Understanding the Classical and Christian Difference

To many, the term Classical Education conjures images of ivy-covered institutions with more interest in striking a child's knuckles and teaching dry subjects than in educating. As with any "image", truth is determined not by the "angle" or "spin" applied by Hollywood producers in movies like The Dead Poets Society, but by the real and tested results proven through centuries of educating children with the classical method. Please take a moment to read through this brief outline of what classical education really was and is today. We believe that you will find more myth than truth in the modern image of classical education.

"They thought, but we know."
Those who assume that methods used for millennia can be dismissed within a generation forget that time is the best laboratory, especially regarding human behavior. It has taken modern educators only 50 years to disassemble an educational system that took thousands of years to refine and establish. The classical method was born in the ancient Greece and Rome, and by the 16th century, it was used throughout the Western world. This system educated America's founding fathers as well as the world's philosophers, scientists and leaders between the 10th and 19th centuries. What other period can claim so many advances in science, philosophy, art, and literature?

Why Classical Education?
For education to be effective, it must go beyond conveying fact. Truly effective education cultivates thinking and articulate students who are able to develop facts into arguments and convey those arguments clearly and persuasively. Parents from Seattle to Orlando are recognizing that classical education adds the dimension and breadth needed to develop students’ minds. Rigorous academic standards, a dedication to order and discipline, and a focus on key, "lost" subjects is fueling the rapid growth of the nation's classical schools.

There is no greater task for education than to teach students how to learn. The influence of "progressive" teaching methods and the oversimplification of textbooks make it difficult for students to acquire the mental discipline that traditional instruction methods once cultivated. The classical method develops independent learning skills on the foundation of language, logic, and tangible fact. The classical difference is clear when students are taken beyond conventionally taught subjects and asked to apply their knowledge through logic and clear expression. In 1947, Dorothy Sayers, a pioneer in the return to classical education, observed, "although we often succeed in teaching our pupils 'subjects,' we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think.”Beyond subject matter, classical education develops those skills that are essential in higher education and throughout life - independent learning, critical thinking, and logical analysis."  We hope you will agree that this "back to and beyond the basics" focus develops timeless skills that are as important in today's rapidly changing world as they were to our founding fathers.

Teaching "With the Grain"
Occasionally, parents who are interested in classical education express concern that it will be too difficult or too demanding for their children. Disciplining and challenging students is certainly part of the classical method. However, we believe that education is inherently enjoyable for children. The classical method is based on the philosophy that students should be encouraged to do what they naturally enjoy during particular phases of their life.

In Dorothy Sayers' essay, The Lost Tools of Learning, she promotes working "with the grain" by teaching in ways which complement children's natural behavior. For example, young children in grammar school are very adept at memorizing. They enjoy repeating songs, rhymes, and chants to the extent that they often make up their own. In Classical education, the "Grammar" phase corresponds with this tendency by focusing on the teaching of facts. During the junior high years, children often become prone to question and argue. Classical education leverages this tendency by teaching students how to argue well based on the facts they have learned (we call this the "Logic" phase). During the high school years, students' interests shift from internal concerns to the external. Teenagers become concerned with how others perceive them. This stage fits well into the "Rhetoric" phase of Classical education, where students are taught to convey their thoughts so that they are well received and understood by others.

The classical method not only cuts "with the grain," but it develops a true sense of accomplishment in students. Many educators are artificially positive and soften grading scales in an effort to bolster their students' self-esteem. We believe that a sense of self-worth comes from accomplishment. The student who excels after working hard achieves a greater sense of accomplishment than one who is given the grade. By holding students to an objective standard, they gain a true understanding of their abilities. The current rage for self-esteem offers an artificial, self-centered appreciation for one's self.  In contrast, classical education provides a realistic and true estimation of a child's ability. Students who work hard to achieve a "C" based on accomplishment are more satisfied than a class of students who all receive the obligatory A.

Finally, we believe that learning, hard work, and fun are not mutually exclusive. Learning should be a joyful endeavor - one that presents a challenge. A visit to any of the nation's Classical and Christian schools would quickly demonstrate the delight of students who love to learn. Learning is exciting, especially for children. In our experience, children who transfer from a conventional classroom to a classical classroom usually develop an increased appreciation for education and for the pursuit of knowledge.

Latin and the Information Age
The most frequently questioned piece of classical education is its use of Latin. Why do students in the information age need something so "arcane" as Latin? Considering the number of quality schools that for centuries taught Latin as an integral part of any good academic training, the instruction in Latin should need no defense. However, like many traditional particulars of good education lost in the name of "progressive" education, Latin's advantages have been neglected and forgotten by recent generations. Latin was widely taught, even in American high schools, as late as the 1940's. It was considered necessary to the fundamental understanding of English, the history and writings of Western Civilization, and the understanding of Romance languages. Logos Christian Academy teaches Latin for a number of reasons.  Here are two of the most important:

1. Latin is a language that lives on today in almost all major Western languages, including English. Over 50 percent of English vocabulary comes from Latin. Training in Latin not only gives the student a better understanding of the roots of English vocabulary, it also lays the foundation for learning other Latin-based languages.

2. Learning the grammar of Latin reinforces the student's understanding of the reasons for, and the use of, the parts of speech being taught in our traditional English classwork (e.g., plurals, nouns, verbs, prepositions, direct objects, tenses).

The "Christian" in Classical Education
One frequent question we hear from parents is "what about a Bible class?" Some parents fear that the classical method will overshadow the importance of Christianity in their child's education. Classical and Christian schools understand that a Bible class is not enough. Classical and Christian schools that are accredited by ACCS do have Bible classes. However, the real power is in teaching all subjects from the perspective of the Christian worldview.

Classically educated students will not distinguish between "God's creation" and "science"; between "God's order" and "mathematics"; or between "Church history" and "world history". Throughout the curriculum, an inseparable association exists between "subject-matter" and "spiritual matters." Today, this association is only possible through private education, as public schools have become increasingly unable to present the complete picture.

The educational system provided by government operates on the philosophy that education is neutral - that it merely conveys fact and that facts do not require a spiritual context. We believe that facts, whether scientific, mathematical, historical, or otherwise, can only represent Truth if they are taught in the context of a Christian worldview. For this reason, we integrate the classical curriculum with biblical teaching to provide an education that is pervasively Christian. Christian worldview is more than a Bible class - it shows the natural world and its history through the lens of God's revelation.

 The "Politically Incorrect"
In the past 50 years, the academic study of Western Civilization has taken quite a turn. A fundamental belief of classical educators is that studying Western Civilization, with its triumphs and its failures must be central to education. For the Christian, Western Civilization teaches us much about our origins and our theology. Our origins must be studied if we are to understand what makes us as we are and what factors will influence our future. Most theological matters have been decided on the backdrop of Western Civilization. Without knowledge of our history, we are left to re-experience age old heresies. From economic systems to mathematics to music, Western Civilization provides a rich context in which to build knowledge and wisdom. History offers us much if we will only make the effort to learn its lessons.

Setting the Highest Standards
Christian families have intuitively embraced Classical and Christian education across the nation. Over 100 member schools of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) are working to give their students an education that rises to meet a higher standard. Academic success has certainly been characteristic of schools using the classical method. Logos Christian Academy is committed to the premise that students will work harder to meet a higher standard. A structured environment contributes to the order and discipline expected in the classroom.  LCA has been a member of ACCS since its founding in 1999.  For more information on ACCS, go to http://www.accsedu.org/.

Suggested Reading List:

• The Lost Tools of Learning, by Dorothy Sayers
• The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis
• Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, by Douglas Wilson
• The Seven Laws of Teaching, by John Gregory
• Repairing the Ruins, edited by Douglas Wilson
• Classical Education, by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. and Andrew Kern