A classical education is usually based on the trivium. Simply put the trivium is an education system where learning is separated into three divisions: grammar, logic and rhetoric.
The trivium begins with the youngest students in the grammar stage, usually grades one through four. Here, our goal is to inspire our students with a love of learning. In this stage the students are introduced to the basics of all core subjects and gain some knowledge, but we are not concerned with mastery. Children learn to turn letters into words and words into grammatically correct sentences. As with all classical education the curriculum is language based with a sequential history program at its center. All subjects are interrelated and compliment each other whenever possible. Children in this stage are sponges and are capable of memorizing copious amounts of information. These students are language masters and will readily repeat any word they regularly hear – whether eloquent, foreign or foul. Their common phrase might be, ‘What’s that?” or “Let's read it again".
The students switch to the logic phase, when they begin questioning ‘why’ and ‘how’ to everything they learn. In the logic stage our goal is to develop the information gained during the grammar stage so students can form logical arguments and opinions while avoiding false assumptions. We hope our students begin to gain an understanding of the facts learned earlier. Here we focus on skills that teach the child to compare, contrast, and weigh any evidence before a stand is taken. Most often students use original works and literature not textbooks to learn. The curriculum is still language based and rigorous but now we demand the student think not just repeat. A common phrase from the logic stage student might be, “I know, but why?”
When children learn ‘why’ and ‘how’ they transfer to the rhetoric stage. This stage is high school for most students. Here the student takes the information learned in the last two stages and learns how to build a case around it or take a stand or defend a position; in essence, to communicate clearly their own ideas and thoughts about a subject. Our goal is to teach the student how to give substance and power to their opinions. We expect more than just basic knowledge and are building to a level of mastery in all core subjects. At the end of this stage we expect students to be capable of independently researching and evaluating subject matter as well as debating and effectively communicating his or her ideas. The common phrase of this stage might be, “Maybe, but what about….”
The trivium is a classical and traditional approach to education that results in superior students who have the ability to learn anything and communicate that knowledge easily and proficiently. They are the best and brightest minds and the key to the future of our country.