OUR APPROACH

What is classical education?

First, let us say what it is not.  Classical Education does not measure a student’s success by numbers or letter grades.  Though we live in a culture dominated by numbers, statistics prove not every student tests well.  A scored evaluation is nothing more than measuring a brief moment in time.

The measure of a student’s success in Classical Christian Education is by finding the gifts and talents God has bestowed upon each student. The purpose is to cultivate virtue and wisdom, pursue truth, do what is good and love the beautiful.  This enables students to better know and glorify God. 

The classical approach goes back to the age-old teachings of the Greeks and Romans and their use of philosophers and the Great Books.  Common features include the use of classical books and art, general preference for great art, music and literature, an integrated curriculum and idea-focused teaching.  

Classical Education deals deeply with few subjects, rather than hastily with many.  It corresponds with the growth of the student, but in so doing, the quality and depth of instruction is not sacrificed by their interests or even skills.  The purpose of training in childhood is for adulthood, not amusement; to prepare students to be articulate, master a core body of knowledge and be capable of discussing great ideas.


This leads us to The Trivium.

The Trivium

The classical pattern called The Trivium, is a three-part process of training the mind (Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric).  Early years are spent observing facts and laying the foundation for advanced study.  Students learn to think through arguments in the middle grades and in the high school years they learn to express themselves.

The grain is the natural talent of the child.  The Trivium is the best method of education because it considers how children grow intellectually. In other words, it goes “with the grain” of human development.

Grammar

The first years of schooling (elementary) are called the Grammar Stage.

  • The years in which building blocks of all ages are laid.

  • Minds are ready to absorb information.

  • Children find memorization fun

  • The learning of facts

    • Rules of Phonics and Spelling

    • Rules of Grammar, poems, vocabulary of foreign languages, Stories of History and Literature.

    • Description of plants, animals and the human body.

  • The facts of Math (Mathematics)

  • And more…

This information makes up “Grammar,” the basic building blocks for the second stage of The Trivium.

Logic

The second stage is Logic (middle school).

  • A child’s mind begins to think more analytically.  

  • Students are more interested in asking why than in finding out facts.

  • They begin to pay attention to cause and effect.

  • Their minds are intrigued by the way facts fit together into a logical framework.

  • They begin to apply logic to all academic subjects.

    • An example of this would be the logic of history encourages the student to find out why the War of 1812 was fought, rather than simply reading its story.

    • The logic of reading involves the criticism and analysis of texts.

    • The logic of writing includes paragraph construction and learning to support a thesis.

    • The logic of science requires the Scientific Method.

Rhetoric

The final stage is Rhetoric (high school), and builds on the first two.

  • Students learn to articulate and write with originality. 

  • Foundations of logic and grammar learned in the previous stages and expresses their conclusions in clear and concise language.

  • Students begin to specialize in their grain, their natural leaning. 

The ultimate goal of Founders Academy is to light the fire for a life-long love of learning in students and how to apply the tools given them.