By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

A new option is available for Chilton County parents who are home schooling their children.

A Classical Conversations group of home-school families has started meeting at New Life Community Church’s children’s center once a week.

Organizer Tara Littleton said the group is not a cover school, nor a replacement for parents teaching their children. Instead, parents sit with their children during a tutor-led session. The weekly tutor-led sessions provide a foundation for the rest of the week’s lessons. Each student will study the same information during the week. Littleton said this means parents can contact each other if they are having trouble with a particular topic.

Sessions can range from diagramming sentences to science experiments. Littleton said the group also has a trip to Huntsville’s Space and Rocket Center.

“Parents know their children better than anyone and sometimes kids need extra support, or on different subjects they need extra time to learn,” Littleton said.

She said home schooling using the Classical Conversations model provides this flexibility, while giving parents some additional support.

“We are just equipping parents,” Littleton said.

The program follows the Classical Conversations plan of study and curriculum. Since the curriculum uses the classical approach, the curriculum includes studies in Latin, in addition to history, math, science and writing.

The curriculum is also from a Christian perspective.

“Our theme is to know God and to make Him known and we do that in every subject,” Littleton said.

Each of the tutors attend a Classical Conversations training prior to taking the position. Parents also attend a training event.

“There is a community that moms or dads are not alone in teaching their kids and we have a partnership … when you feel like you may need encouragement as parents, you are getting that from us,” Littleton said.

She said it was a good program for someone who wanted to start home schooling, but was not sure how to get started.

The Clanton program is set to serve ages 4 through 14 next year. It currently serves students ages 4 to 11. Those interested in joining the program can contact Littleton at tara@clantonnewlife.com.