We believe students will rise to a CHALLENGE.
Our rigorous Challenge program stands out from other classical, Christian programs or co-ops for two reasons: First, a single mentor tutors all subjects. Second, students learn the unity of all subjects. In each program, one highly qualified, experienced homeschooling parent-tutor partners with students and their parents as a yearlong mentor in all subjects. We believe dialectic and rhetoric students need help understanding core subjects, equipping them to discover that all knowledge works together in an indivisible “universe” rather than a disconnected “multiverse.”
We believe that no subject should be taught in isolation. A subject such as science cannot be truly taught without connecting it to math, philosophy, theology, history, and literature. Literature analysis cannot be separated from philosophy, theology, history, economics, or science.
Our Challenge tutors seek to give students more than just knowledge in particular subject areas. Instead, tutors show how all knowledge glorifies the Lord and reveals aspects of His divine nature. In this manner, we train our students to become lifelong learners and lovers of God’s creation.
In Challenge, our content, assignments, and discussions help students progress from knowledge to understanding to wisdom. Tutors and parents collaborate in guiding students to become godly leaders and confident adults who echo in celebration of their Creator. This partnership between parent and tutor, as well as our goal of developing leaders with an educated and integrated Christ-centered worldview, makes Classical Conversations® unique among other educational services.
Each Challenge program consists of six strands that focus on a particular skill. The grammar strand is the study of language (Latin). The exposition and composition strand encompasses reading and writing. The debate strand is the study of argument. The research strand is the study of the natural world. The rhetoric strand is the study of expression. The logic strand is the study of measurement and shape. (See the chart at the bottom for specific subjects taught in each strand.)
For fifteen weeks in each semester, students participate in a weekly seminar that is facilitated by a trained Challenge tutor. Specific to each Challenge level, the assignment guide is issued by the tutor to each student and outlines the weekly assignments. Students study six classical subjects, utilizing the learning skill associated with that strand at home while practicing dialectic and rhetorical skills in the weekly seminars. Tutors help point students to the integration of science, history, math, philosophy, literature, and so on, while also pointing students to the plumb line of God’s Word. The weekly seminars give students additional opportunities to hone skills in exposition, speaking, and debate as well as to explore more advanced topics in research and logic seminars.
Although tutors facilitate the weekly community time and lead class discussions, parents continue to be students’ primary teachers. The tutor/parent/student partnership is a valuable relationship that fosters accountability for all.
What are the responsibilities of these partners?
- Tutors facilitate class discussions, maintain communication with parents and students regarding student progress, and partner with parents to hold students accountable for their course work.
- Parents assist their students in the completion of the course work, encourage and guide students in the development of good self- and time-management skills, and adjust elements of course work as family dynamics dictate. Parents also assess student work and assign grades.
- Students complete the weekly course work in the time required and prepare for and participate in class discussions.