The core of classical education is the trivium, an enduring teaching method that tailors the curriculum to a child's cognitive development. The trivium consists of three stages:
Grammar (through grade 6)
Emphasizes concrete thinking, memorization and learning the basic facts, or "grammar", of subjects.
Dialectic (grades 7-9)
Trains students how to use the facts they have learned, develops analytical thinking and channels the natural desire of children at this age to engage in disputation.
Rhetoric (grades 10-12)
Teaches students to think correctly and sharpens speech and writing skills. Information from the preceding stages are integrated with more advanced study.
For more information on the methods and philosophy of Classical Christian Education, please visit
Books to read for more information on classical education:
The Lost Tools of Learning, by Dorothy Sayers
Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, by Douglas Wilson
On Secular Education, by Robert L. Dabney
The Classical Tradition,by Gilbert Highet
