Today when the term "classical education" is mentioned, many people envision Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in their long white robes giving great dissertations of knowledge and understanding to their students anxious to gain that wisdom. Many people today think a classical education must be some medieval, out-of-date sort of education that is not for them. Many homeschool teachers fear they are not adequately equipped to impart such knowledge to their children. This is not what classical education is today. 

A true classical education is the acknowledgment of the stages of learning development that God has set in the human mind. Whether we are adults or children, we all learn basically the same way. It is much the same as the way a computer works; input the information, process the information and output the information. These three stages are called the Trivium. 

The first stage is the Grammar stage, when the basic knowledge of many subjects is inputted. This is done by reading, memorizing and developing basic skills. The Grammar stage is generally around the ages 6-11 or grades 1-6 when children have a natural affinity for memorizing and storing up great amounts of information. Children at this stage memorize very easily. This is the perfect time to memorize Bible verses and other Bible facts, math facts, and history facts in chronological order. This is also the time to master handwriting skills. Reading practice and reading out loud is very important, since reading well is foundational to all of learning. At the heart of the curriculum is the Bible, grammar, and Latin. Why Latin? Latin gives a greater understanding of the English language as over 50% of English words have Latin origins. Latin is at the root of all the romance languages of French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. Latin is the language of the sciences, medicine, and law. The literature of our western civilization is saturated with Latin. These are only a few reasons why studying Latin is encouraged at this time.

The second stage is the Logic stage, when knowledge is being processed. This is when most young people begin to question and ask "why?" This is when they are processing the basic knowledge they have acquired and are learning logical thinking skills. The Logic stage is at approximately ages 12-14 and grades 7-9. The central subject is Logic; other subjects that teach logical thinking include geometry, Latin, and Greek.

The third stage is the Rhetoric stage, which is the art of communication, oral and written. This is when the student learns how to output the information with style and grace. Rhetoric teaches how to communicate in writing and in speaking and is taught at ages 15-17 or grades 10-12. Learning how to write research papers and developing style in writing is done at this time. Becoming involved in a local debate club or speech club is highly encouraged. Studying differing worldviews (philosophy) provides the subject matter that is at the heart of the rhetoric curriculum. Reading classic literature following a Great Books study teaches the philosophies and worldviews that shaped our western culture. Reading the great authors throughout all of history is real history. It tells us better than any text book the history of people and the history of what and how people thought.

Having a solid foundation in the Bible starting from early childhood helps us to discern why, where, when, and how man has followed the course of thinking and beliefs that he has throughout the centuries. Our children need to know and understand the doctrines, philosophies, and worldviews that shaped western thought. Being well grounded in the Word of God while studying the philosophies and worldviews of past cultures will help them to be firmly planted in what they believe. Then they will not be like so many people today, as Paul warned in Ephesians 4:14, "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men and by craftiness in deceitful scheming". Our children need this solid foundation and quite frankly, we need it too. 

The goal of a classical education is not to try to turn our children into a modern day Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle. It is to equip them to become mature, responsible, thinking individuals. We want our children to be able to logically think through any problems that may befall them. We want them to be firmly established in a God-centered worldview and able to articulate their thoughts and ideas. 

Again, we need to get back to the basics. We need to get back to the way God created us to learn. God in all His wisdom created the human brain to work in a basic, logical way. A classical education is a "getting back to the basics". Classical education is not a method of education just for the ancients. It is for us today. Classical Christian education is attempting to bring back the "true object"; to truly educate our children, and not simply school them.

Sheri Atkinson and her husband, David, homeschool their two daughters in Roseville, California.  She is the founder and president of Classical Christian Home Educators.