The Trivium (Grammar/Logic/Rhetoric)

The goal of classical education is timeless - to produce wisdom and eloquence through understanding and embracing truth, goodness, and beauty.

The substance of classical education is the liberal arts curriculum. Liberal comes from the Latin word "liber," meaning "free." To the ancient Greeks and Romans, free citizens required an education that cultivated their minds and equipped them to contribute to their society in a positive way. Medieval scholars expanded this idea by seeing these liberal arts as preparation not only to create rich minds and souls for this life, but also to cultivate citizens in God's eternal kingdom.

Much of contemporary education has turned away from this pursuit. In her 1940's essay entitled, "The Lost Tools of Learning," Oxford scholar Dorothy Sayers remarks, "Is it not the great defect of our education today 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." Sayers proposes a return to the classical Trivium (Grammar, Logic, & Rhetoric), and demonstrates how the three disciplines of the Trivium can be used as a pedagogical method associated with three stages of childhood development.

At Paideia Academy, we are seeking to recover the educational methods and academic standards of the past. We seek to teach children to think and learn for themselves by imparting to them the tools of learning. We are committed to the proven classical methods and content based on the Trivium.

The Trivium can be viewed as:

  1. An approach to subjects
  2. An approach to students
  3. A set of subjects

The Three Functions of the Trivium
(Chart adapted from Classical and Christian Education, Gregg Strawbridge, 1997, Reformed Thought Publications)

GRAMMAR

  • As an approach to subjects…
    • Mastery of fundamental facts & rules
    • Emphasis on core knowledge
  • As an approach to students…
    • Elementary age
    • Concrete thinkers and information sponges
    • Memorization comes naturally
  • As a subject…
    • The study of word usage and language structure, especially English and Latin

LOGIC

  • As an approach to subjects…
    • Mastery of sound reasoning & critical thinking skills
    • Emphasis on comprehension and analysis
  • As an approach to students…
    • Middle School age
    • Beginning to think abstractly
    • Growth of reasoning & analytical thinking abilities
  • As a subject…
    • The study of the science of sound reasoning

RHETORIC

  • As an approach to subjects…
    • Mastery of communication skills
    • Emphasis on expression, articulation, & application
  • As an approach to students…
    • High School age
    • Abstract thinkers
    • Interest in self-expression, communication, & creativity
  • As a subject…
    • The study of the effective use of language in speech and writing