What is Classical Education?

by Zuri Spresser | September 28, 2024

I remember when my mom first decided to homeschool, she did extensive research on different styles of curriculums. It didn’t take her long to settle on a Classical Christian Education model. Of course, this was very new to my siblings and I, but we trusted she would choose the journey that fit us best. What is Classical Education? I’m glad you asked! I don’t have a lot of time, as my journalism teacher has me on a tight deadline, but I would like to give you a quick overview of the model of Classical education itself and a couple of my favorite things we do within this model.
Classical Education is built on a three-part process of training a child’s mind. They call this process the “trivium”. The beginning years of school are referred to as the “grammar stage,” which consists of tons of information being recited daily; we call it recitation time. The types of memorizations we do include but are certainly not limited to rules of phonics and spelling, vocabulary of foreign language (Latin), stories of history and literature, timeline, math facts, and different prayers and verses. My little sister started this as young as Pre-K. 
The next stage is referred to as the “Logic Stage,” and this is more for when a child can think abstractly or intellectually. During this time, the child begins new subjects such as algebra and the study of logic and begins to apply logic to all academic areas. During this phase, instead of just memory work and absorbing information, we learn to apply it to each subject and, of course, our daily lives.
The third and final stage is known as the “Rhetoric Stage.” This phase builds on the first two stages. The high school student learns to write and speak with their own conclusions and use elegant language. This is also the age where we branch out and specialize in areas that are attractive to each individual.
A Classical education to me is more than just a way of learning; I love that it is language-focused (learning through words, written and spoken), history and literature-rich, very rigorous, and challenges me in many ways. Classical education allows for little to no “image learning” (videos and television). Language learning requires harder work and forces the brain to work hard, while “image-based” learning allows the brain to sit back and relax. 
My favorite subject, without a doubt, is Latin. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning a new (old) language. This is my second full year in Latin, and this year, I changed from a grammar-based Latin class to a Familia Romana Latin class. The entire class is spoken in Latin, and it allows me to learn and comprehend Latin in a different way. This year, we have the privilege of having a teacher who comes to our hometown to meet with us in person on Mondays to accomplish this face-to-face learning. 
This type of education focuses on learning and understanding that all knowledge is interrelated. No subject is studied in isolation, it is all linked and leads to the church’s relationship with each area we learn. Our history begins with the ancients and progresses to the moderns in history, science, literature, and arts and music. It is systematic and well-organized. Classical education works against our basic instincts much of the time and asks us to work hard to reach a goal and master a subject. There are many aspects of this model that I could cover, but the time only allowed for a quick overview today. Thanks for listening!

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think” -Albert Einstein