A Classical Education

Why is it so hard to blog? Why is it so hard to do many things that I want to do, for example, write or how about sewing and making things? How about keeping up on my creative memories? How about working on projects around the house?

I know this is going to sound like an excuse but I happen to know that the reason I have a hard time doing these things is because of a profound lack of discipline in my life—a profound lack of discipline due to my parents’ failing to train me in this area. For those of you who know what I am talking about, you understand how great an influence your parents can have over you during the growing years, for better or for worse.

I have been reading up lately on a Classical education because it is what we intend to give our kids. And oh, oh, oh, how I was RIPPED OFF in my education!!!!!! My children are going to have an education 10, no 20 times better than the one I received and I am going to be faithful to train them and to discipline them! The tricky part is that I have to get the discipline down myself before I can train them. Lord help me!

A Classical Education conforms to the child's levels of development in learning and is comprised of the Trivium which consists of three stages: the Grammar stage, the Logic stage, and the Rhetoric Stage. During the Grammar stage, age 5-10, the student is learning everything he/she can, accumulating facts and stockpiling as much information as they can in their brain. During the Logic stage, age 11-13, the student is being taught the art of logic and reasoning in argumentation. He/she is learning to question everything they have previously learned and to logically argue the facts. During the Rhetoric stage, age 14-18, the student is being led to judge information and express properly that which they have already learned and come to understand.

The goal of a Classical Education is to equip the student with the tools that will ultimately allow him/her to be liberated from the confines of a taskmaster (teacher) so that he/she may be able to teach themselves and logically think and reason for themselves. Our current public education does nothing of the sort. Outcome based education is designed to forever keep the student bound to tasks. The student never learns to think for himself but rather, is programmed to believe this world’s beliefs on feminism, socialism, humanism, religion, origin, etc. Our education consists of the Grammar stage. We are forever learning facts and compiling information but we are never taught to assimilate this information and logically examine it. Let me offer some proof…

According to the Classical Education set up, the student is supposed to learn to argue logically and reason at the age of 11-13. I did not take my first Logic course until I was a sophomore in college!! And some people never take a Logic course at all! So, so sad.

So, I do not know where else I want to go with this little blurb except to say what I have already said. My children are going to get a far better education than I did. First, they will be trained in Knowledge (Grammar). Then they will be taught to think and they will gain Understanding (Logic). And finally, when they learn to apply practically all they have been given, they will find Wisdom (Rhetoric). AMEN!