What is the TRIVIUM?
The Trivium is a three-stage learning process at the core of classical methodology. Classical education strategically implements these stages in all subjects to align them with natural child development.
Grammar
The Art of Knowing
More than nouns and verbs, "grammar" is the foundational knowledge needed to understand any subject. For example, the grammar of math includes number names and place value; the grammar of chemistry includes the vocabulary terms "atom" and "bond"; the grammar of football includes positions, rules, and equipment.
Young elementary students excel at learning grammar. They memorize information well through repetition, and the fluencies they gain are the building blocks for further learning.
Dialectic/Logic
The Art of Thinking
This is the stage where students learn to reason. They are taught how to ask good questions with the goal of understanding truth. They learn to spot fallacies and develop critical thinking skills in all subjects, and they receive formal Logic instruction.
This is emphasized in the upper elementary and middle school years when students are developmentally ready for such thinking. They move beyond basic knowledge and begin to more deeply understand the facts they learned in the grammar stage.
Too often students are asked to think critically without any instruction about how to do so and without the basic knowledge they need. Classical education gives students both the knowledge and skills they need to be good thinkers.
Rhetoric
The Art of Communicating
The final stage is all about equipping students to communicate effectively. They take what they have learned in the grammar and logic stages and share it through both spoken and written work. They learn to speak persuasively, write eloquently, and express ideas clearly. Ultimately, this helps them minister to unbelievers and winsomely engage with the culture.
This is especially valuable to high school students as they become self-aware and care about how they are perceived. The Rhetoric stage not only helps students solidify their academic understanding, but also gives them confidence to express themselves in any conversation.
While these stages generally progress with a child's development, they are not exclusive to any grade level. Students will use Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric in every learning experience they have. Even college students taking Molecular Physics begin with its grammar. Our first graders preview Rhetoric when they learn to present with good posture and a clear voice.
Classically educated students learn how to learn and thereby become life-long learners.
This is the education we want for our own children, and we invite you to join us!
Contact us to schedule a parent meeting or apply today.
Liberty Classical School is a full-time, private Christian Classical school in Lincoln, NE. We exist to educate children that they may know and love the truth. We partner with parents to establish men and women who glorify God as loyal servants. We equip our students to be formidable adversaries of falsity and all other enemies of God. We believe that the primary end for education is not merely survival, but glory—glory in the truth and Glory to God—the Father, the Spirit and the Son—on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.