How to Find the Right Classical Education Curriculum | Education

By KayleyKenzie
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The Trivium is the basis of the classical education curriculum. As its name suggests, the curriculum is separated into three phases. The grammar stage is the first, and it corresponds with grades one through six.

Because children's physical brain development and cognitive thinking skills are not yet mature, it is important to focus on concrete information. In other words, kids at this age should just learn facts.

Although children often like to know "why" and "how," their young minds can really only process "what." You can address your children's "why" and "how" questions, but keep in mind that they are not the focus of the first stage.

The whats are important for creating a foundation for the higher-leveled thinking and philosophical questions of the hows and whys later. Children in the grammar stage simply don't have the ability to process reason.

This is largely due to their own lack of experience and background knowledge: They don't yet have the tools to process reason.

This is what makes the first stage in the classical education curriculum so convenient. Although the grammar stage is grounded only in the facts, it creates a foundation for all other forms of learning to take place in the following stages.

For the following two phases to be successful, they need this foundation in place.

The dialect stage is the second phase in the classical education curriculum. Children are usually ready for this phase between grades 5 and 7.

At this stage in a child's development, there is a noticeable change in mind development and cognitive abilities, which means the child is maturing from the concrete to the analytical.

The teaching methods don't abruptly change as the child progresses from one stage to the next. The methods used in classical education curriculum are cumulative. In the next stages, analytical learning is simply added to concrete learning.

The grammar stage focuses on delivering concrete information, the facts. The dialect stage switches focus to the whys and hows. In this second stage, these questions become very important.

The dialect phase sets the stage for the child to apply the facts he or she has already learned, testing to see whether they are actually true. Encouraging this exploration and self-examination is an important step in developing the child's thinking skills.

In a classical education curriculum, children understand the importance and need to question, examine, analyze, and judge while being respectful and honorable. An attitude of disrespect is not needed when asking questions.

By not getting defensive when children ask questions, parents and teachers can encourage a positive atmosphere. Setting a good example helps children learn that you can be respectful and disagree.

The rhetoric stage, or last phase in classical education curriculum, usually begins somewhere around 9th grade and ends with 12th.

Language, literature, math, history, music, philosophy, oratory, writing, and science are subjects that are all commonly taught. This is the arena where all the phases join as one, putting everything into practice.

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