Classical Education

Classical Conversations uses a three-year rotating curriculum called 'cycles' in the Foundations program, where students cover different historical periods and subjects each year before repeating the rotation with greater depth.

The Grammar Stage is the first phase of the classical Trivium (ages 4-11), when children naturally excel at memorization and absorbing foundational facts across all subjects.

Great Books refers to a curated collection of foundational texts from Western civilization used in classical education, where students learn by engaging directly with primary source works rather than textbooks.

Latin study teaches the ancient language of Rome, emphasizing grammar, vocabulary roots, and logical thinking—particularly popular in classical homeschool education for building English skills and mental discipline.

The Logic Stage is the second phase of classical education's Trivium model, typically covering grades 5-8, when students move from memorizing facts to analyzing relationships, recognizing patterns, and developing critical thinking skills.

Memory work is the systematic practice of memorizing and reciting foundational knowledge—from poetry and Scripture to math facts and historical timelines—through repetition, forming a cornerstone of classical education.

The Quadrivium is the second stage of classical liberal arts education, consisting of four mathematical disciplines: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. It follows the Trivium and together they form the complete foundation of classical learning.

Recitation is the practice of memorizing material and presenting it orally before an audience. In classical education, it involves students standing and articulating memorized content—poetry, facts, Scripture, or historical timelines—with proper poise and enunciation.

The Rhetoric Stage is the third and final phase of the classical Trivium (ages 14-18), where students learn to express ideas with eloquence, persuasion, and original thought, building on the knowledge and reasoning skills developed in earlier stages.

The Socratic Method is a teaching approach using guided questions rather than direct instruction, helping students discover answers themselves and develop critical thinking skills.

A Socratic Seminar is a structured, student-led discussion format where participants explore a text through open-ended questioning, building understanding collaboratively rather than competitively.

The Trivium is the foundational framework of classical education consisting of three interconnected stages: Grammar (knowledge acquisition), Logic (critical thinking), and Rhetoric (eloquent expression), aligned to child development stages.