After several years of homeschooling, my mother informed us that part of our curriculum included memorizing a song on the history of the world. When I learned that the song spanned 14 minutes, I will admit that my attitude was not overly optimistic. The task seemed daunting. Yet, after just a few months, my siblings and I memorized it. Eight years have gone by without any practice and I can still recall it. The song cemented dates, people, and battles into my mind’s timeline. Why is it that one song has left such a remarkable imprint on my education? I credit that to the proven system of classical education.
There is a reason why the Classical method continues to pervade educational philosophy today. It is most notably making its resurgence among homeschooling families and private Christian schools. Not only is it a method to fully equip students with knowledge, it teaches students how to learn. The contemporary of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, gave a brilliant speech on classical education. In 1947, Sayers gave a lecture that illuminated the poor state of education in her day, as well as a solid case for classical education. She described that, “the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.”
The Classical method is built on two distinct sections, the Trivium and the Quadrivium. The Trivium pertains to preparatory school, while the Quadrivium is a part of secondary education. For the purposes of this article, I will focus solely on the Trivium.
The Trivium is composed of three distinct periods of learning. They are called Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric. The Grammar stage is the first, typically ranging from ages 4-12. Next comes Dialectic, spanning from ages 9-13. Finally, Rhetoric takes place between the ages of 14-18. In each of these parts, subject material is presented in a wide range of teaching techniques. This method aids to an array of learning style, including children with varying learning challenges. (I want the reader to take note that these periods of learning are not limited to only these age ranges. I also want to mention that as we learn any new concept, sport, language, etc., we naturally walk through these stages. So if you were to begin gardening at 45 years old, you will firstly need to begin in the Grammar stage of gardening.)
Surely we have all been the reciter and the recipient of songs listing the ABCs, colors, shapes and the like. The young years are full of wonder, fun and repetition in memorizing elementary material. Children’s minds are sponges, ready to absorb all that they see. This period of development is called the Grammar stage. Their minds are most adept at memorization, ready to be sown with information that will be useful both now and later. Students are eager to gather materials to build that foundation for their present and future learning.
As children grow, their understanding of the world begins to expand. Questions arise on all occasions. These range from engaging to (sometimes) annoying. But this is how the second stage, the Dialectic stage, in learning develops. Dorothy Sayers stated, “It is characterised by contradicting, answering-back, liking to “catch people out” (especially one’s elders), and the propounding of conundrums (especially the kind with a nasty verbal catch in them).” Questions flow naturally from their minds as they begin scrutinizing and examining everything around them along with previously stored information. Oftentimes this stage can be perceived by elders as disrespectful and discourteous. However, if one understands that respectful questioning is a natural part of the learning process, helping them succeed in their pursuit of understanding would go much farther. In the modern education system, this stage has been altogether removed as part of the education process.
The final stage of the Trivium is Rhetoric. At this point, students are at a place where they can fluently articulate their research and conclusions. Rhetoric is the pinnacle of the Trivium, where all the elements of what they have learned come to fruition. The student has the knowledge on how to properly research a subject, ask suitable questions regarding it, and is able to competently share that knowledge with others.
The Trivium is a brilliant education method. It equips students how to learn, not necessarily what they learn. Sayers remarked, “Is it not the great defect of our education to-day that although we often succeed in teaching our pupils “subjects,” we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think? They learn everything, except the art of learning.” When students who are not equipped enter upon things they do not know of, they are at a great loss. They are “at the mercy of the printed word.” Anything and everything can pervade, indoctrinate, deceive, and outwit them.
Not only does the Classical method teach students how to learn, it also teaches to make associations between spheres of knowledge. Being able to recognize connections between differing subjects is beneficial to understanding in general, but it is especially important for the Christian. God is glorified through His creation, and by learning about His creation, we are able to glorify Him. Observing how God has designed Latin to complement mathematics is a frequent gift inside Classic education.
While I may not have been fond of the 14-minute song in my youth, its usefulness went beyond what I ever imagined. The same story can be told of everything else I’ve memorized in that time. Being classically educated has equipped me to handle tough subjects and rigorous debate. It has left me with knowing how to learn and I see connections between things that are commonly overlooked. The Classical method truly equips students to become life-long learners.
Sayers, Dorothy L. “The Lost Tools of Learning.” Providence Classical Christian School. Vacation Course in Education, 1947, Oxford, London. https://www.pccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/LostToolsOfLearning-DorothySayers.pdf. Accessed 20 August, 2021.
