Academics

 

Classical Education

Veritas Classical Schools utilize a time-proven method of instruction that is referred to as the classical model of education. This process is divided into the Trivium and the Quadrivium.

Trivium

The Trivium serves as the foundation for all education -- providing students with the tools which enable them to think, to understand, and to grasp the relationships between the Creator and His creation, as well as between themselves and the subjects they will study.

The three aspects of the Trivium correspond with the three stages of a child's development, and they are referred to as Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. 		 
Quadrivium                                       

The Quadrivium consists of the study of specific subjects. Since the Quadrivium is analogous to university training, Veritas Schools restrict their teaching to the Trivium.


Grammar
The first stage:
Early elementary school years

Mastery of the first stage is typically accomplished by younger children because of their natural love of learning and relative ease by which they memorize new information.

Veritas Classical Grammar school will emphasize student exposure to and comprehension of core knowledge in literature, language, history, geography, cultural literacy, critical thinking, and the fine arts.

In addition, the curriculum will incorporate methods developed by Charlotte Mason, including narration, picture study, and nature sketching.


Dialectic
The second stage:
Upper elementary / middle school years

In this stage of childhood development many children begin to challenge authority and question what they have been taught. The Dialectic takes advantage of this natural inclination by teaching the student the laws of logic and the rules of proper argumentation as applied to the study of all subjects.

Students learn how the truths they are discovering apply to God's creation and how to think clearly about what they are learning, allowing them to argue for their positions on a plethora of topics. Students learn that disagreement need not be disagreeable and that their opinions must be seasoned with respect rather than rebellion.
Rhetoric
The third stage:
High school years

During the final stage of the Trivium, students focus on learning the science of communication and the art of expression. Students focus on mastering language as they learn to present their thoughts in an articulate, well-reasoned, and convincing fashion. Students express their knowledge of subjects through both written compositions and oral presentations.

This stage is especially helpful for students studying the SAT and/or ACT.