Classical education

This educational method originates from the middle ages, but has influenced many contemporary schools of thoughts. For example, in 1999, Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise published The Well-Trained Mind, a book that offers homeschooling families a curriculum based on the Trivium. 

Even if this method is rarely mentioned in Quebec, it is referenced again and again. In the United States, for example, many online courses use it as a model.

School curriculum

Classical education emphasizes written and spoken language. Course content is delivered through reading within a historical context that is discussed in each class. Literature is therefore organized chronologically, by periods of history. 

The classes of classical pedagogy are art, ancient languages, health and sports, history and literature, math and science, and writing and grammar. The preparation and methodology prepare students for exams.

The curriculum is divided into three parts:

 Part one: grammar

• Provides the child with facts;
• Takes its source in the five senses;
• At a young age, the child is like a sponge and can absorb a phenomenal amount of information.

 Part two: dialectic

• Teaches about logic argumenting;
• Teaches about the “mechanics” of thought and analysis.

Part Three: rhetoric

• Corresponds with high school in Quebec;
• Leads children to express themselves as they have acquired all the competencies to do so;
• Applies the grammar and dialectic in order to convince the audience.

Method

This method incorporates teaching logic and rhetoric, which means that the parent-educator (the teacher) leads classes with questions and discussions. Grammar includes learning linguistic competencies, including reading and the mechanics of writing. Studying latin and ancient Greek reinforces learning grammar and language in a very rich and complete way.

Benefits

This educational method, though much lesser known than some others in Quebec, has a lot to offer.

• A solid base in reading and writing;
• An approach that follows historical periods of human history;
• Well-defined steps, established according to what the child must learn to master his education;
• A solid structure from the first year through the end of secondary;
• Several informative websites to consult.

If you and your child need structure and would like to learn language, literature, and ancient languages, and if learning through periods of human history interests you, this pedagogy could be a good fit.

Inconvenients

• The curriculum could be too hard and repetitive for some people. It requires a lot of focus for memorization, narration, and dictation;
• It demands a large amount of work for the parent;
• The importance of learning ancient languages such as latin and Greek could seem less pertinent for some people;
• The approach, based on a good understanding of history, could be difficult for a child who has little or no interest in that subject;
• There could be gaps in certain subjects if the parent doesn’t make a conscious effort to supplement;
• Technology is taught to older kids, which isn’t always realistic in today’s world;
• The emphasis on classic work/books could limit the point of view to the one of another time in history: some texts contain values that, by today’s standards, would be considered sexist or racist. The parent is encouraged to add more modern readings and lead discussions about those subjects.

Evidently, this pedagogy requires a real dedication from the parent to provide the child with a rich and complete education through all the child’s learning, from primary to secondary level.

Reading suggestion

At its foundation, this pedagogy dates from the middle ages. The popularity of this educational method takes origin in the publication, in 1962, of a 54-books serie : the Great Books of the Western World.

Resources

For those who are interested, the website The Well-Trained Mind explains the philosophy, the methodology including a list of annotated books classified by age and subject, and demystifies the theory.  You can also find an academy, online courses, and social networking groups on the subject.

 

Thanks to Anik Lambert, Annie Shirley Horne, Geneviève Côté, Patrick Riley, Eva Ketelsen and Suzanne Lagacé