After we came home from Colonial Williamsburg where Patrick Henry inspired me to pursue a classical education, I did a lot of research.
The best articulated defense of a classical education comes from TVC Academy:
Classical education is a liberal arts education rooted in ancient history. “Liberal”, in this case, means “free”. Classical education prepares young people to live in freedom and independence, engaging them in the highest matters and the deepest questions of truth, justice, virtue, and beauty. Classical education is a conscious return to the ancient goal of education: teaching children to think and learn for themselves by imparting to them the tools of learning. The goal is to promote the type of inquiry that ultimately allows students to discover for themselves that which is true and beautiful. It is an approach to education related to the classical liberal arts and sciences tradition of the trivium and the quadrivium. The trivium was comprised of three basic tools of learning: grammar (the tool of knowledge), logic (the tool of reasoning) and rhetoric (the tool of communication and expression). The quadrivium encompassed the sciences—arithmetic, geometry, astronomy—and added music and the arts. Classical education is sometimes called “leadership education” because it builds skills needed for leadership, like logic, debate, public speaking, clear reasoning, researching, writing, and communicating.
-https://www.tvcacademy.org/about-classical-education/
That beautiful and motivating description is everything I ever endeavored with my kids.
Grammar Level
Grammar (grades K-4) is basically memorization of facts, which is perfect for young students in the beginning school years because they are sponges ready to learn.
Children of this age memorize the alphabet and numbers, phonics rules, math facts, parts of speech, geographical locations, birds, flowers, animals, constellations, types of clouds, etc.
Dialectic Level
Dialectic (junior highish-grades 5 through 8) hallmarks the awakening of the “why” of life ever present in young teens.
During this time students learn by making connections through the process of questions and logic, while utilizing their tool box of facts gleaned in the grammar years.
Rhetoric Level
Rhetoric (high school) is the stage when students will use their store of information (built in the grammar years) and critical thinking skills (built in the dialectic years) to winsomely persuasive an audience.
Characteristics of a Classical Homeschool Curriculum
More familiar aspects of learning include: hands on activities, field trips with immersion experiences, and history presentations, which easily lend themselves to creativity and articulation of facts gleaned.
Classical education looks different from what most of us are familiar.
Latin and Greek Study
Especially unique to the classical model is learning Latin (and/or Greek), from the earliest years.
Historically this was the norm, as Latin as the language of the educated during the Middle Ages.
Although it’s a dead language today, that now adds benefits to learn structure and grammar more easily.
Those lessons can then be applied to the living language spoken day by day, which is constantly changing.
French, Italian, and Spanish are three modern languages that have their roots in Latin, making them easier to pick up after Latin study.
Many words in English are from the Latin, including vocabulary from the sciences and legal works.
Four-year Pattern, repeated three times for each classical level
Many of the classically based curricula advocate a four-year pattern, repeated three times through the student’s educational journey. The three years equate to the trivium: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric.
Interdisciplinary Approach
Also advocated by many is to use an interdisciplinary approach, synching other subjects like art, literature, philosophy, and government with the historical era being studied.
Socratic Discussions
Starting at the dialectic level, Socratic Discussions are employed to teach critical thinking.
Original Source Documents
Reading material is based on original source documents which allows secondary sources to be analyzed for accuracy.
Book Lists
Book lists abound. Each curriculum has a list, most of which repeat themselves, because only certain books are in print.
While looking for a true classic, my first stop is the used bookstores.
I’ve found that older books are often better than more newly published ones, though there are exceptions.
Most children’s literature written before 1960 tend to be more historically accurate and uplifting (even overcoming difficult circumstances) than those written after 1960.
However I do advocate some newly written books. It’s a treasure hunt, fitting for the theme of classical study.
Great Conversation
Classical study enables one to enter the Great Conversation, as coined by Mortimer Adler:
…the ongoing conversation of great minds down through the ages. Much modern education is so eclectic that the student has little opportunity to make connections between past events and the flood of current information. “The beauty of the classical curriculum,” writes classical schoolmaster David Hicks, “is that it dwells on one problem, one author, or one epoch long enough to allow even the youngest student a chance to exercise his mind in a scholarly way: to make connections and to trace developments, lines of reasoning, patterns of action, recurring symbolisms, plots, and motifs.”
-https://www.aceclassicaled.org/classical-education
Our Journey
When I attended a classical liberal arts college, I soon realized my honors classes from my particular public schools were lacking.
My mom had always complained that I wasn’t reading real books in school…which became obvious in college.
My classmates were conversing about the Great Books that I had only heard of.
Frustrated, I determined to figure out how to start. Sadly, it didn’t occur to me to just start reading the classics. That seemed too daunting.
Although I’ve always read a lot of books, they weren’t classics.
Fast forward to homeschooling my kids
Initially I wanted to teach my children about civic responsibility as set forth by the Founders, to teach virtue through the Bible, and the basic components of a good education, far better than I ever had.
I wasn’t sure how to make that happen, but I did my best.
Then on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Patrick Henry inspired me to pursue classical education for our homeschool.
That led to much research, which helped me adjust aspects of our homeschool experience.
Now we are starting dialectic studies. My son, who is starting 5th grade, has been overly inquisitive the last few years. He was probably born this way! Ask the general at Lackland AFB!
My daughter, who is starting 7th grade, doesn’t ask questions nor is she quick to form connections. I’m putting her into dialectic studies along with my son. I plan to do as I’ve done all along…guide her while my son provides the example.
Epilogue 2024
We walked her through it every step of the way, just as IEW’s Andrew Pudewa so ingeniously does with his writing program. I adapted as needed for her to study classically. Although she wasn’t a collegiate ace, she became a role model for her college classmates who had been public schooled. They always wanted to be in her group because she had read the classics. They always liked her ideas to use classic books and her creativity in organizing presentations. She often tutored them after class, in math. Whereas they had learned Common Core, they were flabbergasted when she explained easier ways to conquer math.
Although my kids didn’t win medals in translating Latin, they did learn a lot. At the end of the day, I think our basic goals were achieved: freedom, virtue, and Great Conversation.
Freedom: they understand the political realm, listening to debates with critical reasoning, and discussing them with others persuasively.
Virtue: they took a stand for that which is right and against that which is wrong.
Great Conversation: whatever the topic at college or a historical site, they could readily enter the conversation, and had ideas for their assignments.
Even now, they continue to carry on these values. Now they are looking to homeschool their own kids with the same values.
The ultimate beauty of a classical education, that was once only for the privileged few, is now available for anyone who so desires. Sadly it’s not easy to find, but internet searches can help anyone put together a program for themselves to learn, no matter their age or background.
