What is a Classical Education?
A Historical Perspective:
Classical education originated with the ancient Greeks in the method of education they called Education Liberalis. The base word of this phrase refers to freedom. Incidentally, this method of education was the precursor to the modern day “Liberal Arts” education. Education Liberalis prepared free Greek citizens to think, express themselves and argue the issues of the day. This was important because during that time, “officials” had little power. The more persuasive the individual citizen, the more influential that person could become. In those days, education was power; it remains so today.
In 1947, Dorothy Sayers wrote an essay called The Lost Tools of
Learning. She lamented the loss of a classical education system
which had become widely used in ancient and medieval times. This
was a tragedy because modern schools no longer taught students how
to think. In the last 20 to 30 years, classical education has
enjoyed a rebirth in this country. This educational renaissance
sprung from frustrated parents and educators who believed that the
modern educational system was failing to produce graduates who
could think for themselves and who had been inspired to pursue a
love of learning throughout life.
Classical
Education:
Classical education is systematic and organized, with
history as the guiding principle. Classical learning is typically
divided into three stages known as the trivium. The three stages
are the Grammar stage for grades K-4, the Logic or Dialectic stage
for grades 5-8, and the Rhetoric stage for grades 9-12.
During the grammar stage, children learn and absorb information in
math, science, literature, history, art, music and Latin. The
subjects are interrelated; thus, all subjects reinforce the
information being studied so that students better retain and
understand the content. The information learned at this stage
supplies “mental pegs on which later information can be hung.”
Children learn through songs, rhymes, fables and classical
literature in a way that is exciting and enticing. Students also
learn to speak in public and carry themselves with confidence.
The logic stage utilizes the natural inclination of middle school
children to argue and think independently. As in the grammar stage,
studies in each subject are organized with a historical background.
Students take those pegs of learning from earlier years, add to
them a deeper understanding of those topics, and then use critical
thinking to develop and defend independent points of view. The
study of formal logic teaches reasoning through the recognition of
valid versus fallacious arguments. In the logic stage, students
learn to think critically and to argue well.
Rhetoric is the art of communicating well. Although we do not have
a high school at West Houston, we believe that our 8th grade
graduates are well on their way to writing and speaking “with force
and originality.” At the rhetoric stage, students focus on
communication as they practice both oral and written communication.
A classical background provides students the foundation they need
to explore lofty ideas.
Benefits of Classical Education:
There are clear benefits to the rigorous and systematic
method of classical education. First, it develops virtue by
teaching the child to do what is right, even when it is not easy.
Second, it allows students to make connections between past events
and current information unlike the eclectic, scattershot education
offered by many modern schools. Because students can see how
history repeats and how patterns produce outcomes, they are able to
recognize recurrent symbolism. This allows them to join the “Great
Conversation” of great minds through the ages.
Although every student has a different capacity for learning and
achievement, classical education takes each student to the height
of his or her individual abilities. Students of all abilities begin
to see and understand that learning is itself a gift. The pursuit
of wisdom meets the uniquely human desire to know more and to
understand more deeply.
Latin:
West Houston Charter School introduces Latin as early as
kindergarten. All of our students study Latin with a depth
appropriate to the grade level.
Why learn Latin? Just as one who wants to build muscle lifts
weights to achieve that goal, one studies Latin to exercise and
strengthen the mind. Additionally, more than fifty percent of the
English language is based on Latin. Consequently, students who take
Latin tend to score higher than others on standardized tests with
verbal sections. With a background in Latin, students have a head
start on learning the romance languages, all of which are based on
Latin.
Our Teachers:
The teachers at West Houston Charter School are
dedicated to developing the sort of mentoring relationship with
their students that greatly enhances the quality of learning. When
students see and appreciate a teacher’s love for a subject, they
can recognize the loveliness within that subject.
If a child is taught well, he/she will learn well and will come to
love the very process of learning. This love for learning is a
lifetime gift from West Houston Charter to our students.
