What Is Classical Education?

By Cyndy Rodgers

Copyright 1999, 2006 by Modern Media. All rights reserved.

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Classical education is the theory that learning takes place in three stages. The early years of school are spent absorbing facts and laying the foundation for more complex study. In the middle grades students learn to think through arguments. Finally, in the high school years, they learn to express themselves. Classical education calls this concept the trivium (Latin for “three roads”).

The trivium consists of three stages of learning, classified as: Grammar (1st -4th grade), Dialectic (5th -8th grade) and Rhetoric (9th -12th grade).

The Grammar stage introduces children to the foundations of Language Arts. The basics in phonics, spelling, rules of grammar, and the vocabulary of foreign languages are the focus. In year three, Latin is introduced. Latin is studied because English is based heavily on Latin roots. Studying Latin also makes learning a foreign language, such as Spanish, Italian, or French, much easier in the later grades.

Children in the grammar stage also receive an introduction to sciences like Astronomy, Biology, Botany, and Physics. In this stage, introductory concepts also lay the foundation for mathematics. History and literature are introduced through classic stories. The underlying belief for this stage is that children in the first four years of their education are sponge-like, so the focus is the memorization of facts. It is here that the building blocks for all other learning are laid.

The second phase of the classical education trivium is called the Dialectic Stage. This is the time when children show an ability for logic. They puzzle out how everything fits together and develop logical thinking skills. They begin to notice cause and effect, and the relationships between different fields of knowledge. They see the coherent way facts fit together.

During these middle school years, the student begins learning algebra and the study of logic. The goal in this phase is for the child to begin applying logic to all academic subjects. In their reading, they are instructed to apply criticism and analysis to the text, not just relay information. For history, students must demonstrate an understanding of why events happened. The application of the scientific method is the focus in the study of science. Children in the logic phase learn to develop their writing with a focus on paragraph construction and the support of a thesis.

The final phase of the classical education method is called the Rhetoric Stage. The student in the rhetoric stage learns to apply the rules of logic learned in middle school years and the foundational information learned in the early grades to express his/her conclusions with clarity and conviction. In this stage, students learn to express themselves and defend their ideas with logical debate in both their writing and public speaking.

Teenagers in this stage begin to specialize in whatever branch of knowledge attracts them. They may attend college courses or other forms of specialized training, and/or begin working in an apprenticeship. Opportunities for foreign travel may also be part of their curriculum.

Because Classical education is language-focused, with every subject being interrelated to history, the same four-year pattern is repeated three times. Each leg of the trivium studies Ancient worlds, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Reformation, and finally Modern Times. At each stage, the history is studied in more depth.

Language arts and science are linked to the historic period of study. The sciences are studied in a four-year pattern that approximately matches the historic timeline of these sciences, beginning with biology and moving to the classifications and the human body, which date back to ancient times. Next is earth science and basic astronomy, which emerged during the early Renaissance. Following that is the study of chemistry, which is part of early modern history. Finally, basic physics and computer science is the focus while students study later modern history.

If this all sounds good but you wish to teach a Christian education then you may be asking . . . how does Classical education fit with a Christian education?

Remaining neutral when educating your child is impossible. This is even truer for Classical education due to its focus on the discussion of ideas. The criteria for selecting materials is how influential it was in its time as well as its influence afterward. Classical education requires that students use and understand words, instead of images. This aspect of Classical education has the potential to make an enlightening journey for the modern Christian. It allows them to see how Christianity has influenced western history: In law, government, art, science, and ethics. Additionally, students become familiar with their cultural roots.

However, Classical education is not meant to be strictly Christian education. The questions raised while studying, cannot be answered without taking a stand. So no matter your beliefs, this method allows parents to achieve one of the primary goals of a homeschool education: To remain an influence with your child. The dialogue of thoughts and beliefs that arises cannot exist without each family bringing its own philosophy to the learning. Still, this style of education allows Christian students to learn to distinguish biblical answers from anti-biblical answers.

If so far, Classical education sounds good, then you may be asking “What is the curriculum?” Classical education advocates "great books" as opposed to reading someone else's summary or commentary in a text. Original sources are recommended when available.

Materials used to study are mostly original sources like letters, diaries, and biographies. The student who is working on ancient history will read Greek and Roman mythology, the tales of the Iliad and Odyssey, early medieval writings, and Chinese and Japanese fairy tales. Older children will use the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare, just to name a few.

Classical education uses the term “great books”. What are great books? They are the classic books that generations have read for years like Aesop’s Fables, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Classical education is a fascinating and rewarding approach to homeschooling. Even if you only use a portion of the thinking behind it, it will produce an excellent education for your homeschooled child. C.R.