Classical Method

Classical education is both ancient and surprisingly modern. It traces back to the Greeks and Romans, was the standard approach to Western education for centuries, and was revived for homeschoolers in the late 20th century by writers like Dorothy Sayers and Susan Wise Bauer.

The central insight is simple: education should follow the grain of how children naturally develop. Young children love to memorize and chant—so teach them facts. Adolescents love to argue—so teach them logic. Teenagers want to express themselves—so teach them rhetoric. Rather than fighting these developmental tendencies, classical education harnesses them.

What draws families to classical education varies. Some want rigorous academics. Some want their children reading the Great Books that shaped Western civilization. Some want an education that teaches students how to think, not just what to think. The approach delivers on all three—but it demands significant commitment from both parent and child.

The Modern Classical Revival

Classical education as we know it today began with a lecture. In 1947, Dorothy L. Sayers—an Oxford-educated novelist and essayist—gave a speech called "The Lost Tools of Learning" that would spark a movement.^[1]

Sayers observed that despite more years of schooling than ever, modern students couldn't think. "We have lost the tools of learning," she argued, "and in their absence can only make a botched and piecemeal job of it."^[1] Her solution: return to the medieval trivium, not as a set of subjects but as a method of training the mind.

The homeschool application came decades later. Susan Wise Bauer, herself homeschooled through high school in the 1970s, co-authored The Well-Trained Mind with her mother Jessie Wise in 1999. That book translated classical principles into a practical, year-by-year curriculum guide—and sparked what The Old Schoolhouse Magazine called "a revolution within the homeschool community."

The Trivium: Three Stages of Learning

The trivium is a three-part process for training the mind, with each stage aligned to a child's natural developmental tendencies. Explore the trivium in depth

Grammar Stage (ages 4-11): Young children love to memorize—songs, chants, facts, lists. The grammar stage harnesses this by filling children's minds with foundational knowledge: history facts, science vocabulary, math tables, Latin roots, Bible verses, and poetry. Sayers called this the "Poll-parrot" stage because children at this age absorb and repeat with enjoyment. Learn how to implement the Grammar stage

Logic Stage (ages 11-14): Around fifth grade, children become argumentative. They want to know *why*, and they delight in catching adults in contradictions. The logic stage channels this by teaching formal logic, identifying fallacies, and applying critical thinking across subjects. Sayers called this the "Pert" stage. Discover the Logic stage

Rhetoric Stage (ages 14-18): Teenagers want to express themselves. The rhetoric stage teaches them to do so with clarity, force, and beauty—through essays, speeches, debates, and thesis papers. All the facts memorized in grammar and the reasoning skills developed in logic now find expression. Sayers called this the "Poetic" stage. Prepare for the Rhetoric stage

The Trivium Stages at a Glance

The Four-Year History Cycle

One of classical education's most distinctive features is its organization of history. Rather than studying American history every year, classical education moves chronologically through world history in four-year cycles:

Cycle 1: Ancients (5000 BC–AD 400) — Creation, Egypt, Greece, Rome Cycle 2: Medieval (400–1600) — Fall of Rome through the Renaissance Cycle 3: Early Modern (1600–1850) — Exploration, colonization, revolutions Cycle 4: Modern (1850–present) — Industrial age through today

Students complete this cycle three times—once in each trivium stage. In grammar stage, they learn the stories and facts. In logic stage, they analyze causes and effects. In rhetoric stage, they form and defend their own interpretations.

This approach means all subjects connect. When studying ancient Greece in history, students also read Greek myths in literature, study Greek roots in language, and explore Greek contributions to mathematics. Everything reinforces everything else.

Latin, Logic, and the Great Books

Three elements distinguish classical education from other rigorous approaches:

Latin begins in elementary school for most classical families. It builds English vocabulary (over 60% of English words derive from Latin), teaches grammar explicitly, develops precision in thinking, and opens access to foundational Western texts. Many families fear they can't teach what they never learned—but curricula like Memoria Press, Classical Academic Press, and Henle Latin are designed for parents learning alongside their children.

Formal Logic typically begins in middle school. Students learn to identify logical fallacies, construct valid arguments, and recognize flawed reasoning. This skill transfers across every subject and prepares students for rhetoric stage writing and discussion.

Great Books form the backbone of classical reading. Rather than textbook excerpts, students read complete primary sources: Homer, Plato, Virgil, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, and beyond. The goal isn't checking books off a list but engaging deeply with ideas that have shaped civilization.

Classical Education vs. Other Methods

Honest Assessment: Strengths and Challenges

Where classical education excels: Families seeking rigorous academics find it here. The method produces students who can think critically, argue logically, and write persuasively—skills that translate to any field. The structure appeals to parents who want a clear roadmap. Classical students consistently perform well on standardized tests and in college.

Where families struggle: The time commitment is substantial—expect 4-6 hours daily, more in high school. Latin intimidates parents who never learned it (though learning alongside your child works). The cost of co-ops like Classical Conversations ($500-1,600+/year) creates barriers. Some children resist the heavy memorization of the grammar stage.

Common misconceptions: Many assume classical education is only for Christian families. While curricula like Classical Conversations and Memoria Press are Christian, *The Well-Trained Mind* is secular, and the trivium itself predates Christianity. Others assume it's only for academically gifted students—but the developmental approach actually meets children where they are.

Top Classical Curricula

• Classical Conversations — Community-based program with weekly co-op meetings; Christian ($500-1,600+/year)
• Memoria Press — Complete grade-level packages with emphasis on Latin; Christian ($235-914/year)
• Veritas Press — Self-paced and live online courses; Christian ($250-1,350+/year)
• Well-Trained Mind Academy — Live online classes from the WTM authors; secular ($250-950/course)
• Classical Academic Press — Individual subject curricula, especially Latin and logic; Christian-friendly

Getting Started with Classical Education

Getting Started

Classical education offers a time-tested path to intellectual development—one that's produced thinkers, writers, and leaders for millennia. The trivium structure isn't arbitrary; it aligns education with how children actually develop, meeting them where they are at each stage.

The commitment is real. This isn't a light approach. But families willing to invest the time find their children emerge not just knowing things, but knowing how to learn, how to think, and how to express themselves with precision and persuasion.

Start by reading Sayers. Understand the why before tackling the how. Then begin where your child is, add subjects gradually, and trust the process. The tools of learning, once acquired, serve for a lifetime.