how to find the right classical education curriculum
The classical education curriculum is called the Trivium. This curriculum is divided into three separate phases. The first phase, or grammar stage, corresponds with elementary grades (1st-6th).
At this stage of a child's life, the physical brain and the cognitive thinking skills haven't matured yet. That's why the focus needs to be on solid information. To put it another way, children at this phase just need facts.
Even though some children this age want to know the whys and hows, their brains can only absorb the whats. You can still respond to your children's whys and hows, but they are not the focus of the grammar stage.
The whats create the foundation for the whys and hows later one. These are the tools your children will need to answer philosophical questions and develop higher thinking. For the most part, children in the first stage can't grasp or process reason.
They haven't yet learned the skills for reasoning. They don't have the contextual knowledge to help them process these concepts.
This is the beauty of the grammar stage in the classical education curriculum. Even though the grammar stage is solely based on facts, it is the foundation for all the other learning that will take place in the other two stages.
All the work in the other two phases requires this firm foundation.
The next phase in classical education curriculum is the dialect stage. Children can start this phase usually between grade 5 and grade 7.
A noticeable change takes place for a child in this stage as his/her brain development and cognitive skills mature from the concrete to analytical.
When a child moves from stage to stage, the previous methods are not abandoned. The classical education curriculum is cumulative. Analytical though is simply added and developed side by side with concrete learning.
The first stage is where the child learns facts and concrete information. It is in the dialect stage that he or she is also introduced to whys and hows. The dialect stage emphasizes the importance of understanding "why things are the way they are."
It is in the second stage that the child is able to test the facts already learned to see if they really are true. The ability to determine the truth on their own is a critical step in developing reasoning skills.
Children learn to understand the importance of asking questions, judging, examining, and analyzing with respect and honor. In classical education curriculum, disrespect is an attitude you don't need when you're asking questions.
Parents and teachers can help reinforce positive attitudes by not getting defensive when children in this stage ask questions. Your example will ultimately help children understand that you can disagree while still being respectful.
Classical education curriculum's final phase is the rhetoric stage, which typically begins in the 9th grade and ends in the 12th.
Some subjects that are commonly taught include History, Language, Literature, Math, Music, Oratory, Philosophy, Science, and Writing. This is where the all the phases come into the picture and put into practice.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Unlock the secrets of a Classical Education Curriculum and join the Raise a Leader Revolution. You can finally afford to take control of your child's future and launch your child into greatness. Join us in saving our nation one true leader at a time.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License, which means you may freely reprint it, in its entirety, provided you include the author's resource box along with LIVE links (without "nofollow" tags).
by: KayleyKenzie
Total views: 34
Word Count: 498
Rating: Not yet rated