six weeks of Foundations, I am here to report that we have DITCHED almost all of them.
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Seek Wise Counsel
I asked two good friends who have children in Essentials (the program that is added onto Foundations in the 4th-6th grades) if they would recommend me continuing with a formal grammar program. They both know me well and told me Grant will get grammar in Essentials. He will get it three years in a row.
There will be plenty of TIME for the information to STICK.
Why am I banging my head against a stone wall now?
The only areas where I have felt compelled to add are math and Bible.
We also use SQUILT for music appreciation (but that's a given!). SQUILT Volume 1: Baroque Composers fits in so nicely with the Cycle 2 history studies.
Oh -- and spelling, but just because Grant LOVES spelling and I adore the curriculum.
Other than that, I agree with our director:
The Weekly Memory Work is ENOUGH.
This realization actually frees me up to choose chapter books that correlate with the history timeline, find fun science experiments and art projects, and so much more.
I am so thankful I sought the wise counsel of my friends Kim and Sue (they read the blog, so this shout out is for you, my friends!).
Classical Conversations is the perfect fit for us because within the Classical framework of memorizing so many wonderful facts we can still be interest led learners at the same time.
The Memory Work Binder
I made a simple binder for Grant. When he traces a map or does a printable from CC Connected, we add it to the appropriate part of the binder (geography, science, grammar, Latin, math, history, art, or music).
Each morning Grant goes through his memory work using the CC Cycle 2 app (I love this!) and a neat little photo book/flip chart.
Then, I offer him some selections from CC Connected and map tracing. All of this takes an hour (sometimes a bit longer).
Many days he will want to flip through all of the timeline cards while he listens to the timeline song.
After math and piano we're free to explore anything else we would like.
I am keeping a running list on my Classical Conversations Cycle 2 Pinterest Board of ideas and enrichment activities.
How fun is that?
I am simply BLOWN AWAY by the amount of beautiful information he is retaining, and the way the timeline sticks with him. He is truly establishing PEGS on which to hang so much more information. The pure JOY in my son's Foundations class is amazing. You would think playing review games is the best thing since sliced bread!
Looking Ahead to Challenge
I can also see how all of this will serve him well in the Challenge Program. The students in my daughter's Challenge class are constantly drawing from the information they have memorized in their years in Foundations and Essentials. I feel fortunate that Anna can listen in on memory work with us this year and it hasn't been too hard of an adjustment for her to jump into Challenge as a new to CC student.
(After all, Leigh Bortins started with Challenge before she designed Foundations and Essentials.)
The lesson learned in all of this: Sometimes it is good to put my type A tendencies aside and just LISTEN to veteran moms who have walked in my shoes. I am learning to TRUST the CC process and delight in the results.
I also need to reread The Core - it's been a year since I've read it and I KNOW there will be many lessons and ideas I have forgotten!
What has been your experience with Classical Conversations? Are you in a community now? Do you do CC at home without being in a community?
I'd love to hear from you!
Reader Comments (9)
Thank you so much for this! My first year in CC with boys I've pulled out of public school and I am always concerned is this enough.. Even though they would be 4th graders, I am going to have them experience all 3 Foundations cycles before moving to Essentials. I owe it to them!
I think this is the part I never got, and the part that made this not work for us. I just couldn't let go of all the other stuff we'd always done. Plus, in a new CC community (as I was), there really wasn't that voice of experience to speak wisdom to me. Now I get it!
Thank you so much for sharing. This is our first year of CC and second year of HS. My daughter is a 1st grader. I was a public school teacher before staying home with my kids. For me, I have worried that my kid just wasn't getting enough and I've done a lot of supplememting at home. I am so appreciative for your post and I will be more confident that all the pieces will come together in Essentials in a few years!
Oh my gosh! Thank you for posting about this! I attended a practicum for the first time this summer, or last spring.....anyway, I was TOTALLY overwhelmed! So, without the support, we chose not to do it. :o( THIS is wonderful and I am so thankful! **I just got my hands on a copy of The Core, so this was perfect timing! **Maybe we'll end up doing it after all! Thank you!
I was just trying to figure out how cc works! We are involved in a classical education co-op (first year H.S.). My son is in the 3rd grade. I am completely overwhelmed about the memory and other curricula. But some friends are trying to explain it to me. Unfortunatly, the closest CC community to me is about 30-45 minutes away. So we chose this co-op (which is still 20 minutes away). I am wondering if next year it would be worth doing the co-op and/or the cc community?? I had envisioned getting really close with the moms, having play dates with the kids, etc (stuff from prior public school experiences). Now I am having to bring it before the Lord and find out if we want to do the cc route?? I am a type a personality with traditional pubic school background. I would like to break that "mold" of mine and really do the cc, but I don't quite grasp the whole concept yet. It will come with more taling to the "wise women" before me. =-). We are, however, doing the memory work from the cc apps for cycle 3 (it was the cheapest version so I wanted to try it out). My son does very good with the songs. Also we are using the veristas press cards for the timeline. Ugh! sometimes just too much?? Now I have a friend tell me about portfolio testing and such. UGH. I am overwhelmed, but trusting the Lord to make it all clear soon. Thank you for your blog. It has been EXTREMELLY helpful with info.
I have been waiting for you to write this post!!!! I just recently went to a 1 day practicum that was led by two veteran CC moms. They spent the first hour talking about how CC is the spine of your curriculum and backed up everything you just said. One even said the same thing as you- she was doing a LOT of extra stuff and in two wks she canned it bc CC was enough. My Joel who is 5 has the time tables memorized and I am amazed!!! We include Saxon and a solid phonics lesson, but we mainly grab what we can from the library shelves and read like crazy. Including CC in our conversations in the home is huge and makes it feel like all the info given by CC is just how you live life. It's not isolated information. Love this Mary, and thank you for sharing. One question if love for you to answer is- do you wish you would've started CC sooner?
Thank you so much for posting you article "Why Foundations Memory Work is Enough". I can tell from your beautiful, content rich website that you take home educating your children very seriously. This is my first year homeschooling and my 9 and 10 year old children are enrolled in Foundations and Essentials. They have been educated the Classical method for the past 3 years. Classical Conversations Foundations has brought fun and the enjoyment of learning back into our lives. It is exactly the reason we decided to home school; to enjoy learning and to glorify God. As a 'Type A mom', I too have been struggling with the "Is Foundations memory work enough?" question. Your article has helped further confirm, as well as witnessing my children learn and retain volumes of knowledge in one short month, that "YES, Foundations memory work is enough." Thank you again for your article and for all that you share on your website :).
Thank you for this post! I totally agree! We started CC this year and drive an hour to get there. It is so worth it! My kids give it 10 out of 10 every week - one week my daughter gave it 1,000! We too, have ditched some extras - the memory work gets the gist into their head, and that's what you want - for your children to remember what they're learning. Quality over quantity. We are sold on CC!
Mary, this just makes me itch to get Teddy into CC, I'm just worried that my love of interest led and unit study learning will make *me* less happy with it. I'm going to have to do coffee with you and Kim sometime to chat about it. :)