Providence Christian School - Classical Defined

During the Middle Ages, an educational model called the “trivium” developed. The trivium had three parts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The primary concern of the trivium was to teach students how to learn. Learning the truth is important. But learning how to learn the truth is equally important. If Christian schools don’t teach how to learn the truth, their students will discard the truth quickly and readily. But if schools teach children how to think, they will have the tools to make right judgments in the future, thus profoundly affecting their lives.

The Three Stages

The grammar aspect of the trivium can be defined as the particular facts of each subject. The grammar of math includes addition, subtraction, the multiplication tables, and the like. The grammar of geography includes
mountains, rivers, and continents. The grammar of history includes presidents, kings, dates, and great battles.

When students move to the logic period, they begin to sort out the facts learned in the grammar stage. They examine the relationships between the incidents of history. They learn how multiplication rules affect other parts of math and reasoning.

Once the students have sorted out the facts, the rhetoric stage teaches them to communicate well. It is not enough to blurt out the truth. I’m glad Christians have gotten involved in social and political issues. But sometimes believers communicate the truth badly. We shouldn’t be content with that. In the rhetoric stage the student learns how to present truth in a winsome, persuasive way.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT STAGES AS RELATED
TO THE TRIVIUM
“How the Trivium works”

BEGINNING GRAMMAR (Pre-Polly)	GRAMMAR (Poll-Parrot)	LOGIC (Pert)	RHETORIC (Poetic)
Grades K - 3	Grades 3 - 6	Grades 7 - 9	Grades 10 - 12
Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:
1. Obviously excited about learning 2. Enjoys games, stories, songs, projects 3. Short attention span 4. Wants to touch, taste, feel, smell, see 5. Imaginative, creative	1. Excited about new, interesting facts 2. Likes to explain, figure out, talk 3. Wants to relate own experiences to topic, or just to tell a story 4. Likes collecting, organizing items 5. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds (e.g. Dr. Seuss) 6. Easily memorizes 7. Can assimilate another language well	1. Still excitable, but needs challenges 2. Judges, critiques, debates, critical 3. Likes to organize items, others 4. Shows off knowledge 5.Wants to know“behind the scenes” facts 6. Curious about Why? for most things 7. Thinks, acts as though more knowledgeable than adults	1. Concerned with present events, especially in own life 2. Interested in justice, fairness 3. Move toward special interests, topics 4. Can take on responsibility, independent work 5. Can do synthesis 6. Desires to express feelings, own ideas 7. Generally idealistic
Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:
1. Guide discovering 2. Explore, find things 3. Use lots of tactile items to illustrate a point 4. Sing, play games, chant, recite, color, draw, paint, build 5. Use body movements 6. Short, creative projects 7. Show and tell, drama, hear/read/tell stories 8. Field trips	1. Lots of hands-on work, projects 2. Field trips, drama 3. Make collections, displays, models 4. Integrate subjects through above means 5. Teach and assign research projects 6. Recitations, memorization 7. Drills, games 8. Oral/written presentations	1. Time lines, charts, maps (visual materials) 2. Debates, persuasive reports 3. Drama, reenactments, role-playing 4. Evaluate, critique (with guidelines) 5. Formal logic 6. Research projects 7. Oral/written presentations 8. Guest speakers, trips	1. Drama, oral presentations 2. Guide research in major areas with goal of synthesis of ideas 3. Many papers, speeches, debates 4. Give responsibilities, e.g. working with younger students, organize activities 5. In-depth field trips, even overnight 6. Worldview discussion/written papers

Additional Information
What is a Classical Model of Education?