Summing it up
As you can see, much about a traditional classical education resonates with the goal of Christian parents and also with the three areas of learning that we have talked about already: Story, Skills, and Spirit.
Particularly “classical” elements of Story would include focusing on nature as a child’s first science text; the worlds of ancient Greece, Rome, and Jerusalem, as a way of better understanding the culture and history of the West; music and art through the ages; and considerable time spent in the Great Books – both literary and scientific works, as well as writings in philosophy and theology. Particularly classical elements of Skills would include a strong focus on phonics and grammar (including the study of Latin), logic, and rhetoric, as well as the math skills of the quadrivium, and, for many, a series of writing exercises known as the progymnasmata. It also includes the ancient Greek idea of the gymnasium, which emphasized physical training alongside intellectual growth.
While I clearly do not subscribe to the neoclassical idea of stages of learning being assigned to the trivium, I have shared with you how children do learn in different ways at different ages - stages I called the VIOLIN, VIOLA, and CELLO years. In the "Classical Christian Paideia" tab, you will see how all of this can work together with academics to help you craft your own child’s journey to maturity in Christ. If the term “classical” does not yet resonate with you, I ask that you hear me out and see if aspects of it end up reflecting what you are hoping, with God’s help, to instill in your children, whatever mode and method of learning you may eventually choose to follow.
Particularly “classical” elements of Story would include focusing on nature as a child’s first science text; the worlds of ancient Greece, Rome, and Jerusalem, as a way of better understanding the culture and history of the West; music and art through the ages; and considerable time spent in the Great Books – both literary and scientific works, as well as writings in philosophy and theology. Particularly classical elements of Skills would include a strong focus on phonics and grammar (including the study of Latin), logic, and rhetoric, as well as the math skills of the quadrivium, and, for many, a series of writing exercises known as the progymnasmata. It also includes the ancient Greek idea of the gymnasium, which emphasized physical training alongside intellectual growth.
While I clearly do not subscribe to the neoclassical idea of stages of learning being assigned to the trivium, I have shared with you how children do learn in different ways at different ages - stages I called the VIOLIN, VIOLA, and CELLO years. In the "Classical Christian Paideia" tab, you will see how all of this can work together with academics to help you craft your own child’s journey to maturity in Christ. If the term “classical” does not yet resonate with you, I ask that you hear me out and see if aspects of it end up reflecting what you are hoping, with God’s help, to instill in your children, whatever mode and method of learning you may eventually choose to follow.