About us
Most of the families in the Classical Kids Network are located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, but we have members from other parts of Connecticut and other parts of the country. We have a regular schedule of local events:
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The Kids' Forum. Our forums take place monthly in Bethel, CT, and run from September to May of each school year. The Forum gives children the opportunity to present ongoing work from their homeschool curriculum - poetry, recitations, history reports, science experiments, etc. |
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Enrichment Evenings. These meetings take place quarterly and are designed to enhance our knowledge and understanding of homeschooling itself. They usually focus on a specific topic related to educating our children at home and feature presentations by subject-matter experts. Enrichment Evenings are also opportunities to reconnect with other homeschooling parents and meet new Classical Kids members. |
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Welcome Teas. These quarterly get-togethers are for those new to either Classical Kids or our part of Connecticut. The Welcome Teas take place in members' homes and offer an opportunity to meet other members, network, and get answers to homeschooling questions. |
Other Classical Kids events include monthly Board Game Days, bimonthly Park Days in the autumn and spring, community service events, weekly ice skating in the winter months, and classes and workshops created by our members. All such events are listed on our calendar of events (available to members only).
Our homeschooling philosophy
The families in our group are not wedded to any particular doctrine or formula for homeschooling. There are almost as many different expressions of a classical approach as there are families in our group. Yet we find support and inspiration in our connection with each other; we share with one another our challenges, experiences, and discoveries and in this way learn from each other.
At the same time, many of us share certain approaches:
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A commitment to the fundamentals. Many of us tailor our curricula to emphasize reading, writing, math, and history. Such an emphasis is not intended to constrain our homeschooling but to give it focus. |
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A chronological approach to history. Many of us are using history and chronology as an integrating and organizing principle for many other subject areas, like math, science, geography, and the arts. By studying history chronologically, children build a mental timeline of all of history. By weaving geography, science, and other subjects into history studies, children naturally create a mental map of the world and infer the relevance and inter-relationship of the achievements of mankind |
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"Real" books and great literature. Many of us avoid textbooks and superficial history texts. Instead, we emphasize first-person narratives, literature contemporaneous with the period being studied, biographies, high-quality histories on specific periods or peoples, and even good historical fiction or adaptations for children of great works. |
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Early exposure to fine arts and music. Many families in our group use art and music as mainstays of their curricula. Starting at an early age, exposure to fine art and music can engage the child and develop sensitivities and appreciation for art and music that will enhance the child's understanding of history, science, and other disciplines. |
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Foreign language study. Many families add the study of a foreign language to their curricula during the elementary years or grammar stage; some even study Latin or Greek. The emphasis during this time is often vocabulary memorization and word study. The study of foreign languages has many benefits: it expands the child's vocabulary, trains his or her mind to think in an orderly fashion, and often improves or enhances the child's grammar skills. |
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Early writing grows into extensive writing. Starting in about first grade, many families encourage their children to narrate back the main ideas of a lesson or a story. The parent sometimes records the child's words and reads them back to the child. The process of having to recall the lesson or story has other benefits: it not only helps the child internalize lessons learned, it provides the parent-teacher a clear sense of the child's degree of understanding. Many families dedicate a good deal of their curriculum to helping their children learn to be good writers. For more about teaching writing to children, see the article entitled, Teaching Kids to Write, in the Library under CK Publications. |
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The trivium. A guideline of classical education, called the trivium, can be used to design a classical homeschool curriculum. The trivium breaks the twelve years of education into three stages: grammar, logic or dialectic, and rhetoric. The three stages coincide with a child's cognitive development as he or she matures. During each stage, the curriculum gives the child tools for learning while teaching to the child's natural strengths. (For more information about the trivium, visit the Library, Tools for Parents-Classical Education. ) |
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Learning to proficiency. Despite the difference in choices of curricula, methods, scope and sequence, and daily routines, many parents allow their children to study a subject for the length of time needed to develop proficiency. As one parent put it, "It's why we homeschool. We don't have to move on just because the child is advancing to another grade. Isn't the real point of education to really learn a subject?" As a result of this pedagogical approach, children develop a depth of knowledge and firm understandings for the subjects they study. |
Each family chooses from these, and other, aspects of a classical education based on their priorities and needs. Many of us also find that our approach evolves as we learn and grow with our children.
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upcoming events
All of the events below are open to nonmembers, and each offers an opportunity to meet our members and find out more about our group.
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