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Learning the alphabet is a key component of most preschool instruction. What better way to learn your ABC’s than with a book designed to fit with the core of your curriculum? For any parent with young children enrolled in the Classical Conversations Foundations program, the My CC ABC’s, Cycle 3 alphabet board book will be an exciting addition to your bookshelf.

This colorful book is a pint-sized edition with one page devoted to each letter of the alphabet. For each letter, author Robert Bortins selected a fact that directly corresponds to material students learn in Cycle 3 of the Classical Conversations Foundations program. Cycle 3 focuses on American history and geography, human anatomy, and fine arts; here are some of the alphabet facts from the book: B is for Boston Tea Party, H is for Heart, K is for Kansas, T is for Teaspoon. The back of the book contains a glossary listing some details for each letter’s fact so parents can expand on the terms.

The illustrations by artist Leah Neverov, a Classical Conversations graduate, are done in a charming style to captivate attention. The pencil, ink, and marker drawings are vivid, and the bubble letter print gives the book child-like appeal. I especially enjoyed her geography illustrations because they helped us visualize the terrain of places like Mammoth Cave and Okefenokee Swamp. 

Our family has participated in the Classical Conversations Foundations program for four years, and this year, we are completing Cycle 3 for our second time. I was delighted to see an alphabet book resource that matched our current cycle themes. Although alphabet books are usually for younger children, both our boys (ages 5 and 7) have enjoyed having me read the book during our morning time and they are excited to recognize the facts.

As we read, I sometimes ask my kids to sing the song or recite the complete fact associated with each letter. For geography facts, they identify locations on a map, and for fine arts facts, I’ll ask what else they know about the topic. I’ve found this book to be a delightful way to recap our weekly Classical Conversations learning or launch into deeper discussion of some of the facts. Sometimes we even play a review game, drawing a letter of the alphabet and then quizzing each other on that fact from the book.

This book would be especially handy for parents in the Classical Conversations program who have younger siblings sitting with them in the back of the class; these children could enjoy looking through the book while their older siblings are learning some of the same facts week by week. In fact, that’s exactly what I do as a Classical Conversations tutor! I bring my copy of My CC ABC’s, Cycle 3 to class and allow the younger children to look quietly through it while I lead the students in our work.

It’s important to note that the alphabet facts in this book are specific to Cycle 3 material, and youngsters not enrolled in the program may not be familiar with certain terms like the Continental Congress or the Ozark Highlands. However, any child would enjoy the interesting illustrations and reciting the alphabet, and the glossary would assist parents in filling in details as needed.

I plan to keep using this book during our homeschool time; we will have fun using My CC ABC’s, Cycle 3 to play review games, and my boys can read it to younger kids and use their knowledge to tell more about each fact. I’m excited to see this new resource for parents in the Classical Conversations bookstore and I hope they create additional titles for the other two cycles of Foundations.

-Product review by Julie Kieras, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January, 2018