"Classical Education" refers to the manner of educating children according to the Classical model. The Classical model, time-tested since ancient Greek, Roman, and medieval times, known as the Trivium, meaning, “triple-way.” The Classical model recognizes three stages of mental/physiological development in children with corresponding stages of learning. These stages closely parallel the three levels of spiritual development: purification, enlightenment, and unity with God. The goal of an Orthodox Christian classical education is to produce students able to live out and give strong witness to the True Faith as adults.

The Trivium

The Grammar stage - Grades 1-4

Concentrates on learning the facts of language, math, history, and science without much critical thinking. This stage is when children are most ready to receive and memorize information. The grammar stage also focuses on the study of Latin, developing observation, listening, and memorization skills. The goal of this stage is to master the rudiments of language and develop a general framework of knowledge.

The Logic stage - Grades 5-8

Concentrates on making truthful connections, deductions, and inferences with all the facts first learned in the Grammar stage. The Logic Stage  is when children begin to demonstrate independent or abstract thought, usually becoming opinionated or argumentative. Instead of suppressing the child’s tendency to argue, the instructor molds and shapes it by teaching formal logic, analysis techniques, interpretation of facts, and helping students to formulate sound conclusions. The goal of this stage is to equip the child with language and thinking skills capable of detecting fallacies in an argument.

The Rhetoric stage - Grades 9-12

Rhetoric is the art of communicating well. The Rhetoric Stage concentrates on truthful expression, meaningful discourse, and skillful persuasion. Once a student has obtained knowledge of the facts, and has developed the skills necessary to interpret and arrange those facts, he or she must develop the skill of clearly communicating them to others. Classical education prepares the student for valuable service in the world and society by teaching as much as one can about the world, and importantly – developing the ability of the student to learn, think, and contribute in any situation in life.