Parent Guide Chapter 2

Choosing a Classical Program

Compare the major classical homeschool paths and decide which structure fits your family best.

Five paths cover most classical homeschool families. None is the "right" answer — the best fit depends on whether you want a community, how much you want to plan yourself, and which classical emphases matter most to you.

🤝 Classical Conversations (CC)

Delivery: Weekly Community Day with a tutor + at-home drill the rest of the week

Stages: Grammar Stage community program, upper-grammar writing add-on, and Logic / Rhetoric seminar years

Latin: Chants and memory work in the Grammar Stage; Henle in the upper years

Best for: Families who want a weekly group community and a peg-the-facts memory framework

Largest classical homeschool community in the U.S. Most program-specific structure of any option here.

📚 Memoria Press (MP)

Delivery: Pre-packaged curriculum, self-paced at home or via co-ops

Stages: Recommendations by grade, with year-by-year lesson plans

Latin: First Form / Second Form / Third Form / Fourth Form Latin progression

Best for: Families who want a Latin-centered, structured curriculum without committing to a weekly community

Strong on Latin and Christian classical content. Online academy and accredited online school options available.

💻 Veritas Press (VP)

Delivery: Live online classes with a teacher, plus self-paced courses

Stages: Self-paced K–6 history/Bible; Veritas Scholars Academy live classes for older students

Latin: Latin classes from elementary through AP-level

Best for: Families who want live teacher instruction without leaving home

Reformed Christian framing. Famous for its history timeline songs and rich literature focus.

📖 The Well-Trained Mind (WTM)

Delivery: Parent-designed schedule using the WTM book as a framework

Stages: Trivium-aligned recommendations by age; you pick the curricula

Latin: Recommended (multiple programs cited); parent picks

Best for: DIY families who want classical structure but full curriculum freedom

Susan Wise Bauer's book is the standard reference. Online community at WTMA and well-trainedmind.com.

🧩 Classical Eclectic

Delivery: Mix-and-match — pick the best curricula across programs

Stages: Whatever Trivium-aligned curricula you choose

Latin: Henle, First Form, Latin for Children, Visual Latin — your pick

Best for: Families who've outgrown a single program or want maximum flexibility

Common pattern: a community memory-work program + Memoria Press Latin + WTM for history sequencing.

💡 You can switch.Many families start with one program and shift over the years as their priorities change — most often, families try CC first for the community aspect, then move toward eclectic in the Logic / Rhetoric years when their student's needs become more individualized. There's no penalty for changing.