Welcome to Classical Conversations! Are you one of the 75% of people who are afraid of public speaking? Let’s change that by raising up kids who have been practicing speaking in front of classmates since they were four years old. Training up confident speakers is one of the top reasons my family loves Classical Conversations, and the yearly family CC presentation is just one of the ways this is done.
To my homeschooling family, our Classical Conversations co-op is a room of our favorite friends who feel more like a family. In a CC homeschool group, you get to know the family members, your children’s tutors, and your children’s friends. It’s not just your homeschool kids who will have to give a weekly presentation in front of their classmates. Family presentation is for everyone in the family… including the parents!
If this is your first year in Classical Conversations, the thought of standing in front of more than fifty kids and their parents may be a little overwhelming. However, it really is a great way to get to know the other parents at your Classical Conversations group, and hopefully, you will be able to find a new Mom friend among the crowd.
Let’s limit your stress level. Copy these ideas! Here’s a long list of Classical Conversations presentation ideas to lessen your worries. And, please, have fun and don’t stress it.
Affiliate disclosure: When you click and purchase a link in my post, I may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I promise to only recommend products or places that I have personally want, used, or researched. Thanks in advance for the gallon of gas. 😉
Which Type of Presentation Do You Want?
What is a Classical Conversations Family Presentation?
A CC family presentation can be as formal or loose as you and your family want to make it. Your family presentation may last five minutes or ten minutes. It may be the highlight of your kids’ year, and they ask you weekly when your family gets to talk. In contrast, this may be the CC week that makes you want to choose to fake an illness.
Know the day for your family talk ahead of time, and plan accordingly. And don’t be afraid to express your concerns to the Foundations director. She’s your new best friend and can answer all your questions! The Classical Conversations foundations director may even let you pick the date, so you can wait until you’re feeling more comfortable.
~~~> If you’re new to homeschooling, here’s the mega-list of all my homeschool posts including more about Classical Conversations, unschooling, road trips, favorite books, and family learning.
Why Does Classical Conversations Include Presentations?
CC makes public speaking a priority in all levels. The brief show-and-tell type presentations of their early years are preparing them for their upcoming years. They will be less nervous reading papers in front of their Essentials peers in fourth to sixth grades. And just wait until they advance to the CC Challenge years! Your kid will be reciting entire speeches, standing in front of a room debating and presenting grant proposals, and eventually defending themselves in front of a panel of “judges” with their senior thesis in Challenge IV.
Don’t stress the younger years. Your Foundations kids are learning basic skills that are preparing them for the future naturally. And rest assured that their confidence and eye-contact will just continue to strength and amaze us all.
~~~> Wondering how Classical Conversations presentations play into your future homeschooling teens? Make sure you read “Classical Conversations Challenge Program: How to Homeschool Teens.” It’s not as scary as it sounds!
What is Included in a CC Family Presentation?
The main components of a family presentation are simple. All you have to do is…
- Introduce yourself as Mom (and hopefully Dad if he can come)
- Let the kids introduce themselves by name and age
- Tell something about your family.
- And… Keep it short! Aim for five minutes and call it done.
Remember, this isn’t a big structured presentation that you need to spend an hour memorizing. Bring notes. Draw up a pasteboard. Grab whatever you need to make your life easier.
Ideas for Fun Family Presentation Ideas for CC!
Everyone’s CC family presentation looks different, but it isn’t necessary. Copy someone else’s ideas!
Most likely, the other grown ups in your Classical Conversations group don’t remember what each family talked about, and they definitely couldn’t tell you if you’re stealing someone else’s idea. Even if they realize you did exactly what they did the week before, Classical Conversations parents don’t care! Go ahead and steal these ideas!
Remember, family presentation can be a time to learn from each other, get encouragement from other homeschool families, and above all, get to know the amazing people that are now in your life!
Make Your Family Presentation Funny
Two truths and lie – Have a list of two true things and one lie ready for each family member. Read them out, and the community has to guess which one is the lie for each person. They love the interactiveness of this, and it can get a bit rowdy.
Guess who – Have each kid bring 2-3 items that belong to them. Put them in a big bag, and someone in the family unveils each item one at a time. The audience guesses who it belongs to, the owner of the item agrees or disagrees, and they tells a short story about the item.
Tell a joke – You know those silly jokes your kid wants to tell you over and over? Bring them to a new audience!
Rhyming words – Write a silly (and simple!) poem about each member of the family. The gigglier the better.
KEEP IT WEIRD – Share your quirks or weird habits. Share the things that drive you crazy or the things that make you ridiculously happy – like the joy of a perfectly guessed grocery bill. Strange aversion to the squeak of raw vegetables or only wearing the color green? Laugh at yourself. It also reminds other families that they aren’t the only “weird” ones!
Make Your Family Presentation Musical
Family dance off – This is the most creative one I’ve seen in a while. The presenting family shared their favorite song that helps them wake up every morning, and the whole school got up and had a dance party with them. Don’t be afraid to make your presentations fun!
Sing a song together – Have each family member grab an instrument they can play (or bang) and sing a hymn or favorite song you enjoy singing together at home. Make it silly or make it beautiful. Either way wins.
Perform for us – Work together at home to prepare a short skit or play for everyone. Assign parts, bring props, and make it yours.
WRITE A SONG – Add your own words to a familiar song. Make each verse about a different member of the family, and the chorus about things you like to do. (This would work with a poem too!)
Make Your Family Presentation Encouraging
Share your faith – Tell a favorite Bible verse, Bible story, devotional, or prayer. This is a great way to practice sharing their faith and perhaps tie in a bit of memorizing practice!
Tell of homeschool victories – All homeschool parents need to know that they aren’t alone in this homeschool journey. Use this time to share a personal or family victory (or struggle); tell of how you are hoping to create a family of lifelong learners.
Share your homeschool journey – Mom can tell the family’s homeschool story while the kids tell their favorite part about homeschooling or their favorite subject.
Speak to younger homeschool moms – If you have older kids, use this time to share about your students’ Essentials or Challenge journeys. Let them see the connections with Foundations, and give younger moms a glimpse of what they can look forward to. (This also helps them know which “older” parent might have answers to their future questions.)
~~~> Make sure you check out my “How to Be a Prepared Essentials Mom” blog post. There really is so much to know as you move into the upper levels of elementary school with Classical Conversations.
Make Your Family Presentation Historical
EXTENDED Family history – Share a story of your ancestor or where your family came from. This is especially meaningful if you can tie it into a history or geography topic for the year.
Meaning of the name – Have each person tell the meaning or origin of their first name when they introduce themselves. You could even tie it in with the meaning of your last name. Don’t forget to tell about naming the pets at home too.
favorite historical person – Classical Conversations dives so deep into history! Use this opportunity to share random facts about the person you’re studying or even to introduce them to a new person that they should know!
CREATE A COAT OF ARMS – Line up your family presentation with Cycle 2 by designing either a family coat of arm or one for each person showing things they like to do. This would be a great visual and art project that also gives them prompts to talk about while pointing to each.
~~~~> If you’re a history loving family, head over to my detailed “Virginia History Road Trip Itinerary” for Williamsburg and Jamestown. I know it’s on your learning road trip plan in the future!
Make Your Family Presentation Geographical
FAMILY HISTORY ON THE MAP – Talk about where you’ve come from, moves, the purpose behind, pass CC communities you’ve been involved in. This is especially good if you’re new to the community.
RESEARCH A NEW PLACE – Let the kids all agree on a country and each share 3 facts they learned. You could even make a food from that country to share.
DREAM VACATION – Share where you most want to go and why. This might also be a sneaky way to add in some personal research. Tie in a map for extra learning!
Recent Road trips – You know this one is our favorite! Homeschool families like to travel – it’s a fact. Inspire other people to take homeschooling on the road with your adventure mom tips or favorite road trips destinations. Bonus if you bring photos of your favorite destinations. I bet you’ll find a mom coming up to you afterward asking for your road trip planning tips.
~~~> Want to pass on your love of geography to your kids? Check out this comprehensive geography post to help you plan a fun, inexpensive geography curriculum for your homeschool.
Make Your Family Presentation Familial
What we like to do as a family – Keep this simple. “My name is ——. My favorite thing to do is….”
Talk about your furry friends – If you have pets (or other special items) that you can’t easily bring to CC, bring a picture! Let the kids talk about the picture, answer questions about the picture, and possibly pass the picture around if you can. (If it’s okay with the community, bring your special pet. Better than a picture!)
Family traditions – What is that special thing you do together to celebrate that others might enjoy adding or learning about? What do you do at Christmas? What non-traditional holidays do you celebrate?
SHARE A FAMILY FAVORITE – Pick a family favorite movie or book. Have each person pick their favorite character or the person who is most like them. Then, share why. This is a great way to share favorites and tell about themselves at the same time.
STORY SWAP – Have each person talk about or introduce someone else in the family. It’s always easier to talk about someone other than yourself, and might be a great way to get your more shy people willing to talk.
~~~> Wish you had a road trip to share? Check out “10 Tips to a Family Road Trip with Less Stress”. If you want to head out on your own road trip, check out these detailed itineraries: Texas to Yellowstone, Virginia history road trip, and top Florida places to explore.
Make Your Family Presentation Personal
My favorite games, sport, books, toy, song… – Kids listen to suggestions from other kids more than they do from their own parents. (Surely I’m not the only one, right?) Use this presentation time to convince other kids why they should play or read something new. It might even inspire a kid book club or show a mom how to incorporate gameschooling.
Bring a hobby – Have everyone bring a sample of a craft or hobby they like to do. This is another great way to inspire others to learn how to do something new and remind kids that mom will always be the lead learner in your homeschool.
Read their writing – If you are a small family with an Essentials student, use this time to tell why you love the program, and let your child proudly read one of their Essentials writing assignments. Even if they’re not in Essentials, bring something to share!
FAVORITE FOOD OR MEAL – I love hearing what other people eat in their family as we’re all so different. (And you can get new meal ideas!) Have everyone tell their favorite food that they make at home. You could even bring a photo or sample.
If you’re new to Classical Conversations or homeschooling or even just new to presentations in front of a group, I hope this ideas help! You and the kids can do more than you think you can.
Questions about Classical Conversations? Check out the CC website or ask me any questions.
Homeschooling with Classical Conversations
If looking into homeschool programs, check out these homeschool articles to guide through all years of homeschooling with Classical Conversations. It’s been our homeschool program for more than a decade.
- Classical Conversations: 20 Easy Ways to Rock Your Family Presentation
- Classical Conversations: Our Top Ten Reasons After Eight Years
- Help! My Kid is Entering Essentials!
- Classical Conversations Essentials: What You Need to Know
- Classical Conversations Challenge: How to Homeschool High School
- Classical Conversations And Unschooling: How To Empower Your Homeschool
If you’re looking for more information about the homeschooling teens or the challenge years? My top advice is to talk to some wise older homeschool moms who can answer all your questions to the best of their ability. Don’t be afraid to ask and ask again. Homeschool moms as a whole love to guide more families and kids to follow in their footsteps. Reach out to me here!
Thanks for stopping by my little corner! Here’s to your next adventure.
I’m Bobbie. As transplants from Texas, my family of six is on a mission to discover all of Georgia’s amazing places, experience amazing road trips across the United States, and create a homeschool life along the way.
Want to adventure like me? Reach out! I’d love to chat. Stop by my Instagram or Pinterest page to discover more of our adventures.
Want to work with me? I’d love to work with your destination and tourism board to help other family travelers see all you have to offer.
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